The Revival

The film seeks to dive-in to the "real" reasons many small-town Americans go to church; obligation, social outlet, insecurities, and even a sense of "keeping up with the Jones'". Through the main character, a Pastor, we see his condemnation of all these superficial reasons (as opposed to "understanding God"), then learn HIS reason for being a pastor is just as shallow as the other reasons he loathes among his congregation (which he clearly detests just below the surface). Yet it is out of this same perceived obligation to these people that he has to mask his true nature, which comes flooding out when he meets a drifter. Through his interactions with this drifter, we see the choices the Pastor is forced to make, as well as the real nature of his congregation...which has always been there just below the surface. Great acting, excellent script (truly believable on both parts) and well edited. There were a couple of parts which were very predictable (almost to cliche') and although the cinematography was very professional, it could have been a bit more creative given the subject-matter. All in all, very well done and worth watching.

I saw this at Inside/Out the Toronto LGBT festival. Everyone was blown away by the acting and directing. This movie broke my heart and made me think. Ultimately it is about oppression in religious communities in the southern US. With the current US President and VP this movie needs to be seen immediately. It takes a stand against bigotry and hypocrisy. Watch this movie for yourself and decide what it's about.

This movie was well done however I was hoping that the main protagonist was going to rise above the hatred he was feeling towards his own truth let alone the small minded townspeople ...but alas that was not what happened instead something horrifying.

There are a few decent scenes here and a premise that could be very interesting if handled by more adept storytellers, but everything good about this movie is negated by the abrupt third-act shift in tone. "The Revival" might have worked if it had remained a semi-comedic romance throughout or if it had been a dark morality tale from the beginning, but Frankenstein-ing them together just made the whole experience unpleasant. The movie looks decent for a low budget project, but the camera is a bit too shaky in spots. Some scenes go on too long, while other parts of the story are glossed over and the romance, one of the few elements that actually work, is completely rushed. The two lead actors are both charismatic and deliver respectable performances. David Rysdahl seems confused about what emotion he's trying to convey in some scenes, but that can be excused as he's carrying much of this movie on his back. The writer and director carry equal responsibility for the failures here. Also, a special demerit has to be issued for the Foley artists, who apparently don't know what a blowjob sounds like.

This movie focuses upon people who abandon their humanity for the sake of their religion, and how hurtful and cruel they can become under the influence of their religious beliefs. As another reviewer mentioned, it's an indictment against religion, not against homosexuality. The most moral person in the movie is the homeless, homosexual drifter.