HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL. – “A wholly (and holy) entertaining sendup of the mega church religion”
RATING
DIRECTOR
Directed by: Adamma Ebo (Feature directorial debut)
MAIN CAST
- Regina Hall as Trinitie Childs
- Sterling K. Brown as Lee-Curtis Childs
- Austin Crute as Khalil
- Nicole Beharie as Shakura Sumpter
- Conphidance as Keon Sumpter
- Devere Rogers as Basil
- Avis Marie Barnes as Sabina
SYNOPSIS
Trinitie Childs is the proud first lady of a Southern Baptist megachurch, who together with her husband Pastor Lee-Curtis Childs, once served a congregation in the tens of thousands. But after a scandal forces their church to temporarily close, Trinitie and Lee-Curtis must reopen their church and rebuild their congregation to make the biggest comeback that commodified religion has ever seen.
REVIEW SUMMARY
Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul. is a wholly (and holy) entertaining sendup of the mega church religion. And while there is a lot that goes into making it such an enjoyable watch, it’s the actors who shine brightest here. For one, Sterling K. Brown is a surprising comedic force, mixing over-the-top showmanship and earnestness to a perfect measure. Regina Hall makes for the ideal companion to Brown, putting out quite the vibe of her own. Trust me, you’ll love watching the pair parade around as “personality preachers” out for redemption. The story also hits a few sweet spots of its own, clearly setting its arrows toward corruption and hypocrisy in organized religion. Admittedly, it’s nothing that hasn’t been tackled before, but it’s certainly done in a unique manner. You see, the film plays as a faux documentary. It’s an often-cheesy gimmick, but one that works exceptionally well with this premise. That style of filmmaking also gives the actors plenty of room to play, and as already mentioned, they certainly brought the goods. Could the commentary have hit harder? No question. But the film makes up for its glancing blows with a few moments of knockout comedy (there’s a supermarket “run-in” that still cracks me up). So yes, Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul. isn’t going bring down the mega churches or those who run them by any means, but it will no doubt amuse you with a plethora of riches. And to that I say, amen!
BOX OFFICE TOP 5
7
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
$4.6 million