The Parables Retold

This is well written, well acted, and well directed - not to be unfair, but all that came as a surprise after I'd read that it was made with $50k.

Overall it's a very talented retelling of biblical parables in a modern setting, which should appeal to broad audiences. The tone is somewhat dark and heavy, but probably appropriate when you consider the persecution of the early church. The dialogue is solid and there's enough action to keep you watching from one parable to the next.

I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do with a bigger budget and the time to develop the characters further in a series format.

"Testament" was filmed on a 50k budget. I love low-budget fantasy, so I thought I'd give it a shot. And interestingly, they made a good series of 5 shorts fit into a coherent whole. And there are enough characters in there to be a good series.

I hope the makers read this, because I intend it as positive feedback for their upcoming series:

We already live in the dystopian future painted in "Testament". If you want the upcoming series to 'hit hard' , do what "Black mirror" does, take a 'topic of the week' (like social media) and turn it up to 11 - to display the dangers it brings to our society (and to Faith in general). To work, a concept like this one can't go half-way. It needs to SLAP.

Testament is self-aware - "A good story can change a life" says a character. The parables ARE evidently good stories, but most people, including atheists, know them by heart (and sometimes dislike them for being so well, "known").

Therefore, whereas "the Chosen" goes courageously off-piste to bring an experience that doesn't feel like Sunday school, Testament ends up doing the opposite - taking a modern day setting to place existing story lines most know by heart - and now we're headed back to Sunday school... NOT enjoyable or bingeable television.

If you're reading this, know that I enjoyed the film and the concept, but I think if you want to be truly successful and go global, you need to:

A) drop the PG rating (The Bible would be rated R if put on film), completely. Opt to make a movie for adults or for children, but not both.

B) forgive the childish 'moral dilemmas of the lady hesitating to return the 20 pound note or becoming straight evil following her lottery winnings. Also, anti-world-government activists are not all nazis, in fact most hate nazis. Also, we're not children.

C) push the parables to their logical extreme to add an element of surprise while staying true to the "goals" of the material, NOT the material itself. I mean, a parable of a treasure is not a parable of a treasure if you know.. there's an actual 'pirate booty'-style treasure in it.

D) drop the black/white morality of it all. The Bible is a brilliant text because even in the book of Jobs it is said not to turn God's teachings into 'simple allegories'. And sadly, this falls into the 'too simple' category.

E) make the cops, cops. They aren't temple guards anymore, they're called 'police'. And to create a paramilitary wing of a non-descript 'authority' doesn't really feel 'modern'. A 'ministry of truth' would link orwellian concepts to the distopian present quite well, sprinkled with some 'brave new world' ignorant blissfulness.

As for 'the adversary', I REALLY liked the "Mr Smith" element of it, but it was let down by his lack of on-screen presence I'm afraid, which isn't helped by the the poor sound recording and make him feel well... not very 'threatening'.

5/10 - Good effort and I look forward to see where this is going next.

I really enjoyed how the writers modernized the Parables of Jesus, and the background story to get there kept me engaged throughout the movie.

If you're looking for a decent Christian film that is working to give you a good story and bring the Parables to life, you could do much, much worse. This one's pretty good.

And how they made the reactions of people realistic for those stories was really good, too.

The acting was good. The characters were believable. The action made sense. The way the characters heard from the Lord was pretty cool.

I do recommend this movie as decent. It's not going to blow you away, but it does what it promises: retells the Parables in a modern setting.

I found this quite by accident through Angel Studios, whom I was familiar with because of The Chosen series, which is also highly recommended.

Set in a (not so distant?) dystopian future, it follows Luke as he's writing the Gospel of Luke and, through his experiences that will become, the Book of Acts in the Bible. Of course, like the aforementioned series, some liberties are taken as action and conversations that do not appear in (or have been updated from) Holy Scripture are included.

Luke and his Biblical companions - members of the Way including Mary Magdalene, James, Barnabas, John Mark and Peter - are on the run or in hiding from the authorities who want to stop the proliferation of any information about Jesus and His teachings. While in flight, five of Jesus's Parables are told, also in modern contexts:

The Sower, The Good Samaritan, The Hidden Treasure, The Talents and The Rich Fool

I'm not sure how I feel about the dystopian environment but am interested in seeing how it plays out, e.g. How well the characters will be developed as in The Chosen, but the Parables are fantastic, every one of them!

From the creators of The Chosen comes Testament: The Parables Retold, and honestly, this one was a pleasant surprise. Unlike the often controversial inaccuracies in The Chosen, which left me unimpressed, this film brings something fresh and creative to the table.

The story follows the Disciples on the run after Jesus' ascension, hiding from Jewish authorities who are out to kill them. What sets this movie apart is its bold choice to reimagine the narrative in a modern-day setting. Think skyscrapers, soldiers with full gear, walkie-talkies, and industrial warehouses. It's a unique take that brings a new perspective to familiar stories.

The real standout for me, though, was how they wove in Jesus' parables. They were reconstructed beautifully, staying true to their core messages while fitting seamlessly into the modern backdrop. The writing in those scenes was top-tier, making the parables the highlight of the film.

As for the acting, it was decent-nothing extraordinary, but it got the job done. The cinematography wasn't great, but that's expected for a low-budget production. Still, the potential here is undeniable. With the right funding, this concept could truly shine. If I had the resources, I'd definitely back a bigger-budget remake of this.

In short, while it's not without its flaws, Testament: The Parables Retold is a creative and thoughtful reimagining of biblical stories, and it's worth checking out.