A documentary made by VICE News about the alleged sexual abuse cases at Kanakuk camps in southwest Missouri won a 2022 Emmy award for “Outstanding Hard News Feature Story: Long Form.” The 17-minute film, “A Christian Summer Camp’s History of Abuse,” features interviews with survivors and gives details about litigation and settlements that have occurred.
Read More(REVIEW) Since its first season, Hulu comedy “Ramy” has been devoted to providing a genuine look at Islam and American Muslim culture. One episode of its latest season discusses the existence of polygamy in Islam, a sensitive topic that the show handles incredibly well.
Read More(REVIEW) “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul” is a movie about a lot of the worst parts of church culture: hypocrisy, prosperity gospel, abuse, misplaced loyalty and celebrity church culture. Most importantly, it’s about the expectation placed on Christian women to submit to people who actively hurt them and bear the full weight of the wrongs of others.
Read More(REVIEW) The pro-life, pro-adoption movie “Lifemark” is the latest movie from big-name Christian film producers the Kendrick Brothers. The movie is sweet and wholesome — but it contains almost no conflict, which effectively ruins it as a useful faith-based film.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Celebrity news coverage and religion couldn’t be more polar opposites most of the time. Coverage of actors, models and others in the entertainment industry often resembles a list for the seven deadly sins. In the case of actor Shia LaBeouf, his recent conversion to Catholicism has become part of his redemption story.
Read More“Mother Teresa: No Greater Love” will be in nearly 1,000 theaters across the United States for an exclusive two-day only event Oct. 3-4. The documentary is part of Fathom Events’ “Saint Series”, a collection of films that delves into the lives of saints.
Read More(REVIEW) ReligionUnplugged film contributor Joseph Holmes reviews the Sept. 1 premiere of “Rings of Power”, inspired by “The Lord of the Rings”. Religious fans have wondered how badly the Amazon series would depart from Tolkien’s Catholic worldview and original characters, but the biggest issue Holmes sees is that the first two episodes are simply boring.
Read MoreAs the Sept. 2 premiere of “Lord of the Rings” prequel “Rings of Power” grows closer, fans anticipate and fear what the show will bring. For many, the biggest question is how the show will incorporate Christianity — if it will at all. Tolkien’s Catholicism is at the heart of the original series, and many Tolkien scholars argue that God is the central character.
Read More(REVIEW) Valentina Pedicini’s documentary “Faith” spends time in a sect of Christianity called the Warriors of Light, composed of former martial arts champions who live ascetic lives and train daily to fight in a coming spiritual battle. The documentary focuses on why people have faith and what sustains it.
Read More(REVIEW) Leonard Cohen’s life and musical legacy are explored in a thoroughly engaging new documentary through the lens of his famous song “Hallelujah.” The documentary explores Cohen’s inner turmoil regarding his Jewish faith and his humanity and how that influenced his music. It also proves the massive influence of the song on music history by making “Hallelujah” accessible to everyone.
Read More(REVIEW) The creative team behind “The Chosen” put together a documentary in which nine members of Gen Z binge-watched the first season of the show and shared their reaction. The documentary showcases a lot of genuine spiritual growth, but don’t expect it to solve all the problems present with young people and the church.
Read More(REVIEW) Dr. Donald Cline was once regarded as one of the best fertility doctors in the state of Indiana. But the rise in home DNA testing revealed years of invasive, unethical practice. For dozens, it brought into question Cline’s religious beliefs and position as a church elder.
Read More(REVIEW) “Elvis,” the biopic that explores the life and career of the “King of Rock ’n’ Roll,” shows him as a larger-than-life figure and an extremely talented performer who was largely inspired by gospel music. This is what the movie gets right, and what it missed out on.
Read MoreFor a century, more than 519 sacred objects from the Umbanda and Candomblé — both spiritual African religions — were in the possession of Brazil police. The new documentary “Respect Our Sacred” details the process of getting them back.
Read MoreIn the past 14 years of pop culture dominance, Marvel movies have typically gone out of their way to be secular, keeping their social commentary to the sociopolitical. But no more. Over the past year, most of the Marvel movies or shows released have had some version of God as the main villain.
Read More(REVIEW) Comedians frequently take shots at taboo targets, but that wasn’t what Norm Macdonald was doing when he addressed Down syndrome while recording what became the new “Nothing Special” stand-up special on Netflix.
Read More(ANALYSIS) After the overturning of Roe v. Wade, abortion is a more divisive topic than ever. These abortion movies share three key insights about the debate and hopefully increase empathy on both sides.
Read MoreThe fourth season of Netflix’s “Stranger Things” once again teleports audiences back to the 1980s — and this time, that includes the historical background of the satanic panic. When the small town of Hawkins succumbs to the blind hysteria common in that period, it brings the show’s heroes additional difficulty. It also offers the audience a “God’s eye view” of the actual satanic panic and proves it did nothing but create irrational fear.
Read More“Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey” tells the story of Warren Jeffs’ rise in the FLDS church after the death of his father Rulon and the way women were treated as property under the practice of polygamy. ReligionUnplugged.com talked to Rachel Dretzin about the series and why she focused on the heart-wrenching stories of women who left the church.
Read MoreMark Dowdy was a band director at Morningside, the community where televangelist Jim Bakker broadcasts tapings of his show, in 2011. When he began, he hoped he would be able to do good through Bakker’s ministry — but his view quickly changed. He talked to ReligionUnplugged about his time at Morningside and what he thinks of Bakker.
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