Posts in Film & TV
'The Farmer and the Belle' (mostly) succeeds in blending Christmas and faith-based genres

A new film on Amazon Prime tells the real-life story of a model who struggles with her body image and learns to appreciate her inner beauty when she falls in love with a Christian man who loves her for more than her looks. In some ways, it improves on the typical Hallmark Christmas movie— in other ways, it doesn’t.

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Is This The Way? 'The Mandalorian' Questions Religious Tradition

(REVIEW) The second season of “Star Wars” spin-off television show “The Mandalorian” deals heavily with the protagonist’s religious creed that prevents him from removing his helmet. When he chooses to take it off for the sake of saving his child and companion, it’s sure to change the way he views his creed.

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Why ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ Remains Beloved By Both Christians And Nonbelievers

(OPINION) Something truly magical happens by the end when Charlie Brown asks what the true meaning of Christmas is. Instead of more commercialism, Linus sets his friend — and everyone else — straight and delivers a truly important message.

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'Good Lord Bird' Tells Fictionalized Tale of Gun-Toting, Bible-Wielding Abolitionist John Brown

(REVIEW) John Brown, the Christian abolitionist who staged a raid on an armory in Harpers Ferry before the Civil War, has become the stuff of legend. Miniseries “Good Lord Bird,” adapted from a fictionalized novel of the same name, showcases Brown’s faith and his devotion to freeing slaves.

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Netflix’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Fails To Explain White Evangelicals. Here’s Why It’s Still Worth Watching

(REVIEW) “Hillbilly Elegy,” the newest Netflix movie, is an adaptation of the 2016 memoir about the life of J.D. Vance growing up in Appalachia. The movie portrays the story of family well, and it doesn’t attempt to solve any political or cultural problems beyond that.

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Disney’s ‘Clouds’ Tells True Story of Catholic Teen with Terminal Cancer

(REVIEW) “Clouds,” a new movie streaming on Disney+, tells the true story of Zach Sobiech, a Catholic teenager and musician who suffered from a rare form of cancer. The movie emphasizes faith and the importance of having hope.

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VidAngel CEO talks filtering content for faith-based streaming and creating ‘The Chosen’

Neal Harmon is the CEO of a streaming service called VidAngel that initially started as a "content filtering" service, for families to stream TV and movies without sex, language or violence. Now it has begun to produce original content — such as "The Chosen," a drama series about the life of Jesus. Harmon talks to contributor Joseph Holmes about the service, some of their current projects and what's next.

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'Infidel' Isn’t Good, But It Serves a Market that Feels Unserved

(REVIEW) “Infidel,” the new faith-based political thriller, has attracted several Christians and political conservatives — giving it a reasonably good box office opening. But the movie is lacking in quality, and may disappoint the audience it seeks to please.

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Netflix's 'The Devil All the Time' Exploits Faith In Dark Thriller

(REVIEW) The newest Netflix original, “The Devil All the Time,” takes place in a rural town where God exists but never intervenes. The cast of characters, who are haunted by or participate in evil, are therefore only able to wrestle with their own sin.

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Netflix's 'Cuties' Accused Of Anti-Islamic Message, Sexualizing Young Girls

(ANALYSIS) Netflix will release Sundance 2019 winner “Cuties” on Sept. 9. Ahead of its release, Muslims have criticized the movie for glorifying a growth away from Islam. Muslims and others — including evangelical Christians — have called for boycotts against the movie because of its sexualization of children.

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Film about miraculous Fatima apparitions heaven-sent during the pandemic

(REVIEW) The new movie Fatima, which details the story of three Portuguese children who were visited by an apparition of an angel and six times by the Virgin Mary, is moving, hopeful and inspiring. These are the very qualities in a movie audiences crave, especially during a pandemic.

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Why 'The Chosen' Plans To Film Season Two During A Pandemic

“The Chosen,” a show about the life of Jesus, will resume filming its second season this fall with health concerns presenting risks and challenges. The show is the biggest crowd-funded media project of all time, raising more than $11 million to fund their first season. Religion Unplugged spoke with director Dallas Jenkins about his plans for the series.

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‘Flannery’ Documentary Looks At Southern Writer’s Works On Grace and Race

(REVIEW) The documentary “Flannery” interviews a broad range of creatives about the life and work of Flannery O’Connor. O’Connor’s short stories and novels focus heavily on race and religion—inspired by her Catholic faith—and the documentary explores the lasting power of these works.

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Reporter Focuses Lens On The Spirit Of Moundsville, West Virginia

John Miller’s film with David Bernabo, titled “Moundsville,” is a biography of a small town along the Ohio River — from its beginnings with a 2,200-year-old Native American burial mound, its economic boom and bust times as dozens of factories arrived and disappeared, to the current age of Walmart, shale gas and new generations hoping to figure out a future for the small town. The documentary is currently streaming on PBS.

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