6) God’s Not Dead
While Noah is slowly beginning to receive the acclaim it deserves, God’s Not Dead makes this list not because it’s a good movie, but because it’s a god-awful (see what I did) yet illuminating movie. I know my personal interest in a movie like this is heightened because of my own history, coming from a fairly devout Christian family (the movie’s featured musical act, The Newsboys, were a favorite band of mine growing up, as embarrassing as that is to admit).
I think other people would benefit from watching a movie like this, as well as the similar evangelical movies that are sure to follow in its success, because it gives a glimpse into the minds of a culture that continues to hold more influence in contemporary society than we tend to realize. The warped perspective that comes from valuing a closed-off approach to the world around it brings out the faults with this particular strand of Christianity, and as a result, the movie is packed with racism that’s shocking in its banality, laughable aesthetics and bewildering logic. It has to be seen to be believed.
Now, all of this isn’t to say that the movies on this list should be sought out and watched immediately, because there are so many others that are sure to generate more worthwhile experiences (have you seen Gone Girl yet??). The fact is, though, that lots of people have watched these titles, and if you’re like me, you’re curious what all the hoopla is about, but don’t want to feel like watching them would be time better spent doing anything else. For what it’s worth, a person could watch two of these entries and get more out of it than the nearly three hours it takes to get through the new Transformers movie, although some of the 3D and IMAX effects in that one were pretty decent.
Any movie that broadens someone’s perspective somehow, even if it’s sort of by accident, follow the campsite rule of leaving that person in better condition than they were found, and they deserve credit as such. Even God’s Not Dead, which if nothing else, is shamelessly bold in its convictions. Feel free to put that on the poster.