Lord help us.|Sep. 02, 2022|United Kingdom|98 Min.|R
Genre: Comedy
Description: **Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. (2022)**
### Storyline:
Even actors in modest pastor roles can leave a lasting impression. This summer, I couldn’t stop revisiting an old Jamie Foxx Show clip where he played Reverend Alizé, a character who likely drew inspiration from Foxx’s own experiences in a rural Texas church. Reverend Alizé’s blend of humor and sincerity, like his memorable funeral eulogy, captures the essence of the Black church experience—its joys, conflicts, and contradictions. These portrayals resonate deeply, making the Black church a recurring theme on screen and a reflection of real life.
However, *Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.* doesn’t quite hit the same mark. Produced by Jordan Peele and expanded from a 2018 short film, this 90-minute feature stars Sterling K. Brown and Regina Hall as Lee-Curtis and Trinitie Childs, the pastor and first lady of a struggling Atlanta megachurch. Once a thriving congregation of 25,000, their flock has dwindled to a mere five members, overshadowed by a rival husband-and-wife pastoring team.
Filmed in a mockumentary style, the movie aims for comedy but struggles to deliver consistent laughs. Writer-director Adamma Ebo focuses heavily on the hypocrisy of institutional religion and prosperity preachers like the Childs. While they project piety publicly, their private moments—like rapping to explicit hip-hop in their Escalade—reveal their flaws. Yet, the film fails to explore what initially drew people to their ministry, leaving Lee-Curtis’s lack of charismatic showmanship unexplained.
Cast director: Adamma Ebo
Cast actor: Regina Hall, Sterling K. Brown, Austin Crute, Nicole Beharie, Devere Rogers, Conphidance, Crystal Alicia Garrett, Andrea Laing, Avis-Marie Barnes, Selah Kimbro Jones
Original name: Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.