Honk For Jesus – Review
102 Minutes, Rated R
Written and Directed by Adamma Ebo
**NOTE: Read Mark’s review below, then stay and listen to/watch him discuss it with both special guest Val Cameron and Ryan (along with some other movies, and in two separate sessions, to boot!).**
Synopsis:
In the aftermath of a huge scandal, Trinitie Childs, the first lady of a prominent Southern Baptist Mega Church, attempts to help her pastor-husband, Lee-Curtis Childs, rebuild their congregation.
Honk for Jesus (Save Your Soul) is a weird film to talk about, and I’ll get to why in a minute.
First, if you’ve ever lived in the South, in Baptist country, then you’ll recognize a lot of the church culture depicted here, and the presence of the documentary crew seems like this should really be a This is Spinal Tap-esque mockumentary, but it doesn’t really play it that way.
Sure, certain things are highlighted, but I never felt like they were inflating them outside the realm of reality: from the pastor bragging on his cars, to his massive wardrobe, to his wife’s fascination with fancy (and pricy) church-day hats, it’s all real.
And the documentary crew shows it too us.
But that’s the problem; for a film that starts as a mockumentary, it quickly and often breaks that conceit and provides us, the audience, with private viewings of the pair when no cameras are present. This presents an uneven tone in the film which can make you rethink a scene after you watch it, wondering for a moment if it was actually filmed or just us seeing it happen.
The fact the filmmakers chose to use very subtle aspect ratio changes for the documentary bits (shout-out to Ryan for catching that) doesn’t help at all, as it simply drives home the lack of commitment by the filmmakers to the mockumentary style.
That said, Sterling K. Brown and Regina Hall turn in some fantastic performances as the Paster and First Lady. They are all in, fully committed, and really grasping their characters essences.
These are performances that are likely going to be talked about as awards season rolls around…
…but the movie itself? Not so much.
And that’s why this is such a weird film to talk about.
Honk For Jesus will hit theater and stream on Peacock beginning September 2, and stars Regina Hall, Sterling K. Brown, Austin Crute, Conphidance, Devere Rogers, with Avis Marie Barnes and Nicole Beharie.
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