Diksha Sundriyal
Faith is a strong motivator. It can inspire people to keep going in the face of insurmountable odds, be an anchor for them in their darkest of times, and the instigator of something good in their lives. Everyone perceives God in a different way and holds a unique idea of who God is to them. Every year, all sorts of movies are released, from the tales of superheroes to the stories of doomed romance. The number of movies that are based on faith and religion is rather scarce, forget the ones with some true substance. While most stories portray faith and hope in one way or another, they don’t explicitly fall under the category of Christian films. I mean, you wouldn’t call ‘The Conjuring’ a Christian movie, even when it features the vanquishing of evil with the help of the Lord!
If you are someone who keeps an eye out for the films whose idea is founded in faith, then look no further. Here, we have compiled a list of upcoming new Christian film releases coming out in 2019. We hope that some of these latest Christian movies are as good some of the recent ones.
14. The Follower (2019)
This comedy film follows a rather eccentric theme and features a well-known story in the Bible. The name of Elijah and Elisha are familiar to everyone. The former was a prophet, while the latter was his disciple, who later took the mantle of the prophet. This film retells this story, though not literally, in the modern-day setting. The aspect that sets it apart the most is that it is a comedy, though not a satire. It will be interesting to see how they have formed their characters based on these famous prophets, and what message they can deliver from their change of environs. It stars Dean Cain, Michael Sigler and Timothy E. Goodwin in the lead roles.
13. Let Go and Let God (2019)
The world is full of differences. Caste, colour, gender, profession, faith- there is a multitude of things that separate people from one another. And, it is the most basic human emotions that bring us together, too. This film tells the story of two people who come from completely different worlds. However, when they suffer the death of their loved ones, they go through shared experience- grief. It is this grief that makes them question the idea of God and they wonder if the faith they held on to for so long was worth anything. But then, they go through another shared experience that not only reignites their lost faith but also, redefines its definition for them.
12. Heavens to Betsy 2 (2019)
The predecessor of this film, ‘Heavens to Betsy’, told the story of a children’s author whose life is completely changed when all her prayers are answered. By all the prayers I mean that all the wishes that she made when she was a kid and all the pleas that she made to the Lord when she was an adult. Each and every one of them come true for her, and this changes her life completely. ‘Heavens to Betsy 2’ picks up after the conclusion of these events. Betsy is a successful author of a book now, and this success brings her into the focus of some people whose profession rests on destroying others. Betsy agrees to interview for a famous media personality, but this person only aims to question her faith and degrade her reputation in front of the whole world.
11. Finding Grace (December 31, 2019)
Teenage is the formative time in everyone’s life. It can certainly make or break your life. So, when teenagers go through some difficult time in their lives, the impact is tenfold of how it should have actually been. Ever since Alaska’s mom left their family, she had become a rebellious and repulsive person. She often got into troubles and didn’t behave well with her father who just wanted to do the best of her. All her mistakes are forgiven during her teenage, but when she turns eighteen, they can no more be ignored. Alaska lands into trouble again, and this time, the court gives her a choice between serious jail time and community service. She chooses the latter, but with the feeling of doing it minimally, just to get herself across. It is this time that will become the turning point in her life, for better or for worse.
10. The Breaking Point (2019)
There comes a time in everyone’s life when their faith is tested. It might the introduction to something new, or a series of events that loosens your grip on the way you have perceived things for so long. Often, adaptation is counted in synchrony with giving up your previous beliefs, and it is something like this that Alexis faces in her first year in the university. She had grown up with God and faith, as she was a Bishop’s daughter. But her world had been limited then, and everything was simpler to understand. After she leaves school, she sees different things that make her question her beliefs. But, when tragedy strikes, it’ll be her faith that gets her through the worst of her times. This story explores the idea of the extremes to which we should allow our beliefs to be pushed. And whether you can ever really let go of who you actually are as a person?
9. My Brother’s Keeper (2019)
Travis Fox was a veteran who had served in five deployments. The exertions of war had an effect on him, but they were easy to deal with when he had friends. In his sixth mission, his friends were taken away from him in a fatal attack that almost killed him too. Back home, Travis suffers from the impact of the things that he had seen in the war, amplified by his loss. However, there is no one who can help him at this time. His parents had died in a car crash a few years ago, and it is while he goes through their things that he realises that something is missing there. This search leads him on a path that helps him recover his lost faith and deal with PTSD.
8. Heavenly Deposit (February 10, 2019)
Peter Ranos faced a devastating loss early in his life. He lost his father, and unable to comprehend why such a thing could have happened, he deduced that there is no such thing as a God and that bad things happen for no reason at all. Giving up on God and faith, Peter continued to live his life. After some years, we find him married and indulged in his struggle to be an actor. However, things are not any better for him. His life is crumbling around him, financially, emotionally. Neither is his professional life moving forward nor is his personal getting any better. Until one day. He has a divine encounter which changes everything he thought he knew.
7. Run the Race (February 22, 2019)
Zach and David had lost both their parents and there was nothing left for them to address as a family, except each other. Their mother had died, and this event had broken their hearts. But the real blow to their spirits was when they were abandoned by their father. Even though not an orphan, they still had to live like that and face the difficult truths of the world. This was further escalated when some events in their lives began to question their faith in each other. Their radically different view on everything didn’t help their cause. However, it is these testing times that truly strengthen the bonds of a family, as the brothers will soon discover.
6. The Wake of Light (2019)
Every one is riddled with some sort of responsibility. People want to be free, to be able to travel the world, leaving behind their material desires, but there are some responsibilities that you just can’t turn away from. ‘The Wake of Light’ tells the story of a woman named Mary who is going through a similar dilemma in her life. She has to care for her ailing father and run their family farm. But, when she meets Cole, the traveller who incites her with the more adventurous sort of life, she finds herself at crossroads with what she wants and what she needs to do. The film shows the struggles of the choices that people have to make and tries to untangle the questions of the higher purpose that people often come across in their lives. It puts you in the shoes of a character that you can easily relate with and makes you ask a question- what would you do?
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5. The Islands (September 12, 2019)
Chiefess Kapi’olani is one of the famous figures in Hawaiian history. She was a member of the nobility, and there was one particular act of hers that changes everything about the people used to see her. She was one of the firsts in the country to learn to read and write, and she also sponsored a church. People, back then, strongly believed in their native gods, one of them being the goddess Pele at Kilauea. People believed that they needed to make offerings to the goddess in order to keep the volcano dormant, otherwise, it would erupt fiercely and destroy them all. To change the misplaced beliefs of her people, she started out on a journey that became the most remarkable thing in her life.
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4. The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith (June 7, 2019)
The first part of this series, ‘The Other Side of Heaven’, came way back in 2001. It told the story of a missionary who is sent on a mission to the Tongan islands, along with his fiancée and recounts his trials and tribulations there. It was based on a true story and starred Christopher Gorham and Anne Hathaway in the lead roles. This second instalment has come after a very long time, and so, there will be some significant changes in it. First off, the characters have all grown up, and the protagonist and his wife will return to the islands with their five daughters, and a sixth child on the way. Also, Anne Hathaway will not be reprising her role. The missionary will share trouble with a Tongan minister. His new child is born with a sickness, and the minister’s son has some problems too. The film focuses on how the barriers are broken between people of two different faiths when they are united by a cause.
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3. Breakthrough (April 17, 2019)
Based on the book named ‘The Impossible’, ‘Breakthrough’ will tell the real story of a teenage boy who fell in an icy lake and was miraculously resurrected after having no pulse for forty-five minutes. This miracle was also accentuated by the fact that her parents were people of faith and that her mother had been continuously praying for his life. Though the premise seems a rather grim one, this film will adhere to the tone of comedy-drama to lighten the mood and yet, get across the intended message.
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2. The Least of These (February 1, 2019)
Graham Staines was an Australian missionary who, along with his wife, worked in the rural regions of Orissa, India, caring for lepers. This film follows the true story, and the tragic event, that happened in the late 1990s. Manav Banerjee is a journalist who moves to Orissa in search of a better career. He finds an opportunity when he hears about Graham Staines’ mission. He hears that under the cover of caring for lepers, Staines has been converting Hindus into Christians. Manav decides to launch an investigation into this which changes the course of the life of everyone involved in the matter. This heart-wrenching tale will make you sit back and think about the way you perceive some things about humanity. It is the study of human nature more than it is the study of one’s faith.
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1. XL: The Temptation of Christ (March 6, 2019)
The Son of God, Jesus Christ, went through a lot of trials and tribulations to save humanity from its sins and to lead it towards the path of the Heavenly Father. Even being the son of God didn’t provide any reprieve, or make things any easier for him. In truth, it just made things harder, and in turn, made his sacrifice even more meaningful. This film explores a specific time in Christ’s life. After being baptised by John the Baptist, Jesus fasted for 40 days in the Judean desert where the Satan tried to tempt him. ‘XL: The Temptation of Christ’ shows how the Satan tried all the tricks in his book to make Jesus give up on his quest to save humanity, and how Jesus, despite being weak and withered by the fast, succeeded in rebuffing all these temptations.
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