5 Reasons To See the Movie RISEN

I don’t like cheesy Christian movies. Although I always appreciate the underlying message, I usually can’t get past the bad acting and the 14 Casting Crowns songs they used as filler throughout the movie. All that being said, I fully endorse and recommend the movie RISEN that comes out today nationwide. I had the chance to watch an advanced screening of it several months back and I’ve been anticipating its release ever since. Here are 5 reasons you should go see the movie RISEN:

1). Impeccable quality – This is a major motion feature, produced, written and directed by a major movie studio. If you’re a bit of a cinephile and care about quality, this movie has it. No cheesy lines or subpar acting to distract you from the story itself.

2). It keeps the plot biblical – The biggest danger with a major movie studio taking on a biblical story (especially one as sacred as the resurrection) is that the plot will get twisted into something Christians cannot stomach (Noah’s rock monsters, anyone)? This movie stays true to the biblical narrative, the only extra biblical license taken is the insertion of the Roman soldier into the events to act as a vehicle for the plot itself.

3). RISEN sets the death and resurrection of Jesus into historical context – So many times religious movies can seem like fairytales, lacking historical context. I felt RISEN did an incredible job setting the historical events of the resurrection into its proper historical context. Watching events unfold in this movie was like watching it in 3D, with the context providing an illuminating new dimension.

4). It focuses on the core event of Christianity – If you strip everything else away (the buildings, the programs, even the teachings), the core of Christianity focuses on one unbelievable event: the resurrection of Jesus. RISEN zeroes in on that event and illuminates it brilliantly. I personally love that it’s seen through the eyes of a skeptic, an unbeliever. It’s a fresh take with a very satisfying conclusion at the end.

5). It can give you a picture of the purest form of Christianity – The night that I first watched this movie, I had the closest thing to a vision/revelation that I’ve ever had about Christianity. Watching the end of the movie and the ascension of Jesus, I was struck by the simplest and purest form of Christianity: love each other and tell the world about Jesus. Everything else is extra credit. This movie did a great job helping me see Christianity in its purest form.

Go see this movie!!!