Review of Higher Ground (2011) by Serge C — 25 Jun 2012

Both of these movies contain way too many sermons & church songs, for the liking of an atheist like me. Yet, they are at the end both critical/skeptical about the religion, showing the progression of their protagonist from non-belief to belief [evangelical Christianity] & then to non-belief again.

Because of the intensity of the drama in the Secret Sunshine, I liked it somewhat more (although I appreciate understated movies too). But true superiority of the "Secret Sunshine" versus "Higher Ground" is in its ending, which is much more masterfully done. And, while "Higher Ground" tends to be provocative in more sophomoric ways (although I loved the scene when she asks the "therapist" if he'd enjoy watching her burn in hell). "Secret Sunshine" asks more serious philosophical questions such as whether the God has the right to forgive a murder when the victim's mother hasn't forgiven him first.