Boys' Bible Study

Ash, Scott, and Julian are innocent angel babies incapable of doing wrong. They invite guests from Hell to watch and critique the best contemporary Christian movies. God wants you to listen to this podcast!

The ButterCream Gang: Secret of Treasure Mountain (1993) 05/03/2026

The ButterCream Gang: Secret of Treasure Mountain (1993) This sequel to what is now regarded as one of the most beloved Christian films of all time (THE BUTTERCREAM GANG) misses the mark by messing with the original formula. Released only one year after the original, THE BUTTERCREAM GANG: SECRET OF TREASURE MOUNTAIN feels like a completely different series by focusing on a GOONIES-style adventure subplot instead of the friendship between the ButterCreamers. The original idea of the ButterCream Gang is that they were a group of neighborhood boys who do good deeds; the new generation now admits girls (woke much?) and seems to have forgotten entirely about helping the community, save for a lemonade stand fundraiser here and there. Several original cast members returned for round two, yet SECRET OF TREASURE MOUNTAIN picks a new boy named Eldon and introduces conflict based on his insecurity over not being seen as a "hero" among the band of do-gooders. Fortunately for Eldon, an opportunity to gain some much-needed recognition arrives when he stumbles upon an old document, written in Spanish, that appears to be a treasure map on what is now the property of beloved neighborhood figure Mr. Graff. Conveniently, a Spanish archeologist named Dr. Almodovar has recently come to town and can help the children follow the map to a mysterious treasure they hope will raise the funds to save Mr. Graff's property. Little do Eldon and the ButterCreamers know that Dr. Almodovar is actually a descendant of a Spanish conquistador, seen in a flashback at the beginning of the film, attempting to find hidden gold cursed by monks. This is the first Christian movie we've ever watched attributing to monks the ability to put curses on things, but sure enough, Eldon follows the trail to a mysterious local monastery. Can Eldon's pure heart outsmart the conniving Dr. Almodovar and put the gold to good use, preventing Eldon from falling to the curse that has harmed everyone else who tried to snatch it? SECRET OF TREASURE MOUNTAIN has the bones to be an entertaining family film, but its haphazardly paced writing strips away the real story of friendship that made the original BUTTERCREAM GANG become firmly entrenched in millennial Christian nostalgia. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/41134480

Our Man Kent Episode 2 (2026) TEASER 04/26/2026

Our Man Kent Episode 2 (2026) TEASER Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! $5 pledge gets you bonus episodes and $20 enters you in our monthly handmade DVD mailing program "Bootleg Bible Study"! We continue our immersion into Rev. Kenya Cagle's AI-generated world of secret agents, advanced technology, and an evil white nationalist conspiracy with episode 2 of the AI action series OUR MAN KENT. The past few weeks on our show have been dedicated to delving seriously into Rev. Cagle's AI work, an experience that has been alternately exciting and really tedious. As lovers of DIY film, it's pretty clear that generative AI video is here to stay as the new "folk media" form. Despite a strong anti-AI sentiment from many creatives, another tribe of auteurs finds AI to be cheap, accessible, and capable of building fantastical ideas from the ground up. The same creators that in the past would dress up as a secret agent can now embed their face onto an AI avatar and have him do death-defying stunts for them. This is a bittersweet moment because the charm of low budget live action films is their imagination of trying and failing to recreate Hollywood plots using only the equipment in your garage. On the other hand, AI as a folk media form creates bizarre scenarios and surreal humor that can be captivating, when the video itself isn't constantly warping and nauseating to watch (which is frequently.) OUR MAN KENT lets Rev. Cagle's writing (his strongest quality) shine and takes care of the set pieces, which are dreamlike and even nightmarish. Cagle's author stand-in Agent Kent Cag takes a "drone phone" call in a pool, AI generating the scene as a tableau of unsmiling young women lining each side like palace guards as Cag speaks monotonously to his nagging AI girlfriend, Tasha. Afterwards, Cag goes on a date with a beautiful young woman, only to not notice her drugging his drink, which AI generates as a giant horse-sized pill that fizzes up his entire glass in the least covert attempt at subterfuge ever. OUR MAN KENT is a fascinating watch because Rev. Cagle is closer to realizing his larger-than-life cinematic ideas than ever before, but the generations fall short in ways so off-puttingly bizarre that they frequently make us laugh out loud. Despite this, it's a fascinating piece by a Christian director because its black pride storyline is much more progressive than our usual fare. /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/41022190

Man of the Night (2026) 04/19/2026

Man of the Night (2026) For the first time on this podcast, we watched a feature-length AI film, a venture we wouldn't have embarked on if we didn't already trust the creative spirit of the great Kenya Cagle. In fact, none of us on the show had ever even watched an AI feature before, Christian or otherwise. Ethical questions aside, the discontinuous style of AI video, with warping lines, uncanny movements, and constantly changing character models, makes watching for an extended period of time a disturbing experience like a dream you can't wake up from. MAN OF THE NIGHT is a real nightmare of a film, the plot of which concerns a high school basketball star named Damien who is killed by his very evil girlfriend, only to be resurrected by her years later using dark magic. Damien remembers being in Hell, and now feels out of place, a walking corpse who kills on command for his evil witch ex-girlfriend, who has total control over him. Meanwhile, Damien's sister, who was a little girl when he was killed, has grown up and become the police commissioner of New York City, but she is remarkably incurious about a string of murders centered around her old family home. When she discovers the dark secret of her undead brother, it's nearly too late -- she is clinically insane and in psychiatric care, but pulls out of it for one last dramatic showdown where her police force accidentally kills Damien before learning the full story. It's an intense plot made even more intense (and borderline unwatchable) by the hallucinated guts and gore of AI generation. Even watching a movie like this feels like an athletic endeavor -- truthfully, we probably wouldn't have put ourselves through it under any other circumstances. That just goes to show how much we love the Rev. Kenya Cagle, MBA. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/40928785

Our Man Kent (2026) TEASER 04/12/2026

Our Man Kent (2026) TEASER Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! Have we discovered the first great piece of AI filmmaking? We'd like to believe we are the first Christian film podcast to cover the OUR MAN KENT series, since installment one was released less than two weeks ago and currently has fewer than 100 views. AI seems to be the current artistic focus of auteur Kenya Cagle, an extremely prolific faith-based film director proven capable of creating live-action films such as our favorites THE BOY WHO SAW CHRIST and THIRTEEN MONTHS. AI in Cagle's hands is possibly a way to quickly iterate on fantastical sci-fi ideas, and hopefully not a full replacement for his live-action work, which we love. Despite personal artistic qualms about generative AI’s use in art, t’s undeniable that AI allows Cagle to pursue sci-fi ideas he probably couldn't pull off in live action. OUR MAN KENT contains depictions of futuristic technology such as "drone phones," "guardian angel" drones that serve as personal robotic bodyguards, and Kent's AI girlfriend "Tasha" (whom he communicates with via commands, like Alexa). These tools are deployed by protagonist Kent, a Black secret agent combating systemic anti-Blackness. In this installment, when an evil scientist cancels a university's African American Studies program, Kent's boss (the "Supreme Being") offers him a lucrative opportunity to defeat the scientist and save history. The medium of AI video adds a bizarre, uncanny tone to the piece; character movements and animations such as car rides are unnatural to the point of nauseating, but they add a character that at times makes it delightful to watch. While generative AI's impact on the creative process remains controversial among film fans, and for good reason (critiques of resource usage and creative plagiarism are valid), from a philosophical standpoint it's clear that AI doesn't mask Kenya Cagle's creative spirit. The singular, weird vision of his live-action films is highly present in OUR MAN KENT, allowing the medium to extend his message, even if it makes the film hard to watch at times. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: http://patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: http://twitch.tv/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/40818480

Old Rugged Cross (2016) 04/05/2026

Old Rugged Cross (2016) ANNOUNCEMENT: a new perk is available on our BOOTLEG BIBLE STUDY is a monthly physical media series where we send you handmade and custom-edited DVDs of faith-based films curated and assembled by BBS cohost Scott. Sign up by EOD Sunday April 5 to receive the first DVD "MURDER BIBLE"! Any signups after that date will be automatically enrolled for the May 2026 drop and beyond. Thank you for your generous support! Happy Easter! Three days before the resurrection miracle that defined Christianity, Jesus died on an Old Rugged Cross for the sins of podcasters everywhere. Therefore, it felt right to review OLD RUGGED CROSS, a drama about two pastors fighting for hearts and minds in a small town, by beloved auteur Donald James Parker. Parker, a frequently reviewed filmmaker on this podcast, had an insanely productive streak from 2014–2016, during which he wrote ten feature films, sometimes directing and starring in them. These include his famous GRAMPS series as well as the legendary THE UNEXPECTED BAR MITZVAH, some of our favorite movies we have ever watched in the faith-based genre. OLD RUGGED CROSS is a reskin of some of Donald's favorite topics, and although it lacks some of the explosive novelty of THE UNEXPECTED BAR MITZVAH (a film that prominently featured an Orthodox Jewish family arguing about Tim Tebow), OLD RUGGED CROSS keeps the viewer engaged with an entertaining story and dialogue so unmistakably Donald it boggles the mind. For example, OLD RUGGED CROSS's three main characters are groan-inducingly on-the-nose: Parker himself plays the pure-hearted Pastor "Evan Shepherd," his evil rival is the scheming Pastor Luke "Wolf," and his love interest torn between the two holy men is "Anita Rock." Seriously. Some other tropes from Parker's work are presented well here: Pastor Shepherd observes a Saturday Sabbath, as Jewish people do, because this is more biblically accurate. Also, Shepherd is portrayed as being so devout a Christian as to alienate his wife and daughters, a biographical aspect of nearly all of Parker's self-cast characters. Why this very specific creative choice? Parker's expressive performance as Shepherd and the jaw-dropping dialogue of his script combine in a pleasing way that makes OLD RUGGED CROSS one of the most solid and entertaining entries in Parker's filmography, a real compliment considering his catalog contains some of the most legendary contemporary Christian films of all time. If your name happens to be Anita Christianfilm, look no further. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on X: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/40734925

Not a Fan. (2011) TEASER 03/29/2026

Not a Fan. (2011) TEASER Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! This millennial-coded 2011 DVD Bible study series uses Facebook lingo, which was very en vogue at the time, to encourage people to upgrade their relationship with Jesus from casual to committed. NOT A FAN, the brainchild of minister Kyle Idleman, uses a clickbait-style title to grab your attention: what do you mean you're "NOT A FAN" of Jesus? What Idleman means is that on Facebook at the time, you could click a thumbs up to "become a fan" of something you liked, a shallow and performative gesture that serves as a metaphor for going through the motions of Christianity without participating with your full heart. Going to church every Sunday is meaningless without loving the process. To illustrate this, Idleman released a serial drama of 6 DVD study episodes about fictitious Eric Nelson, a cutthroat executive and "pleasure seeking rebel" who commits his life to Christ after a stress-induced heart attack. These episodes were condensed to a feature film, which we watched this week, with interstitial sermons narrated by Idleman himself. Nelson's family, shocked at his sudden transformation, does their best to keep up with his newfound enthusiasm but doesn't exactly love the life changes. The Nelsons go from a McMansion in the suburbs to a humble farmhouse, and Eric goes from the boardroom to the soup kitchen. They stay devoted to their patriarch and go along with what he says, but don't really "feel" the love and resent the new Christian austerity. A not-so-shocking tragic ending gives the Nelsons new perspective, and the entire family learns to be Followers of Jesus, not just Fans: people whose devotion to Christ has caused them to take on great sacrifice and inconvenience. Idleman basically says that if you're not feeling the burn of Christianity in your life, you're probably not going hard enough. NOT A FAN is delightful for its now-extremely-dated branding and vocabulary, but is overall a total slog, with constant scenes of death and suffering that don't do a good job of "selling" the Christian lifestyle to casuals. But then again, this DVD is for the Followers, NOT the Fans. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/40659160

It Ain't Worth It: Athletes for Abstinence (VHS, 1986) 03/22/2026

It Ain't Worth It: Athletes for Abstinence (VHS, 1986) A team of the world’s top athletes has weighed the pros and cons and concluded: sex really ain’t worth it. On IT AIN’T WORTH IT: ATHLETES FOR ABSTINENCE, a whimsical 80s VHS tape with obligatory hip hop aesthetic influence meant to appeal to the youth, former pro basketball player AC Green tells teens that sex is an unnecessary temptation best handled by just saying no. Green’s career spanned 16 years in the NBA, during which he set the record for perfect attendance with 1,192 consecutive games played. This earned him the nickname Iron Man, which fans mockingly shifted to Iron Virgin in response to Green’s proud claims that he remained a virgin bachelor throughout his entire NBA career as a devout Christian waiting for marriage. Green was surely aware of jokes at his expense, but he held firm to his convictions and spent his career running youth ministries, using his celebrity to connect with Christian teens. While that is a nice sentiment, materials like his tape IT AIN’T WORTH IT provide glaringly inaccurate statistics about sexual health topics like contraceptives and also refuse to acknowledge the real reason teens have sex: because they are horny. Green’s thesis seems to be that teen sex culture is purely a result of media influence and social pressure, ignoring that biological processes begin in adolescence that make people actively want sex. There are good reasons for teens to manage these impulses until they are more mature, but the clumsy testimonies of Green and his teen cohorts instead rely on fallacies such as claiming everyone who has sex will get AIDS and that condoms fail 50 percent of the time. Unfortunately for Christians, the message remains laughable and feels as if they themselves are asexual (as opposed to abstinent.) If Christians can’t relate to sexual desire, they will never reach teens on an authentic level with an abstinence message. Also, although an original rap song seemed to be a requirement for youth media in the late 80s and early 90s, here it does little to help the abstinence cause. It simply ain’t worth it. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/40573215

A Race of Giants: Our Forbidden History (2015) TEASER 03/15/2026

A Race of Giants: Our Forbidden History (2015) TEASER Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! Much of what we know about history is a lie. The biggest lie of them all, both literally and figuratively, is the coverup of the existence of giants. Primary sources such as the Bible (heard of it?) speak of a race called the Nephilim. These larger-than-life offspring of angels and human women have been depicted in documentaries such as NOAH by Darren Aronofsky. Nephilim were said to have been destroyed in the Great Flood, but a race of giant people supposedly persisted on Earth into contemporary times. If this news comes as a surprise to you, there is one group to blame: the evil Smithsonian Institution, whose alleged purpose is to destroy the remains of giant skeletons so the lie of evolution can persist. Fortunately, some brave souls like the creator of A RACE OF GIANTS boldly proclaim this history and were able to sneak it past the censors. The documentary teaches us a few things: 1) that throughout North America, the bones of giant humans and even fossilized remains of their giant tools (pause) have been found and then lost through a series of unfortunate coincidences or outright archaeological malice; 2) that the legend of Big Guys has existed in many ancient cultures for a reason, because sometimes guys are really tall; and 3) that certain findings, such as the famous Guadalupe Woman skeleton embedded in rock formations inappropriate for the generally accepted carbon dating of Earth, supposedly go as far as to disprove the very concept of evolution. Without coming across as overtly Christian, A RACE OF GIANTS makes the case for the young earth creationism described by the Old Testament in a compelling, albeit confusing and roundabout way. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/40488350

Faraway, So Close! (1993) 03/08/2026

Faraway, So Close! (1993) Wim Wenders’s intriguing and often baffling sequel to WINGS OF DESIRE reunites several actors from the original but places them in a shifting narrative that can be difficult to follow. At times FARAWAY, SO CLOSE! even transforms into a straight mafia crime thriller, a tonal detour that feels sudden and disorienting. In many ways it is clearly a sequel, tying off threads from the first film and expanding its angel mythology in ways that feel almost like fan service. We revisit Damiel, the former angel now living as a human with his trapeze artist wife Marion, happily running a pizza place called Angel’s House. The film even repeats the musical cameo idea from the original. Where Nick Cave performed live in WINGS OF DESIRE, here we get a performance from Lou Reed. But other additions feel like they belong to a completely different cosmology. Willem Dafoe plays Emit Flesti, whose name reversed reveals his nature as “Time Itself.” The character functions almost like a demon, tormenting angels who have fallen to the human world. These ideas add intriguing layers to Wenders’s angel lore, but they also make the mythology far more complicated than the elegant framework established in WINGS OF DESIRE. That earlier film’s bold choices, like casting Peter Falk as himself but secretly a former angel, ultimately reinforced its central themes. FARAWAY, SO CLOSE! often feels both too close and too far from its source. The film’s ending highlights the tension. Cassiel is killed during an elaborate plot involving a hijacked barge, only for the tragedy to turn into relief when he is restored to angelhood. It raises an odd implication. If fallen angels can simply become angels again after death, the sacrifice at the heart of WINGS OF DESIRE begins to lose its weight. Still, this is not to say we did not enjoy watching FARAWAY, SO CLOSE! It is a fascinating and often strange expansion from one of cinema’s most distinctive filmmakers, even if its ambitious ideas occasionally threaten the elegant foundation of the original. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/40355500

Escape from Hell (2000) TEASER 03/01/2026

Escape from Hell (2000) TEASER Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! Sensationalist Christian filmmaker Danny Carrales has a talent for conveying the urgency of Jesus’s teachings. It’s one thing to hear the words that those who don’t accept God’s grace will be doomed to a life of eternal torture; it’s another thing to actually see this happen to a guy who seemed like a pretty decent person but unfortunately dropped dead before he decided to accept Jesus. In an instant, he’s floating above his body, traveling through a pillar of light, until the direction suddenly switches and he screams in terror as the sky around him turns to fire. This is an example of the high drama level of ESCAPE FROM HELL, cowritten by Danny Carrales and Michael Martin, the team who gave us the high-octane rapture movie THE GATHERING and also HEAVEN’S WAR, a CGI-heavy story of the eternal spiritual struggle unseen to humans. ESCAPE FROM HELL inhabits a couple of well-traveled Christian movie tropes. It takes place in a hospital, a frequent setting for faith-based movies, since it’s a hub for souls entering and leaving Earth. Also, similar to Australian thriller TABERNACLE 101, the film’s action largely concerns a scientifically minded explorer inducing a near-death experience in himself to prove the idea of life beyond death. Both films are like FLATLINERS for Christians, and both show that taking such a risk costs opening the door between worlds in very uncomfortable ways. ESCAPE FROM HELL is probably the more successful of the two for its tight structure, extremely laid-on-thick melodrama of family members crying while their loved ones’ souls are experiencing eternal damnation, and weird, campy experimental techniques, like putting a sign saying “Ducks Be Not Proud” on the hospital roof so dying souls can read it before getting to heaven. Every collector of Christian films should have a copy of this VHS on their Bible study shelf, along with THE GATHERING and FINAL EXIT, the Carrales film we plan to watch next. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/40272775

City of Angels (1998) 02/22/2026

City of Angels (1998) Did Wim Wenders’s WINGS OF DESIRE give a generation of angel films their wings? The seminal German film certainly inspired one major American box office hit: Brad Silberling’s CITY OF ANGELS, a loose remake cleverly relocated to Los Angeles. Recently Boys’ Bible Study has moved into full-time analysis of the Y2K angel boom in American cinema, and CITY OF ANGELS may be the most essential film of that wave, spawning countless imitations. One of the movie’s main draws is its A-list cast. Nicolas Cage plays Seth, an angel stationed at an LA hospital, where he becomes unprofessionally enamored with heart surgeon Dr. Maggie Rice, played by Meg Ryan. Dennis Franz, fresh off his fame from NYPD BLUE, co-stars as Nathaniel Messenger, a hedonistic patient of Dr. Rice who is later revealed to be an angel who chose to “take the fall” and live as a mortal. The idea of angels longing to inhabit the world of flesh is a key trope pioneered by WINGS OF DESIRE, where the fallen angel was portrayed by American actor Peter Falk playing himself. CITY OF ANGELS expands on this idea by making the fallen angel a physically weak, unremarkable everyman, offering Seth a grim preview of the fate that may await him if he gives up eternity for love. After an emotionally intense courtship that unfolds across planes of existence, Maggie and Seth commit to each other, and Seth rejects immortality in order to experience human love and sex. He gets to do this exactly once before a cruel twist of fate, seemingly engineered by a mischievous God, befalls the newly mortal couple. CITY OF ANGELS lays its melodrama on thick and can feel like a tedious watch more than 25 years later, but it remains a well-made artifact of an era when nondenominational angels dominated the airwaves and lived vividly in the public imagination. Humans live briefly, angels live forever, and movies exist somewhere in between. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/40188275

Touched by an Angel s8e7 "Most Likely to Succeed" TEASER 02/15/2026

Touched by an Angel s8e7 "Most Likely to Succeed" TEASER Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! The urge to self-categorize as either a jock or a nerd seems inherent to human nature, even though those labels are relatively recent inventions. Today’s looksmaxxing culture all over social media is really just a jargon-heavy reskin of those same old tribal attachments, complete with terms like “chad,” “stacy,” and “subhuman.” The TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL episode “Most Likely to Succeed” does a great job showing how everyone still feels trapped by their high school caste, because even if you reinvent yourself, that nostalgic self-identification can be a prison. Case in point, Dennis Loggins was a total nerd in high school, complete with thick glasses and a precocious interest in computers. He was clearly in love with cheerleader Melissa, who treated him with sincere kindness, but her boyfriend, football star Ricky Jessup, made Dennis’s life a living hell through cruel bullying. Flash forward ten years and Dennis is now a multimillionaire tech entrepreneur taking meetings with Bill Gates, yet he still harbors intense feelings for Melissa and deep resentment toward Ricky. He plans revenge at their ten year reunion by buying Ricky’s football team and kicking him off the starting lineup to intentionally destroy his career. This is where the angels come in. Gloria, played by Valerie Bertanelli, is newly created by God and unfamiliar with the human world, and she poses as Dennis’s assistant to earn his trust and convince him to forgive Ricky instead of staying trapped in the past. TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL remains one of our favorite pieces of faith-based media, a campy drama that constantly switches from absurd to melodramatic. The show is often at its best when it feels unconcerned with lore continuity, because it is funnier that way. Plus, the “revenge of the nerds” plot feels especially timely alongside the rise of looksmaxxing streamer Clavicular and his quest to mog the world. We highly recommend “Most Likely to Succeed,” and if you watch, stick around for a jaw-dropping musical guest performance that comes out of nowhere and is guaranteed to make you smile. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/40117015

The Senior (2023) feat. Nathan Faustyn 02/08/2026

The Senior (2023) feat. Nathan Faustyn Powerhouse faith-based production company Angel Studios takes a break from raising awareness of human trafficking to bring us a heartwarming tale from the gridiron. THE SENIOR is an inspiring sports drama about a man willing to do whatever it takes to reclaim his former glory. Haunted by regret, 59 year old strength coach Mike Flynt takes the incredible step of rejoining his former college football team, becoming, at the time, the oldest man to play in NCAA Division III. THE SENIOR is based on Flynt’s life, though major liberties are taken to make the story more watchable. In reality, Flynt is a bodybuilder and gym equipment entrepreneur who likely rejoined a college team as a kind of brand building publicity stunt. In the film, however, Mike is reimagined as an out of shape construction worker who grinds his way back to a 21 year old’s level of athleticism through sheer willpower. It feels more authentic to watch a man pining over his glory days than to imagine him pulling a cynical stunt. THE SENIOR even shows Mike contemplating three football jerseys on the wall, missing a fourth. But why would a man with a career and family harbor regret for decades over a missed opportunity from when he was barely old enough to drink? THE SENIOR tugs the heartstrings in the predictable way most inspirational sports movies do, but it falters when it comes to showing Mike Flynt learning real adult lessons about moving on from regret. Sometimes the man giving the pep talks is the one who needs a pep talk the most. Our special guest this week is Nathan Faustyn (@loosenate) of the Loose Lips by @loosemeat.biz podcast, back on Boys’ Bible Study as a dear friend of the show and our go-to sports movie correspondent. Listen to Nathan's podcast Loose Lips: Subscribe to Nathan's podcast Loose Lips on Patreon: View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/40032865

Wings of Desire (1987) TEASER 02/01/2026

Wings of Desire (1987) TEASER Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! This week we continue our education on the mysterious ways of angels and what they’re supposedly up to on Earth, this time by checking out a classic from one of the great film masters, Wim Wenders. What quickly becomes clear is that nearly everything we think we know about angels, whether in highbrow film or lowbrow TV, somehow circles back to TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL, the definitive compilation of contemporary angel lore. WINGS OF DESIRE (1987) is contemporary but predates TBAA, yet it’s remarkable how many similarities these works share despite occupying different cultural zones. For all the ways storytellers have tried to mix angels and humans, modern takes tend to rely on the same handful of ideas, treating them like biblical canon even though they’re mostly invented. It’s fascinating how much angel mythology comes from movies and TV rather than ancient texts, even when it feels old and authoritative. WINGS OF DESIRE is a gorgeously shot film that looks beautiful both in black and white, representing a guardian angel’s professional distance, and in color, representing the human world. Its images of angels silently hovering around their charges feel like both a love letter to Berlin and a meditation on angels. The film centers on two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, who independently long for the authenticity of human experience as an escape from their impartial immortality. That longing deepens for Damiel when he falls in love with a mortal circus performer named Marion. An unlikely bridge between worlds appears in Peter Falk, playing himself in an inventive twist on the angel myth. A former angel who gave up immortality to become an actor, Falk communicates with Damiel and Cassiel about mortal life. Will they follow his lead? At Boys’ Bible Study, we appreciate the film’s inventive addition to the trope: former angels living extraordinary lives on Earth. Using a recognizable name like Peter Falk makes the idea land harder for a celebrity-obsessed audience, pushing the fantasy of angels longing for humanity even further. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/39954180

SPECIAL - 6 Years of Boys’ Bible Study! 01/27/2026

SPECIAL - 6 Years of Boys’ Bible Study! Can you love a bad man? Can an angel be born yesterday? Can a dog be a Kat? These are the questions that have haunted us for six years of Boys’ Bible Study, questions we haven’t been able to answer until now. Six is a very powerful number. Put a lot of sixes together and that’s the devil. But just one more is seven. And when those two numbers sit next to each other, it’s the most evil and powerful force unleashed on mankind, greater than God and greater than Satan. On our anniversary, we like to do a yearly recap episode celebrating the film, TV, and other Christian media that was new to us this past year and that we reviewed on the show. We also commemorate the best of the best with our trademark Golden Calf Awards, honoring creators of outsider media we feel are underrecognized by the lamestream. Some major themes from Boys’ Bible Study this year include a deep investigation of angels in media, especially 1990s television, the crowning achievement of which is obviously TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL. We became even more immersed in Christian and inspirational television with WALKER, TEXAS RANGER, HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN, and the more contemporary SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED, while continuing our passion for uncovering faith-based film auteurs. Our favorite discovery of the year was probably the father and son team Jeff and Caleb Johnson. Even more exciting, we acted in one of the films we reviewed. Our brief foray into stardom as cast members of CHI ANN BLAZE OF FURY by 3 ANGELS POWER will be an angel encounter we treasure forever. Some biblical wisdom for our sixth year: And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” You don’t want that to happen, right? So stick tight to your angels and try not to be intoxicated by the evil urges of 666 years of Boys’ Bible Study. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/39893490

Time Collectors (2012) 01/11/2026

Time Collectors (2012) By watching TIME COLLECTORS we have now “collected” reviews of all three feature films written by Jeff Johnson and directed by Caleb Johnson. We’ve realized that the father and son team specialize in extremely convoluted plots involving double lives and criminal intrigue, usually with storylines tying together in a manner far more ambitious than your average DIY filmmaker. For instance, 2 TO TANGLE (2013) is about twins who were separated at birth and have never met each other, and all the confusion that could arise from that. ECHO RHYME (2016) involves faked deaths, revenge plots, and a gang of high level jewel thieves. While it’s admirable that the Johnsons strive for such vivid storytelling, sometimes it’s tedious to watch their films because the details get in the way of the entertainment. Fortunately, TIME COLLECTORS is probably the easiest to follow of the Johnson films, all the more impressive because it was their first major work and director Caleb Johnson was only 17 years old when it was released. TIME COLLECTORS is the story of Sam, a rich and influential Christian paleontologist, who dies in the film’s first act and leaves property to his grandson Brad. While executing Sam’s will, Brad realizes that Sam has left him clues hinting at an archaeological discovery so big that it could rock scientists’ understanding of geological history, specifically that it would prove young earth creationism, the conservative Christian belief that the earth is only 6,000 years old based on certain biblical interpretations, is true and backed by scientific evidence. It turns out that Sam is in possession of the skeletons of human giants, which blows the lid off a massive conspiracy to cover up biblical truths in the academy. A gang of criminal toughs will stop at nothing to prevent this discovery from reaching the public. This entertaining Christian film is worth a watch for its explanation of the Christian myth of the giant Nephilim, but it also shows a common yearning we see in the genre for matters of faith to be proven without a doubt by science, something that seems contrary to what “faith” means. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/39689775

Could It Be a Miracle? (1996-7) TEASER 01/04/2026

Could It Be a Miracle? (1996-7) TEASER Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! In the past, natural occurrences such as sunsets and eclipses were thought to be miracles. Now, human reason has solved many mysteries, yet occurrences still happen that boggle the mind and make us wonder if there is still angelic influence on Earth. In the mid-90s, a TV series documented these freak happenings. COULD IT BE A MIRACLE? is an entertaining anthology of documented miracles retold with dramatic reenactments, and it also represents the non-denominational love of angels that permeated 1990s American media. We at Boys’ Bible Study have examined this phenomenon previously by covering TV and film such as TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL and MICHAEL (1996), where ordinary people who are not devout Christians call upon angels in their lives without referencing Jesus or God specifically. COULD IT BE A MIRACLE? aids this worldview by presenting pulp authors of books about angels as expert witnesses and retelling stories of guardian angels and messenger spirits. In one example, a “tall, elegant nurse” rescues a hospitalized child from the brink of death by injecting him with “angel power.” In another, a man is warned against boarding a train doomed to crash by the spirit of his identical twin brother who died as a baby. Expert witness Eileen Freeman claims angels are a different species, neither divine nor human, so apparitions of dead loved ones are not true “angel sightings,” since the spirits of the dead are only “messengers.” This idea is not backed up by biblical theology, but it feels nice, so most people were happy to let figures like Freeman make a lot of stuff up back in the 90s. Now that people experiencing religious psychosis get all their energy out by having frantic conversations with ChatGPT, is there any room for angels in big 2026? Angel sightings may have gone down, but one thing is true: TV “angelslop” like COULD IT BE A MIRACLE? is higher quality than the AI YouTube brainrot slop of our contemporary age. With lovingly composed music and graphic design, even a stupid program like this one feels like a miracle compared to what we have now. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/39606980

Mark Fox / Lil Markie Live in Miami! 12/28/2025

Hank's Christmas Wish 3: Elvis Lives (2025) TEASER 12/21/2025

Hank's Christmas Wish 3: Elvis Lives (2025) TEASER Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! This brand new installment in the HANK’S CHRISTMAS WISH series was released just a few weeks ago and adds a key legendary figure to the Hankiverse Christmas pantheon: Elvis. Directed by West Virginia’s finest filmmaker, Jason Campbell, the yearly updates to the HANK’S CHRISTMAS WISH saga show the series becoming increasingly meta and disjointed. Although it’s clear the HANK films are meant to be lighthearted, silly romps, as Campbell fanatics we found ourselves distracted by the confusing lore updates in this entry. For instance, is the titular character Hank actually an elf, or just a human who transracially identifies as one? The series long implied he had magical abilities, but HANK 3 reveals that Hank was a human orphan rescued by Santa as a boy. This unfortunately undercuts the entire plot of HANK 2, which focused heavily on racial tensions between elves and snowmen, a conflict that feels pointless if Hank is the Rachel Dolezal of elfdom. Elvis’s relationship with Santa is even more bewildering. Flashbacks show Elvis living at the North Pole as the “third” of Santa and Mrs. Claus, yet when he appears in the present he is described as “a ghost.” If ELVIS LIVES, as the title proudly announces, why would he be a ghost? Alive or dead, we’re at least lucky Elvis is able to save Christmas. The central conflict involves a biker gang hired to bring “edge” to the town Christmas parade, who secretly plan to sabotage it by burning the tree and tearing down decorations. Gang leaders Slider and Onyx kidnap Hank, but Elvis appears to Slider and convinces him not to commit kristallnacht against Christians. This resolves the plot in roughly 25 minutes, leaving the rest of the film as random and inconsequential meditations on Christmas. Ultimately, HANK’S CHRISTMAS WISH 3 is refreshing because it is a Christian film more interested in having fun than evangelizing, but the confusing writing fries the brain instead of warming the heart. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/39486915

Hank's Christmas Wish 2: The Nutcracker (2024) 12/14/2025

Hank's Christmas Wish 2: The Nutcracker (2024) Just when you thought you had meditated enough on the true meaning of Christmas, Santa’s favorite aged former elf reminds you that you still have so much to learn. Hank returns in the sequel to the popular, at least to us, HANK’S CHRISTMAS WISH, directed by West Virginia film icon Jason Campbell, bringing back many of the familiar faces from the first film for another round of holiday magic. Remember Tippee and Toes, the elves? No? You don’t? Well, too bad, because they’re back. Bella has been recast and is largely absent, as she and her husband Kevin are away on a mission trip to Africa, but her brother Liam is still working in Hank’s independently contracted toy workshop. Mayor Dean, played by actor and ICE agent Dean Cain, continues his agreeable stewardship of the town’s Christmas festivities. Now openly known as a real elf and former custodian of Santa, Hank has more influence than before and uses it to push for a town production of The Nutcracker, choreographed by local dance teacher Heather. Mayor Dean quickly agrees, motivated by the fact that Heather is single and he is looking for love. The holiday peace is disrupted by Frosty, a Christmas comedian hired by the town council whose jealousy over The Nutcracker leads him to spread the common cold throughout the town. Frosty is revealed to be the son of Jack Frost, a former North Pole intern alienated by the elves, a grudge he still holds. It’s a creative and contemporary take on familiar Christmas cultural tropes, and Jason Campbell succeeds at what seems to be his goal of making a family-friendly Christmas film that pays lip service to Jesus without hitting you over the head with religious themes, allowing you to relax and enjoy your hot cocoa. It’s honestly refreshing that the film isn’t so serious, though its greatest flaw may be its characterization of Frosty, who is a genuinely annoying screen presence largely because his entire thing is being the brunt of fat jokes. Lesson learned: never hire a Christmas comedian to do an elf's job! View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/39402705

Echo Rhyme (2016) 11/30/2025

Loving the Bad Man (2010) 11/16/2025

Loving the Bad Man (2010) This shocking Christian film about the power of forgiveness at all costs will stun you with its gripping plot twists and the hilarious Stephen Baldwin reveal (in prison at the 30min mark, covered in drawn-on white supremacist tattoos). LOVING THE BAD MAN is by director, producer, and writer Péter Engart, an extremely competent filmmaker with a few features under his belt, each featuring a faith-based celebrity cameo. Stephen Baldwin is a recurring presence in this genre, and he is extremely entertaining here as “the ethical Nazi” who leads a white gang in prison. But the real star is Cree Kelly as Julie, a beautiful and humble Christian girl who missions to juvenile delinquents while working at a grocery store. When her car breaks down late at night outside a dive bar, she goes inside for help and is raped by Mike Connor, a mechanic with rage issues. Julie’s rape becomes an unexpected miracle when she becomes pregnant and decides to keep the baby, much to her family’s chagrin as they beg her to end the pregnancy. She then commits to the ultimate Christian project of “loving the bad man,” taking her baby to the prison for daily visits with her rapist so he can be part of his son’s life. Mike is bewildered and angry at first, but Julie’s persistent kindness slowly brings him to Christ, although violent racial tensions between black, white, and latino gangs threaten his newfound inner peace. LOVING THE BAD MAN works because the actors give their performances total commitment. The film stays surprisingly believable despite a plot that would feel unrealistic to most viewers, including many Christians. It often reads like a male fantasy of how an ideal Christian woman should respond to tragedy, rather than a sympathetic portrait of a woman’s strength. Its approach to race relations also has to be seen to be believed. Overall, LOVING THE BAD MAN is one of the most entertaining films we have ever watched for this podcast, thanks to its fascinating and deeply insensitive portrayals of some of the darkest corners of human behavior. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/39052305

Audience of One (2007) 11/02/2025

Audience of One (2007) “In 1994, at age 40, Pastor Richard Gazowsky saw his first movie. Later that year, he received a vision from God.” So begins the saga of AUDIENCE OF ONE, a brilliant documentary that serves as a cultural Rosetta stone for our podcast, an intimate portrait of where faith in God meets faith in movies. It’s both a monument to the power of belief and a sobering testimony of how unchecked pride can poison spiritual authority. Director Michael Jacobs was given deep access to Gazowsky, his family, and his church (Voice of Pentecost, San Francisco). The film opens as the congregation-turned-film crew prepares their first feature. Having felt “called” by God to make a movie, Gazowsky appoints himself director and enlists family, parishioners, and a few hired outsiders despite no one having experience. Their ambitious project, GRAVITY: THE SHADOW OF JOSEPH, reimagines the biblical story of Joseph as a futuristic, Star Wars-inspired epic to be shot in Italy. Funded through church offerings, the production quickly spirals. Gazowsky secures favors and finances he can’t repay, including a $17,000-per-month studio he’s eventually evicted from. His leadership is strikingly confident, and he makes quick decisions and commands authority, but many are disastrous. He insists the film be shot on 70mm at 60 frames per second, a technically absurd and prohibitively expensive choice. In Italy, the crew manages to film only two incomplete, soundless scenes before the production collapses. Yet Gazowsky remains undeterred. In the film’s haunting conclusion, he preaches that his next plan is to create a company producing 47 films a year, alongside resorts, airlines, and a space program. Gazowsky’s faith seems consumed by ambition, though his audacity occasionally borders on genius. Still, his willingness to endanger and exploit his congregation, including children on unsafe sets, feels reckless and cruel. AUDIENCE OF ONE is an extreme but eye-opening look at faith-based film, where the movie is a powerful totem that allows the filmmaker to create an idol to both himself and God. In a roundabout way, it is an inspiring tale of faith, art, and the creative spirit. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/38884060

Slaughter of the Innocents (1993) 10/19/2025

Slaughter of the Innocents (1993) Christian imagery and biblical references abound in this violent early 1990s crime thriller, tonally similar to THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS is a lesser-known entry in the 1990s serial killer canon. Instead of a theatrical run, it premiered on HBO in 1993, which may have contributed to its obscurity. That’s unfortunate, because the movie takes creative risks and deserves to be reevaluated as a cult classic. The film stars Scott Glenn as FBI Special Agent Stephen Broderick, a family man whose crime scene experience makes him a natural choice to investigate the Provo Canyon Massacre, a brutal child murder committed by someone calling himself “God.” A man awaits execution for the crime, but Broderick believes the real killer is still at large. His son Jesse, played by Jesse Cameron-Glickenhaus (the real-life son of director James Glickenhaus), is a precocious 10-year-old computer whiz whose tech skills help his dad link the massacre to a recent abduction in the same Utah area. Jesse’s inclusion is one of the film’s funniest choices—it’s bizarre to see a cheerful 10-year-old browsing crime scene photos and discussing grisly details of child violence. For us at Boys’ Bible Study, SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS stands out for its Christian imagery. The “God” killer, Mordecai Booth (Zitto Kazann), is consumed by a biblical obsession so intense he even steals two giraffes from a zoo to honor Noah’s Ark. The title itself comes from the biblical story of King Herod slaughtering infants to prevent Jesus’s rise. The final scene is so strange and powerful that we won’t spoil it, but it perfectly captures what we love to see as a Christian film review podcast. Though this is a secular movie, it features two actors familiar from faith-based cinema: Kevin Sorbo as FBI agent John Willison and Michael D. Weatherred (of THE BUTTERCREAM GANG) in a small role. We love when secular films engage with biblical imagery, even when it borders on blasphemy. The aura Christian symbolism lends to a story—its power to evoke awe, fear, and moral imagination—shows religion’s lasting influence on culture’s darkest corners. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/38635970

Six: The Mark Unleashed (2004) 10/05/2025

Six: The Mark Unleashed (2004) One of the most dramatic and exciting entries in David A.R. White’s filmography is this tense, gritty end-times drama set in a world where monogamy is outlawed and bisexuality is encouraged (which is a bad thing, by the way). SIX: THE MARK UNLEASHED is a who’s who of faith-based cinema, featuring Pure Flix kingpin David A.R. White, his prolific collaborator Kevin Downes, DIY acting mercenary Eric Roberts, pretty-boy Stephen Baldwin, and future WALKING DEAD star Jeffrey Dean Morgan. White and Downes play Brody and Jerry, two unchipped men scraping by through smuggling cars and “white hat hacking” in a society where every respectable citizen bears “the mark of the Beast” in the form of a computer chip implanted in the neck that makes its wearer beholden to a mysterious governing force known as The Community. Always hunted by The Community’s law enforcement, Brody and Jerry struggle to stay off the grid. Meanwhile, another unchipped man, former cop Tom (Morgan), is captured and tortured until he agrees to go undercover to betray the renegades. Misadventures soon land all three men in prison, where they encounter charismatic convict-preacher Luke (Baldwin) and hear the teachings of Jesus Christ. They also learn of a mysterious figure, Elijah Cohen, who seems to be a “Jesus 2.0,” wandering the fallen world and performing angelic miracles. The Community is determined to crush both Cohen and the Prodigal City settlement of Christians who refuse the chip and compulsory bisexuality. Will Brody and Jerry take the easy way out by surrendering to The Community’s demands, or will they heed Luke’s words and embrace Christ, even if it means execution by beheading? SIX stands out among rapture films for the brutal specificity with which it depicts the suffering of those who love God in a secular world. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/38473630

Faith Based (2020) TEASER 09/28/2025

Faith Based (2020) TEASER Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! In 2020, a time of deep uncertainty for film releases as quarantine disrupted theatrical schedules, a certain comedy arrived lampooning the kinds of films we love here at Boys’ Bible Study, and out of fear of being owned by its cutting satire we only decided to watch it now in 2025. FAITH BASED is a slacker comedy evoking the post-2000s wave of comedies such as ANCHORMAN and GET SMART, both of which co-star veteran comic actor David Koechner, who also makes a cameo in FAITH BASED. The real stars are Luke Barnett and Tanner Thomason, playing underachieving roommates in Reseda, Los Angeles, desperate for money and relevance. They discover how much certain Christian films make, referencing (in the film’s fictional world) actual titles we’ve covered on Boys’ Bible Study such as GOD’S NOT DEAD and WAR ROOM. Kevin Sorbo is singled out as a “D-list actor” whose attachment to low-budget Christian movies helps them reach a sheep-like audience eager for anything with a godly message. Armed with a perfect scam, Luke and Tanner set out to make a movie despite zero experience, immersing themselves in Luke’s father’s church to seem more legit. The plan unravels when Tanner falls for a hot Christian woman and begins embracing religion to impress her, threatening their bromance. Trouble also brews when aging exploitation star Butch Savage (Koechner) never responds to their casting offer, putting the project at risk. FAITH BASED sounds like a premise rich enough to mine for comedy, but we found the filmmakers’ shallow research into Christian cinema leaves many joke opportunities on the table. The script leans on obvious critiques and swings wildly in tone, making it hard to tell whether the film aims to be cutting or heartwarming. We invite any future filmmakers critiquing Christian movies to hire Boys’ Bible Study to “punch up” your scripts for a very modest consulting fee, most of which we promise to tithe! View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/38384345

A Line of Fire (2025) 09/21/2025

A Line of Fire (2025) This new offering from perpetually busy Christian film auteur David A.R. White continues his “single dad action hero” era that began with 2020’s BECKMAN. BECKMAN, LOVE ON THE ROCK (2021), and now A LINE OF FIRE are just a few of the many films White has made since the COVID era reshaped DIY filmmaking. Together, they show a man striking out on his own and reinventing himself, possibly influenced by his personal life, including a public divorce from actress Andrea Logan. Logan was a frequent artistic collaborator and business partner, and the two co-founded Pure Flix, the family-oriented streaming service intended as a wholesome competitor to Netflix. As prolific as he is, White inevitably draws inspiration from his own life, and it’s no surprise that many of his recent films, including A LINE OF FIRE, portray him as a single dad juggling work responsibilities while navigating new love for the first time in years. In this film, former FBI agent Cash (played by White) is called back into service after his late wife's sister, also an agent, is assassinated by a crime boss’s thugs. Supporting characters are played by notable celebrities such as Cuba Gooding Jr., whose recent fall from grace seems to have led him to the low-budget circuit, and Scott Baio, who alternately help and betray Cash. This repeated cycle of trust and mistrust becomes a tedious plot device, culminating in the reveal that one of White’s own allies, Joan (a puzzling performance by Eve Richards), is a double agent operating under the name “Mr. X.” A LINE OF FIRE is slickly produced and competently shot, with bursts of gory action that push the boundaries of wholesomeness, yet its plot is ultimately forgettable. Still, it’s hard to fault White, who seems to be having a blast making five movies a year and rediscovering himself in the process. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/38298770

St. John in Exile (1986) TEASER 09/14/2025

St. John in Exile (1986) TEASER Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! Another entry in the noble genre of “Christian one-man show,” ST. JOHN IN EXILE stars career stage and screen actor Dean Jones as the exiled saint on the island of Patmos. We were excited to review this filmed stage production, since we’re huge fans of other one-man pieces of Bible fanfiction and inspirational slop—like Curt Cloninger’s WITNESSES (a true VHS classic) and Mike Adkins’s A MAN CALLED NORMAN, a beloved sermon distributed by Focus on the Family. Both of those productions feature their leads absolutely killing it and drawing heavy laughter and applause from captive audiences. ST. JOHN IN EXILE is no exception. The late Dean Jones was clearly a trained actor, with a film career dating back to the late 1950s, including many classic family films such as THAT DARN CAT and THE COMPUTER WORE TENNIS SHOES. He kept acting well into his golden years, with his final performance in the 2009 Christian movie GOD PROVIDES. For the math-challenged, that’s over 50 years of regular acting work, much of it devoted to uplifting the Word of God or making wholesome entertainment for families. These decades of experience pay off in a captivating performance as St. John. Jones is a huge asset to the material, which would be extremely boring without his investment in the role. Unfortunately, the script in ST. JOHN IN EXILE is a little too straight-laced to match the wild, wonderful turns of WITNESSES, which we love for its constantly shifting perspective and Curt Cloninger’s 10+ voices and personalities. Still, the film raises some interesting questions about biblical history—insisting that the same St. John authored both the Gospel of John and Revelation, a belief once common but now challenged by contemporary scholarship. We only wish ST. JOHN IN EXILE had leaned into some insane end-times visionary type shit. Regardless, Dean Jones’s performance and the film’s enduring place in the Christian media video world make it a must-have for collectors and completists of the faith-based film genre. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/38214910

Leap: A Tale of the Last Days (2025) 09/07/2025

Leap: A Tale of the Last Days (2025) The long-awaited third film in the notorious anti-Catholic parkour LEAP trilogy follows its lo-fi predecessors LEAP (2010) and LEAP: RISE OF THE BEAST (2011), continuing to proselytize its staunch anti-Vatican message with an athletic twist. Director Christopher Tempel returns, now armed with a drone camera, and delivers a crisp, ambitious reboot to a series that clearly holds nostalgic value for him despite his open disappointment in the first two films, which he considers amateurish. Characters Blake, the handsome parkour-running college boy lead, and Liz, his hometown girlfriend who works at her grandmother’s coffee shop, even watch LEAP: RISE OF THE BEAST within the movie, creating a truly meta moment. Blake remarks, “It’s a little cheesy.” Liz agrees but adds, “Better than the first one… the director spent like $200,” prompting Blake’s deadpan “Woof!” Ironically, the first two LEAP films feel more authentic and excited, with a scrappy auteur spirit that this reboot largely sacrifices in favor of Tempel’s improved technical precision. Still, LEAP (2025) features striking special effects, including a chilling scene where blood runs from a tap until a “blessed” character touches it, suddenly turning the water clear. The “blessed” in this film are Seventh Day Adventist sabbath keepers like Blake and Liz, who resist Catholic programming that encourages Sunday worship over Saturday. Tempel doubles down on his outspoken belief that a literal reading of the Bible naturally leads to Seventh Day Adventism, portraying Christianity as having been “pranked” by the devil and his servant, the Vatican, into dishonoring God’s true way—ensuring that many sincere Christians will end up in hell. It is one of the harshest, most legalistic interpretations of Protestantism, suggesting that God values paperwork over love. This uncompromising message, paired with the film’s polished digital effects and fully AI-generated soundtrack, results in a cold, tedious viewing experience. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/38119555

We Believe (2024) TEASER 08/31/2025

We Believe (2024) TEASER Subscribe today for access to our full catalog of bonus episodes, including 2+ new episodes every month! We kick off football season with a review of a new film by prolific Christian director Jason Campbell. WE BELIEVE, which even features a cameo by former Superman actor Dean Cain, takes an impressionistic look at a real high school football community in St. Mary’s, West Virginia, centering on the inspirational story of coach Jodi Mote. Grounded in fact, the film makes odd leaps into seemingly fictional storylines about St. Mary’s students, an attempt to introduce conflict while staying inoffensive to the community. That tension becomes the film’s biggest weakness. WE BELIEVE was cowritten by Campbell, Jodi Mote, and his wife Brandy, so the Motes clearly have a personal stake in telling the story of Jodi’s sudden stroke, which left him unable to coach the St. Mary’s Blue Devils during a crucial season. He was temporarily replaced by Bill Hanlin, a local legend remembered for coaching an undefeated season in 1963. The film’s action drifts between Mote’s recovery (as his team and special ed students miss him), Hanlin instilling Christian values in the Blue Devils, and contrived side plots: a Danish freshman exchange student turned field-goal kicker, and a troubled teen named Trey whose broken home pushes him into drinking and sexual temptation. The Danish subplot is especially bizarre, since actor Addison Dattilo, tattooed and visibly closer to 28 than 14, plays the role with the vibe of a California surfer instead of a homesick exchange student. In general, it is disappointing that the only conflicts (underage drinking, divorce, high school politics) are fictionalized; meanwhile the true story is flattened. The film would be far more compelling if it explored Mote’s actual challenges. What did loneliness and frustration feel like for a devout Christian man whose body had failed him? To admit weakness, however, would cut against the film’s purpose: flattering its collaborators. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: Unlock 2+ bonus episodes per month: Subscribe to our Twitch for livestreams: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on Twitter: /episode/index/show/boysbiblestudy/id/38038465

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