(REVIEW) Netflix’s latest reality series about a highly successful businesswoman who left a strict Orthodox Jewish community is hilarious at times and binge-worthy but adds to the narrative that religion is oppressive. Meanwhile, Orthodox Judaism is attracting more young people in the U.S. than previous generations despite religion’s overall decline.
Read More(REVIEW) A new PBS documentary on the life of Pope Francis that premiered on June 20 presents an hour long overview from his childhood to his papacy. It paints Francis as a reformer of the Catholic Church and a pope who cares greatly for other people.
Read More(REVIEW) The movie “The Divine Ponytail” packs a lot in just 91 minutes and doesn’t ignore Roberto Baggio’s Buddhist faith and how it helped motivate the former Italian soccer star at the World Cup and beyond.
Read More(REVIEW) “The Chosen” season two is not as strong as its first season. It rushes scenes and narrative arcs and lacks the multi-episodic drama of the first season. But these weaknesses don’t strike to the essential strengths of the show: a show that portrays a Jesus and disciples faithful to scripture and embraces creativity in the art form.
Read More(REVIEW) This unique sporting event is the focus of a new 69-minute documentary called “The Holy Game” by filmmakers Brent Hodge and Chris Kelly. The film, distributed by Gravitas Ventures, details what’s often called the “World Cup of the church” — but also takes a behind-the-scenes look at these young seminarians who love both playing the game and God.
Read MoreBoth TV series about ultra-Orthodox Jewish life show the very human side of life in ultra-Orthodox communities and the Middle East apart from the incredibly tense political times experienced there. They unite audiences and make a closed-off society relatable. The reason: the common humanity and terrific allure of the personalities brought to life on the film stage.
Read More“Shepherd: The Story of a Jewish Dog” is a new movie that shows World War 2 and the Holocaust through the eyes of Kaleb, a loyal German Shepherd. We talked to director Lynn Roth about making the movie and why Jewish tradition is so important.
Read MoreBilly Graham is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential evangelists of our time. He’s the subject of a new PBS documentary which covers the span of his life. Here are five additional facts they didn’t include.
Read More(REVIEW) “The Sons of Sam,” a new Netflix crime documentary, retells a series of murders in 70s New York City from the perspective of an obsessive journalist who hoped to prove the serial killer David Berkowitz was connected to a nationwide network of satanic killers. It praises the journalist for unfounded claims and neglects to discuss Berkowitz’s Christian conversion, a necessary and inspiring part of his story.
Read More(REVIEW) Emma Seligman’s “Shiva Baby,” adapted into a feature film from her senior thesis created in 2017 at NYU, immediately takes hold of your nerves and wrings them, preparing you for the comedy nightmare that will be Danielle’s (Rachel Sennott’s) full day spent at a shiva — a post-burial gathering after a Jewish funeral.
Read More(REVIEW) Horror movies have long been influenced by religious tradition, often involving evil spirits and possession. These are some of the most notable horror movies with religious themes, including new movie “The Unholy” — which follows a girl after she believes she’s been visited by the Virgin Mary.
Read MoreSeason two of “The Chosen”, the largest crowdfunded media project of all time that depicts the life of Jesus, will premiere on Easter Sunday. In a YouTube livestream announcement, creator Dallas Jenkins shared his plan to move all content to the show’s app and release the rest of the seasons by 2024.
Read More(REVIEW) “Resurrection,” which will premiere on streaming service Discovery+, tells the story of the Gospels from Jesus’ trial to the start of the early Christian church. If successful, it will pave the way for more family-friendly faith-based content.
Read MoreChurch People is a new Christian comedy about a youth pastor who has to try and stop his church from hosting a real crucifixion. It’s an improvement on past faith-based films and shows the changing landscape of audience desires for faith-based comedies.
Read More(REVIEW) New true crime series “Murder Among the Mormons” tells the story of 1985 Salt Lake City bombings connected to the LDS Church.
Read MoreA photo released this week depicting popular comic book villain the Joker dressed as Jesus Christ is circulating social media. Fans speculate on what it means for the soon-to-be-released Justice League and reflect on the director’s past work — which heavily uses religious symbolism.
Read More(REVIEW) New PBS documentary “The Black Church: This is Our Story, This is Our Song” gives a complete history of the church — from slavery to the modern Black Lives Matter movement — and focuses on charismatic worship and Gospel music.
Read More(REVIEW) “Minari” is the story of a Korean American family that moves from California to a stretch of farmland in the Ozarks to start over. What they encounter there grows their family through trial and brings them closer to the land they tend to.
Read MoreStreaming service Amazon Prime contains three documentaries by Black creators that delve into the history of racism in the church, back to the origin of slavery in the U.S. and often further. Each takes a different focus, whether White Jesus, BLM or the structure of worship services.
Read More(REVIEW) A new Pakistani short film is making waves for criticizing blasphemy laws. “Swipe” follows a young boy in a dystopian future who is addicted to iFatwa, a fictional crowdsourcing app that lets players decide who deserves a death sentence.
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