The Case for Christ, starring
Rated PG; available on Netflix
Review by Ashley Davis
Quite honestly, I was prepared to not really enjoy this movie—I tend to be skeptical of mainstream faith films—but I was pleasantly surprised. The Case for Christ provides a look into the true story of journalist Lee Strobel’s journey from atheism to faith in Christ.
Some people are going to be turned off no matter what simply because of the content. But I felt like The Case for Christ did a good job of not being heavy handed or too preachy, and it provided a decent storyline. For some believers who are questioning their faith and trying to find truth in today’s “alternative fact” world, this film can provide a launching point for their own explorations of the support for the resurrection.
I was hooked by the sensory experience of the film. The 1980s settings, props, and costuming were well done and nostalgic without being kitschy. Though there were some factual errors, overall you can tell the filmmakers paid a lot of attention to detail. (The characters weren’t ever wearing seatbelts while driving! I had forgotten about that being a thing back then.) Lee visits a few characters in beautiful settings and one of them even pulls out what seemed to be genuine artifacts that had me wanting to hit pause to take a closer look myself. The movie’s soundtrack was good and included a great montage set to “Carry On Wayward Son” by Kansas.
This was a good film about connecting the dots and following the signs. Jesus is there to be found for all of us when we seek Him.