Persecuted

I hate to bad mouth this movie because somewhere underneath the stupidity and paranoia lies a meaningful cautionary tale and an interesting premise. Still, this thing is so bad and so nonsensical that it defeats its own purpose.

It's just all levels of terrible no matter what the intent or how earnestly they try to present the perils of a big soulless government. The title and a few lines of the film imply Christian prosecution but that subject matter is basically ignored in favor of a crazed anti-government storyline. I can't even call it a plot line because there is no coherent plot or character development.

On a side note, all I could think of watching Bruce Davison was that "Senator Kelly" has taken his mutant hating propaganda to the next level.

Plot

An evangelist finds himself framed for murder and on the run after he refuses to back a senator's proposition calling for sweeping religious reform.

Cast

A lot of people I'm very disappointed in such as James Remar, Bruce Davison and Dean Stockwell while made by the same sadsack who made the new Christmas anti-cancel culture movie.

Verdict

Lusko's new juvenile Jingle Smells was unintentionally hilarious due to how offensively bad it is, this however is a different creature altogether. You see this is played so incredibly serious, a thriller/drama/melodrama/Christian foolishness.

Set in a world where Christians are persecuted by the big bad government. Yep, they went there. It's not a surprise really considering they generally believe that they are persecuted in real life.

It's a painful watch, full of cliches, bad writing and is more unbelievable than a Scyfy original.

This man needs to stop making movies.

Rants

Some people just NEED to be the victim, you can see it in IMDB reviews where people get offended or feel attacked and you can see it in the world. Men who feel like misandry is actually a thing, straight people who don't understand why straight Pride isn't a thing, Christians who think they can't say merry christmas and they're being persecuted and around and around we go. If you want to be a victim and have no persecutor, make one in your own mind.

Breakdown

Embarrassingly written Concept is ridiculous Director is incompetent on every level.

Persecuted is a very apt title as watching this religious mumbo jumbo was persecutory! Everything is contrived, even the preachers name. Propaganda reigns supreme, the poor Christian right being marginalised by an increasingly diverse religious society. Right wing conspiracy theorists will love this but it is dreadful from start to finish, even good actors could not save this garbage.Religious freedom features heavily but only appears to support christians! Very slow moving film, plot flaws everywhere and cheap looking, defo looks like a made for TV movie and should be restricted to god channels. Save 90 minutes of your life and give this a miss!!!

This one's gonna compete with "God's Not Dead" and "America: Imagine the World Without Her" for a Razzie in the God 'n Country Division.

I'm amused how the lead character is described as "The last obstacle to sweeping religious reform in America...". In other words, a theocracy in which everybody's a Christian. How could there be anything else in This Great Christian Nation?

All you really need to know about this film is (1) Glenn Beck was a silent financial backer, according to Christy Lemire of rogerebert.com; and (2) respected character actors like Bruce Davison and James Remar must have been hungry and broke with winter coming on to take these roles.

This storyline, in capable hands, could have made for a really good movie. This ain't it, not by a long shot, though the "Duck Dynasty" crowd will love it.

At least I'll give it this: "Persecuted" had more laughs than "Sex Tape": One.

I came thoroughly prepared to trash Persecuted and I was not disappointed. This film which is being hawked as the fundamentalist world view or at least American view is like watching this country through Alice's Looking Glass.

In the not too distant future an ambitious Senator played by Bruce Davison has it in mind to create something called an all faiths bill where folks from a different faiths will be required to recognize each other's diversity and not say anything bad about each other.

Standing in the way of things is leading evangelical James Remar who insists on the biblical promise that Jesus is THE only way to God's forgiveness. When Davison tries to get him on board Remar who comes off in this like a poor man's Harrison Ford gives a resounding 'no'. After that he's framed for murder and he's running like Richard Kimble, but he fights back as best he can.

As if we haven't had enough religious figures in scandal. Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Bakker, Bishop Eddie Long to name a few. I sincerely doubt anyone would have to frame someone. But he's set up beautifully with a young teenage girl who later winds up dead and there's video to prove it. Not to mention all the priests who've been caught playing slap and tickle with altar boys.

If there's anything wrong with this old world today it's too many people insisting their religion is the only way. I'm sure there are similar passages in all religious scripture saying their's is the only true faith.

Interesting also that Persecuted came out at a time when five Catholic men ruled that a fundamentalist employer called Hobby Lobby has a religious exemption female employees can't get contraception. We've also seen the state of Mississippi pass a law codifying that businesses with owners who have sincere religious beliefs about gays doesn't have to deal with them. An anti-gay rights legal firewall before any gay rights laws are passed.

Of course Christians are indeed Persecuted in many places on the globe, most notably in Sudan. But the slaughter of non-Moslems in that country is somehow the equivalent of some employer wanting to not deal with openly gay people or heaven forfend the idea of LGBTQ people having some kind of rights including marriage.

But there will be an audience out there for Persecuted who think this is the wave of the future.

Well boys and girls you're just going to have to get used to the idea that everyone who thinks as you do are not the only ones who have some rights on this old world.

Persecuted is one arrogant movie in its concept and execution.