Rather than target a general audience, this next review is going to target a specific new Patreon who asked me to review a Christian film: “The Girl Next Door” (2022).
This friend is a devout Christian and often quotes scripture (though, thankfully, not in an offensive or threatening way to me as a non-Christian) so I can understand the appeal of being involved in a Christian film industry. At the same time, I’m stricken with curiosity as to why such a film industry needs to exist.
When I was young, my father (whose media-consuming habits I’m often critical of) felt I watched too much TV. He said I could watch educational things like PBS or news instead. I argued then that there’s pedagogical value in all kinds of TV programs. The Good Place turned me onto ethics; Rough Diamonds educated me about European Judaism and the diamond industry that my Jewish relatives in New York are involved in; Lessons in Chemistry educated me about food science. More than that, however, most TV series show you windows into different cultures like inner-city schools (Abbott Elementary), certain corners of Europe (White Nights, Lilliehammer, Servant of the People); how Black life might have been viewed in the 1990s through a White lens, or how domesticity might have been viewed in the 1950s.
Perhaps, my friend is watching Faith-based films because he feels under some proverbial authority figure who has instructed him that this was the best use for his spiritual side? I also wonder if my friend is participating in a media culture that isn’t so much trying to be additive in his consumption; but rather, subtractive. Is it simply a matter of consuming films that avoid certain bad messaging. Though I believe that Christianity (as well as my own Jewish religion) crosses lines of decency when they push for censorship outside of personal choice, I don’t begrudge my friend for that.
I hate to quote Wikipedia (to get into why, would be tangential), but the site’s entry on Christian films suggests that while many films are pro-Christian — examples include Hacksaw Ridge, Silence, Chariots of Fire, Ben-Hur, and The Bible — these aren’t necessarily Christian films because they target a larger audience.
Here’s Wikipedia’s entry.
“These films generally also have a much higher budget, production values and better known film stars, and are received more favourably with film critics.
Many films from the Christian film industry are produced by openly confessing Christians in independent companies mainly targeting a Christian audience.”
Honestly, that’s bizarre! Think about it: None of the things that are identified as a “Christian film” are good things. Though Wikipedia is my only source, I know that having a smaller audience and smaller budget is not something a film maker would want.
The film that I saw was greatly hampered by its lack of budget. The score was either public domain music or what I’m guessing was an amateur musician winging it on his keyboard. Although their earnest showed through, the actors were melodramatic to the point of distraction.
And it’s too bad, because from a story standpoint, this had the potential to be good on paper. The story had some Innovative elements. In particular, the story centers around an agoraphobe who never her little shed in the woods (the location scouting also seems like it’s from a low-budget film). If you’re taking this into the secular world, this might latent trauma and a good film maker like a David Fincher, Lynn Shelton, Lenny Abrahamson, or Darren Aronofsky could probably do a lot with this. Without being extremely familiar with Christian theology, I surmise this would be some biblical allegory. It could also be Plato in the cave, for all I know. She speaks of not just leaving the house, but her dialogue focuses on the door. It’s admirably rich with symbolism.
There are also characters like “Joy” and “Curiosity” who visit her. It would actually be a solid premise for a children’s show. Ironically, what keeps these bits from working fully for an adult audience is how much I feel like I’m transported into a children’s show that’s a chore for adults to watch. That’s more of a tonal issue, than a good plot point.
But then she has one visitor that the other one’s lead up to: Jesus, himself! Although this is a Christian story, it’s admirable that it doesn’t start that way. The girl is just a troubled person and she doesn’t know Jesus at the start. If you’re going to subtly sell Jesus through a movie, I can’t say I’m sold, but this is a good way to do it.
But at the end of the day, there are plenty of film makers who are religious people. They could have had the clout to hire better actors and better technical artists to make a better film.
At the end of the day, I’m left to believe that there is something about a “Christian film” that’s marketing. I have a feeling that these Christian films are simply excuses to package low-grade film making into a product that’s worth watching so they can save themselves money. That’s my crazy theory.
As for whether my audience of one, Daniel, should watch it or more Christian films that are specifically labelled Christian films, I simply encourage him to critically ask himself what he’s looking for in his media consumption and if there might be richer experiences (even richer Christian experiences) if he sheds the label.
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