Review of Risen (2016) by Thequietgamer — 12 Mar 2016

I have to admit, even as someone who believes in God it is hard for me to fully enjoy the majority of faith-based films. It's not just because their budgets only allow for subpar, flat actors and presentation, but also the usually corny writing that goes along with them. More often than not Christian movies feature plots that come off more as sermons than genuinely believable scenarios.

When I first saw the trailers for Risen I thought that this could very well be the movie to go against those typical constants. It was evident it had some actual money behind it, but it was a compelling set up. Having finally seen it I am happy to say that not only did Risen meet my expectations, it even exceeded them in several ways.

For starters the attention to detail from the historical side of things is impressive. It's got little touches here and there that really sell the era. Another praise I have is that it isn't preachy. The movie just tells it's story without throwing little lessons in their for the audience. As a result the movie is more likely to appeal to nonbelievers, and might actually succeed in doing what so many of these faith-based movies fail to do; getting people actually interested in learning about God.

The movie manages to capture emotion without coming off as melodramatic (another issue with Christian filmmaking). It even throws in some action and humor to go along with the mystery. To put it simply, Clavius' search for the body of Jesus is one worth watching. The writing is just all around better than what I've come to expect form these films.

So are the performances for that matter. Joseph Fiennes is outstanding as Clavius. He's perfectly suited for playing a Roman tribune. He gives those interrogation scenes the necessary intimidation and weight needed for them to succeed and not bore the audience. The entire cast is just as fantastic. Cliff Curtis as (non-white!) Jesus is a welcome treat. This is easily one of my favorite portrayals of the Son of God. Actors like Tom Felton (of Harry Potter fame) give the supporting cast a heck of a lot of talent as well.

All in all Risen is what the majority of faith-based, Christian movies aren't. It doesn't feel cheap and is backed by incredible writing and performances. However it's not just the fact that it's better than the average film of this type that makes Risen so incredible. It's also that it's an all around original and excellent idea brought to life by talented direction and attention to detail. Regardless of your beliefs, so long as you don't actively have something against religion (of this form or another), then you should enjoy this film in at least some capacity. As for me I found the films to be a stunning work. One I highly recommend seeing.

9.