Faith Ba$ed

As someone who just "left" the Christian faith VERY recently due to some of the exact issues presented in the movie; it was honestly a really therapeutic viewing experience. 'Faith Based', on the surface, is a goofy buddy-comedy about two friends trying to get rich. But underneath the puns and bro comedy lies a very thoughtful critique on the culture that surrounds the Christian faith, and how much of it comes off as a very performative act. I worked at a church AND a movie theater during the huge faith-based film craze, and this movie nailed the atmosphere perfectly (and that worship song had me equally cracking up and cringing at its accuracy). I wasn't sure what to expect when I sat down to watch this movie but I was pleasantly surprised by the end result. I for one am excited to see what this team does next.

I accidentally came across this project. I do not fully understand what really interested me - the title, the abstract or the poster. But I firmly decided to spend 4 hours of my time watching this video.

And he did not regret it.

It's hard for me to call what I watched a comedy. To be honest, I smiled only in two moments and never once laughed out loud.

But there is something in this film. The picture is not full of philosophical meanings about the meaning of being and true friendship. The characters make you feel for them. Perhaps you can see yourself in them - an adventurous and talented person who cannot or does not want to put all of himself into business or simply find his niche in life.

It's a 7/10 and not a point below. I recommend watching.

Go in to it expecting what it is, a low budget indie comedy and enjoy the ride. Faith Based tells the story of two friends who are stuck in the doldrums of life and then decide that they want to get rich making a Faith Based film. It is silly, it has drug use and foul language and it is brings laughter along the way. Slows down a little towards the 3/4 point of the film, but finishes strong enough.

While it touches on sensitive topics and could have been mean-spirited or cruel it is none of those things. If anything it actually leaves you the feeling that each person should do their own thing and that's cool. There is poking of fun and humor about religion, but its a pretty good story.

I actually ended up watching it second time because a friend wanted to see it and found it to be worth the re-watch, there are little details in the scenes that you may miss the first time. The jokes and humor are still good, some even better, the second time around.

This movie overcomes its low budget and delivers on story and laughs. It has a lot of heart, great cameos, and solid performances all around.

Please note: Don't judge it based on its title. This is not a skewering of religion. Far from it. Nor is it an endorsement of religion. It's just a light-hearted movie that entertains for 90 minutes. I don't know about anyone else, but that pretty much fits what I want to see in a comedy nowadays.

Even the premise of the film isn't that original but I wanted to give it a shot, since Jason Alexander was in it and could be a fun movie to laugh along for an hour or so.

What a giant let down. I did chuckle a few times at the beginning, but gradually it turns out none of the jokes are landing, none of the characters are well established, and you find yourself not rooting for anybody in the film because nobody has a developed character.

I get that the film is low budget, but the plot didn't need to be this ham-fisted and devoid of any interest whatsoever. There are better student films on a lower budget than this.