Christian related movies

I've like a couple (I can Only Imagine, The Case For Christ) and other ones like Passion Of The Christ and Chronicles Of Narnia. But Most Christian moves like those from the Kendrick Brothers, Gods Not Dead franchise, all of those are just really bad. Bad acting, bad directing, bad script, really cheesy and really cliche. And many of those movies have a reasonable budget. So why is it that most Christian movies are just plain terrible and unwatchable? As a Christian I love movies, and I would love to see more movies about my faith, but I want them to be good. I don't understand why they aren't?

I saw the movie Risen a few days ago.
Don't watch it. Terrible acting.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3231054/

I loved the movie Amazing Grace. It's the true story of William Wilberforce and the outlawing of the slave trade in Briton.

I mentioned previously, either in this thread or another, that many Christian filmmakers commit the error of putting the message before anything else. They either forget or choose to ignore the fact that movies are supposed to be entertaining stories first, and you can't connect with your audience if your story is overly simplistic or outright insulting.

You cited the Kendrick brothers, whose biggest successes were probably Facing the Giants and Fireproof. After that, it seemed they leveled out a lot - I personally didn't see most of their other projects. David A.R. White masterminding the God's Not Dead series is another example - the original film was okay in certain spots, though both lead characters almost seemed like extreme caricatures regarding their moral and spiritual positions. I liked the second film much more; Melissa Joan Hart helped ground it as a teacher forced to defend her faith after giving an honest answer to a student lands her in legal trouble. But the third film was terrible, especially the ending where the church allows itself to be forced from its current location to appease protesters. As a viewer, I was incensed by this, asking myself "If you back down like this once, what's to stop them from making you do it again, another few years down the line when someone else starts complaining?" I have no interest in the fourth entry - that franchise has worn out its welcome for me.

I'll take your word for this and give it a pass. Most Christian movies that I have watched are very lame, not very scriptural, and like you have said, terrible acting.

I actually liked Risen. While its true the film takes several liberties with accepted Christian teaching, I challenge you to name more than a handful of modern faith-based films which don't. Even The Passion of the Christ, widely hailed for its accuracy upon its original release, was later condemned because Mel Gibson dared to add extra elements like Jesus having family-related flashbacks, an androgynous version of Satan showing up a few times, and Judas Iscariot being chased by demonic "children". I think some people need to get off their "high horse" and accept the fact that these are movies, not sermons. They have built-in messages, to be sure, but they're ultimately meant to entertain and emotionally reach the audience, first and foremost.

I remembered that you've mentioned Book of Eli another time or two and I've been meaning to watch it. Well, Amz sent out movie credits and your post came to mind, so I watched it this afternoon. It's smashing and I'm glad I remembered your post about it!

Btw, still praying for you and I hope you are hanging in there!!

I'm glad that you liked it!
There are two or three movies that I praised God throughout. They were all by Denzel Washington.
The Book of Eli was one.
Did you figure out Eli's unique feature at the end?


I prayed for our Father to bless me with another good movie based on my favorite series. It reflected some moral ideals I had as a child.

Yes, and I must admit I didn't "see" that unique feature coming! I like Denzel's acting. He's truly talented.

I seen you mentioned another movie in this thread that I'll keep in mind to check out next time: Man on Fire

Praying too!

You are more observant than I am. I didn't want to spoil it for you in case you missed it. watched it a couple times before I was convinced his character was completely blind. Lol
Every detail about that movie really connected with me.
One of my favorite series was a famous Japanese TV/ movie called Zatoichi The Blind Swordsman. This was a totally different twist with a most wholesome theme. The Lord used him to preserve the King James Bible to be published again.....the Lord gave me a martial art that Denzel practiced for months for that role. That's no coincidence. Our Father loves us so much.

Man on Fire
I loved that movie too.

He and Dakota were a perfect combination.
He gave his life for that little girl.
That touches me to think about it.

Did you know that I was given another MAJOR GIFT that's connected to that theme and that movie you just mentioned?

There's the protective father like portrayal of the Creasy character and Dakota's role was amazing how good she portrayed her character. I doubt there's a better child actress at the time. In spite of how flawed a man that Creasy was, he gave his life to save hers, so we see some symbolism there.
The same theme went back to the last of the Equalizer franchise. I don't have time this evening to get into the details, plus I don't want to spoil it for you. Denzel's character is back again with that little girl, all grown up now as they are reunited in another favorite gift.

It started with someone trying to take my life.
The murderer was shown grace.
God exceeded that by saving my life and blessing me beyond any dream.
Only He could have done that.

Dakota was amazing! I seen her in other roles and her acting was incredible at the time.

Did you notice in that one scene on Book of Eli that there was some kind of movie poster over/near his bed and it said The Year is 2024? I thought it was interesting that I watched it this year and then I see 2024. Or, at least I think that's what I saw.

I have seen the first and second Equalizer movies and really enjoyed them, will get to the 3rd one as soon as I can. I've been in a Denzel mood thanks to you!

You are blessed!!

I'm thankful the Lord has kept you safe!!

I remember that poster, but couldn't make out the details. Maybe my TV doesn't have the resolution or my eyes aren't as sharp as yours. I thought it might have had some significance. Please write down any details when you see it again. I hope it isn't like some episode of the Simpsons. Let me know any details you can make out.

Glad you saw those first two.
He had intense combat training for the choreography of those from the top movie martial artist in California. This was the same guy who did the choreography for Eli and for the Jason Bourne series. These weren't what I would call "Action Movies" because they had extremely good scripts that depended upon the stories and acting. I was pleased to see them perform a style that overlapped my own.
Without those, I still would have enjoyed them. That was just icing on the cake.

I found an image that someone posted on X. They noticed it too. I screenshotted it to show you.

I'm definitely going to watch more Denzel movies. His acting is superior.

Thanks for finding that.
I looked at it as close as I can see and wonder what the message is?
I can't read any of it, but there's a lot of writing.
The set people and / or director is likely putting it there for a reason.
It looks like a ladder going into a hole. A boomer shelter like people used to make during the old war?
Do you have any ideas?
Maybe that represents a shelter from the radiation like Eli talked about while in the concrete silo.
That also reminds me of the scene with the couple who had a trap door on their porch.
The funniest line.
"It would be uncivilized to not bury them.
George adds, "Besides, it's good for the soil."
😄

I wonder that myself. It's hard to tell, even looking closely. It's not very clear.

That scene is hilarious!

I only mentioned the Simpsons because of their predictions that came true. With Putin talking about the nook cle-ar option and NATO pushing it, this is the highest risk of a Book of Eli scenario in history.

The 2024 must have been a reference to when that war began with the flash at the beginning of the movie following the conventional war represented with the rat a tat tat, flash booom. Scene 1, enter hairless cat.

This was so hard to find.
It looks like YouTube actually cancelled channels over this scene.
A few seconds before is the sound of gun fire, then the flash .
Now the fallout and hairless cat hunt.
Then I really like the scene where he feeds the mouse some cat food and prays.
Next he offers that famous singer cat oil. Denzel got a lot of mileage from his cat jokes.

Moses_Young was telling me about predictions in the Simpson's show. I guess I need to start watching that show. I remember watching it when I was 9, and I had a Bart Simpson tshirt back then lol. Of course, I was too young to notice that stuff then. I do remember an episode in the early 90s where they visited Washington DC and pigs in suits were eating money out of troughs.


Such haunting scenery. Incredible movie.

I liked the scene with the mouse too!

I seen Tom Waits lol.

Thanks, I forgot his name.
Tom Waits doesn't like cat grease for chap stick for some strange reason.

This was in a 1996 episode of the Simpsons.