User reviews

The start of the movie was hilarious with some comedy bits but it kinda didn't last more than 25 minutes , then the serious Drama rigid stuff came out.

To be fair it's a nice movie , well written, well casting , the main characters were generally funny. as a good doer myself and activist in charities (so humble, right!! :D ) the storyline sounded a bit more complicated than it usually is. but maybe that's how charities in the name of Jesus works. .. don't know.

anyway,, the movie was acceptable would recommend watching it with family on pizza night :D generally, if you're Christian then you'll be jumping up and down out of faith, but if you're something else so you'll see that 5/10 is good score.

also i gotta say "Max Adler" this guy is gonna be something i'v seen him on "Switched at Birth" before and he's got a real talent, and here he was the comic whiff that the movie needed.

Believe me is about 4 frat brothers who start a fake charity so that they can make money to wipe off a college loan. If this film was supposed to be a commentary on the current state of US higher education they might have had something. Sadly the main characters are just like the self-entitled privileged jocks that are usually painted as the bad guys in 80s films where the nerds finally have their day, so straight off the bat you hate them. The whole thing kind of sounds like a light-hearted college film, right? Wrong. Before I watched it I figured it would contain all of the classic frat characters and hijinx we have come to love from college films like Animal House, and the preview made it look funny. Wrong again. Sadly the film doesn't know whether it should be funny or serious. It pivots between poorly timed jokes that don't hit their mark and moments where we are supposed to see the human side of these asshole characters -and neither works. If it had stuck to being a shameless comedy (and they cast actors with a concept of comedic timing) then this film might have worked. Instead they tried to give it a serious edge and the lack of commitment doesn't pay off. The premise is flawed to begin with and it doesn't help that the script doesn't do anything to set up how and why the audience should believe these characters have the capability to accomplish what they are doing. The thing stinks of lazy writing, amateur directing and below average acting. Don't waste your time.

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?

What is sold as a comedy drama is really just a hateful rant portraying Christians as little more than a gullible cult for white people. And while I know that many on the left believe just that, hence the reason the movie was made and some will hate my review, this Atheist can't help but notice the predominance of Latino and African-American people going into and coming out of Catholic and Baptist churches, as opposed to the white cult portrayed here. If you are Christian, or are tired of the constant rhetoric currently being hurled against Christians in this nation, this movie will do little more than show you the continuing religious bigotry coming from the left and Hollywood.

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!

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.

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 personally really enjoyed Believe Me, but it won't have as much appeal to everybody. Much of the humor in this movie comes from the main characters trying to blend in with Christians, but if you aren't part of this type of Christian culture, some of the jokes won't make as much sense or could completely fly over your head. I'm pretty heavily involved with a college ministry, and so are my friends I watched this with, and most of us thought it was hilarious, largely because things they point out that are totally true about a lot of Christians in their 20s at this point in time, and much of it is ridiculous. However, I could easily see some Christians being offended by some of the humor.

That being said, there are still some points that will be funny to most audiences. Max Adler's character Baker is one of the funnier parts of this movie, and his interactions with Miles Fisher's Pierce are gems. Nick Offerman provides laughs, though his role is a small one. These aren't the only parts that general audiences could find funny, but they are some of the standouts.

One area where this movie separates itself from other Christian movies is that it isn't preachy. Yes, there are messages to be found, but you have to pick them out and think through them for yourself. This is not the type of movie that is designed just to make Christians feel good about themselves after watching it (they actually poke fun at those movies in one scene), but instead it takes a look at some real issues that are present inside modern Christian life, and could definitely be enjoyable for other audiences.

While I do believe most people could find some enjoyment in this movie, I would recommend it most highly to Christians ages 16-30 and those involved in ministries which really target that age group.

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!

My personal rating is a 9, but it's objectively probably a 7.

Believe Me is an excellent take on the "Christian" world, or Christian culture, if you will. You can't really call it a Christian film; you just can't. There are plenty of christians who hate, loathe and are embarrassed by the "art" that gets passed on to our churches and friends and uncles and aunts and parents, etc. as "Christian art". They don't seem Christian or even like art, really. The director of Believe Me must've felt the same way based on the way he satirizes the modern church experience. But he goes further and develops characters who face difficult spiritual and ethical decisions. And not in any cookie cutter type of way. Though Believe Me occasionally displays some lower budget vibes and some convenient plotting, it makes up for in writing and performance. The leads are more captivating than any other fresh faces you've ever come across. Plus, it feature Christopher McDonald and Nick F***ing Offerman. I wish I had when I was growing up...

I'm not a christian and I think I need to share my view as an outsider looking in and say " This movie could have been about Scientology for all I care " because the plot was about belief not religion.

Now, as far as comedies go this movie is a lot funnier than I expected and it cracked me up more than a couple of time with tone ranging from really dark to really ridiculous which I think is pretty impressive given the nature of the plot.

Further more I thought the acting, directing and production to be more than decent and did a pretty good job representing the dangers of blind belief as well as Faiths strong, graceful and forgiving nature.

In Conclusion, I think this movie is hated for all the wrong reasons, and while I don't think it is perfect, if you are looking for a funny movie about a complicated topic, you should definitely give this one a watch.

Believe Me had an awesome trailer and I was very much looking forward to this movie. I must say that I am very surprised at the excellent production value of the movie.

The humor in the movie is classy and isn't cheesy.

The movie doesn't force you any Christianity but instead is 90 minutes of excellent plot & great direction.This is the first Christian movie that I have thoroughly enjoyed and wanted to watch for a second time just so that I can revisit the wonderful & witty humor.

Excellent acting by the 4 guys combined with never seen before Christian satire makes this movie one of my favorites in recent years!

Believe Me is so "effing" good. Has kind of a slow start, but once the characters (including Nick Offerman as a college professor) get going, I was laughing almost non-stop. The humor that makes fun of religion is spot on. Then, the story takes a more dramatic turn, and they go into all these deeper thoughts about religion and morality in a way that's not cheesy.

I'd consider myself a Christian, but I'm not very religious. I really appreciate how the movie makes you think about Christianity without forcing an agenda down your throat. Plus, it's always great when any story makes you laugh but has a smarter, deeper meaning behind it.

Go enjoy Believe Me right now.

I thought they did very well showing the sheep beliefs and misinformation that American Christianity has taken on and spews to it's masses. I Love that they showed all the grammar and wording that's used in Christianity. It shows very, very well how you should not own anything you do or say and "Give it all to the character Jesus. Do not think for yourself! Only trust in a man that live a long time ago....not in yourself!"

As well as discuss my life and my experience, I also show this to "Christian" friends to help them understand their manipulative and Zealot Religion that's far, far from what it's roots are: Pagan.

Christians are easily scammed because they have a blind Faith. The Christian agenda and political views also also shown very well.

Trust and believe in your own logic and emotions and those whom are in synchronicity with you. Know your own God-Source (Soul). watch this movie and LAUGH! Well made! I left Christianity when I was 16, I saw the BS and hypocrite, back stabbing ways very early. I'm now 40+ and I still see it in those "Faithful" believers. I'm not an Atheist, and not agnostic.

Christianity is the plagiarist of Mithra!

This movie was SO funny! I absolutely enjoyed watching it! I love the way it pokes fun at religion and makes you think about it. It was entertaining and thought provoking. For sure one of my new favorite movies. The cast is also incredible. Nick Offerman is one of my all time favorite actors and to see him in this made it that much better. And the fact that Alex Russell is in it doesn't hurt. He plays his character flawlessly and his looks aren't bad either. The cast, director and writers did a phenomenal job on this film. I highly recommend it to people of all walks of life. I don't know anyone who wouldn't find this move entertaining. GO SEE BELIEVE ME!