Believe Me

One criticism I have heard of this film is that it can't seem to make up its mind. Is it for or against Evangelicals? Do the ends really justify the means? What makes you a good person? What makes you a bad person?

Pictures are painted on both sides of the religious fence of both good and evil, just like in real life. Rarely do we find a perfect Christian, or an evil nonbeliever, but rather we live in a reality where often nothing is clear. Therein lies the beauty of the film- that it is authentic. In a world that wants to paint itself black and white, this film lives in the grey and forces the viewer to decide for themselves what is noble in life.

Presenting this question in a way that treats both sides fairly, or unfairly, depending on your leanings, is quite a feat. Furthermore, the fact that the film maintains a predominantly lighthearted tone with some truly zippy humor while presenting thoughtful conversation points results in a truly intriguing and enjoyable film.

I put "Christian film" in quotes because the filmmakers are Christians, but I guarantee it's not the type of movie you're probably thinking of (God's Not Dead, Heaven Is For Real, Kirk Cameron's stuff, etc). It is the first "Christian film" I've seen that wasn't preachy or trying to cram a message down my throat. Messages are there, sure, but they are for you to extrapolate and consider like any good film. Also, the film isn't reserved or afraid of poking at its home audience. In fact, I'd say a good portion of it is designed to intentionally provoke questions in Christians themselves where usually Christian movies are trying to get non-believers to "question" things. Lastly, it is most definitely the funniest Christian movie I've seen (Miles Fisher and Max Adler are superb) and probably the best in terms of the craft of filmmaking (something many others tend to put low on the priority list).

I was just honestly taken aback by how much I enjoyed it. I typically loathe Christian films, having seen so many growing up, but this was like a breath of fresh air. If more Christian films were like this, perhaps they wouldn't be thought of as such a joke by most everyone else.

So, is this movie set in 1998 or earlier? Because if it's set in modern times, then these four lads wouldn't have had a prayer of convincing anyone of their Christian and charitable intentions.

It's interesting that none of the Christians or college students pulled out their smart phones to use Google or Facebook or Twitter. I guess they couldn't because the movie would have ended right then and there. Just one Facebook photo of these a-holes at a frat party drinking, chasing girls and beating up pledges would have killed their whole "Christian" fakery.

But of course Christians and college students do use social media, so the whole premise of this film is silly. No million-dollar tour--and particularly not a Christian evangelical tour--would use an untested group of four as the center of their presentation. These guys would be scrutinized and vetted seven different ways from Sunday. (Oh, I forgot, the tour manager did see them one time at some cheap college frat party and kind of liked their lame presentation, totally copied from another lame presentation.) Imagine the scandal if one of these dudes tried to seduce little Mary Lou Holypants while high on Jesus. It would destroy the tour. (To its credit the film did raise this point when the tour manager told the music director that a pastor was a little too loose in the pants a few years earlier and almost destroyed their entire mission.)

But then again, why let the truth get in the way of a bad story?

This movie was very well written and directed. It doesn't tell you what to think, but leaves you thinking.

The trailer may cause you to think it is anti-Christian, but it is not. Lecrae is in it (#1 Christian Hip Hop Artist). On the other hand, some people are calling it a Christian film, but it is not (no alter call or come to Jesus moment).

Other reviews- NY Times -"a smart, sly comedy...about the power of platforms".

Indiewire -"…Will Bakke has crafted a hilariously smart religious satire".

Movieguide - "Christian satire done right".

Beliefnet- "Believe Me hits the right notes".

Be prepared to laugh out loud and have a good time.

Best to watch with a clear head as there are tons of little jokes that you might need to watch more than once to catch them all!

No, this isn't a squeaky clean Christian film (but not vulgar either). I don't like the whole Christian genre because I'm a bit of a skeptic and most real Christian movies are way to cheesy and fake for me. But I did think this was a good film. I thought they really nailed the whole "Christian Culture"...studying the way they talk, the way they dress, in a really funny way. Yes, the movie had a "moral of the story" where they saw the err of their ways, but these guys were depicted in a true to life sort of way. I'm not a big churchgoer, but I've gone enough to know how accurate this film was. The movie sort of touched on how easy it is to take advantage of those who wholeheartedly expect the best in people. Yes, it was kind of sad, but in a funny kind of way. But all is well that ends well!