I want to dispel a seemingly common belief about this film: this film is NOT about dogging on people of faith, or Christianity. Instead, it exists as a satirical commentary on people who exploit the faith of others for financial gain, which admittedly, has the potential to be a huge problem for the faith in general. Arguably, if the critique is listened to, it could ultimately serve the church well. Christians are hungry for wholesome media, and this is continually exploited by money-driven production companies who care more about the bottom line than quality/production value, and have no incentive to deliver a great product because there's not really any alternative for people who are looking for faith-based media.
Luke and Tanner's characters' imperfections serve the story line well and make an otherwise absurd undertaking feel oddly relatable, in a way almost reminiscent of the way The Good Place's four central humans. Tanner is an id-driven player who finds meaningful connection as he learns to serve something bigger than himself. Luke struggles to find acceptance in places where he feels like an outsider and learns the importance of being honest and following through on promises, and making keepable promises in the first place.
They really, truly nail the church parts. Parts of the film took me immediately back too my religious days over a decade ago, but in a good way; the feelings it brought back bordered on a pleasant nostalgia and I didn't feel antagonized for formerly having that belief system.
The movie is comical, and light/easy watching. A great film to watch while chilling out after work. The execution and production value is exceptional when you consider how low the budget was; the only truly "bad" parts are the parts that are supposed to be bad.
My one criticism is that of the tangential love story in it: I wish that it had been a bit more fleshed out. Tanner's love interest almost feels like whatever the conservative Christian/evangelical answer to a manic pixie dream girl is in some ways. We don't really learn about her much at all, but she seems responsible for a large portion of Tanner's character development. I wish we could have seen more of that relationship grow and the timeline around it felt a little clouded.
Overall, it's a solid film with an interesting premise. Can't wait to see what Tanner, Luke, and Lone Suspect do in the future.
