Faith-Based Filmmaking Doesn't Exist In An Alternate Universe
Christian artists need to adhere more closely to the real-world rules of storytelling
Parallel realities have become increasingly popular in the realm of film. Examples include the Oscar-winner Everything Everywhere All at Once, numerous MCU multiverse entries, and the superb Spider-verse series (which, if Beyond the Spider-Verse matches the quality of Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse, will make it one of the best trilogies of all time).1 One of the newest additions to the multiverse subgenre is the faith-based film The Shift.
This movie offers another opportunity to talk about the state of Christian filmmaking. And that is exactly what I do in my newest piece for Christ and Pop Culture, entitled “Christian Filmmaking Needs a Shift”:
Many will be encouraged to hear that The Shift is “groundbreaking,” and that it represents “a promising step” for faith-based movies. Indeed, the Christian film industry generally appears to be slowly moving in the right direction, nearing the goalposts of high-quality art with each successive step.
Nevertheless, there are still flags on the field. In his review of The Shift, Daniel Blackaby writes, “There’s a lot to appreciate about this film, but if there’s one element that holds it back, it’s the filmmaker’s lack of trust that the audience will ‘get’ the message without explicitly stating it.”
I go on to evaluate the inherent detriment of explicit messaging in film:
In a parallel universe, it might make sense that a story is stronger when the message is on-the-nose, reinforced with didactic dialogue. However, in this universe (i.e., the one which God actually created), such messaging often works against the story, attempting to apply “Sermon Prep 101” rules to “Filmmaking 101” scenarios.
You can read my entire argument by clicking on this link.
UPDATE: Along with some other Christ and Pop Culture writers, I briefly explore faith-based films (and other things) in the following piece: “CAPC’s Favorite Games, Memes, and Cultural Moments of 2023.”
Yes, that’s just my opinion, but it’s true.