Cultivating the Christian Imagination

I waited patiently for this film to come to theaters. You see, Top Gun: Maverick is one of my favorite action films, and Joseph Kosinski is the same director. 

School is out. Summer is here. Here are five movies made for summer! I’d love to hear what your favorites are.

At one level, Warrior (2011) is the story of two MMA (mixed martial arts) fighters competing in a tournament called Sparta. The winner of the event takes home 5 million dollars.

Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One (2023), not only met our high expectations but offered something that action films rarely do: thoughtful and affirming engagement with the Christian faith.  

The imagination is a tremendous faculty and Black Mirror emphasizes that, warning us about its capacity for evil (i.e., Robert Daly). Sure, Black Mirror highlights VR technology, but it’s a metaphor for the advanced technology image bearers have: the imagination. Human beings are sub-creators, as Tolkien said. 

Clint Eastwood’s latest film is a hidden gem. Hidden because it went straight to streaming with a limit release. A gem because, well, it is a really good film.

Today, I want to offer another reason why I review movies. I'll start with a story . . .

A film that illuminates money’s power over the human heart is Sam Raimi’s A Simple Plan (1998) based on the novel by the same title. This little known movie stars Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, and Bridget Fonda. It is a hidden gem, for sure, especially if you enjoyed movies like Fargo or No Country Old Men.

BlackBerry (2023) probably flew under your radar. Here's a review of the Canadian film worth seeing!

Dane Bundy reviews the 2024 film Conclave.