Written and directed by Adamma Ebo, based on her 2018 short film of the same name, Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul. is a satirical mockumentary of sorts (I’ll explain the “of sorts” part in a bit) that follows Pastor Lee-Curtis Childs (Sterling K. Brown) and his wife, Trinitie (Regina Hall), who have previously led a congregation of thousands in their massive church, only for it all to fall apart when Lee-Curtis is hit with allegations that practically destroyed his career. With some time having passed, the couple works on mounting a comeback that will reopen the church and hopefully bring back the crowds that used to worship in their halls.
The film starts off with a classic mockumentary setup, showcasing the characters, and their dynamic with the filmmakers behind the scenes, who stay quiet for most of the film. However, the film does something interesting, something I don’t recall seeing often with films like this, and that is the narrative pulling itself out of the initial setup, as signaled by the full frame turning into a wide image with letterboxing. It’s an interesting way of showcasing the different nature of the characters, as a major theme of the film is the face that we put on for others versus how we actually feel at any given moment alone.
And that’s only one of many things in the film’s mind. As you’d expect, it deals a lot in the hypocrisy of figures you’d see in these megachurches, flaunting their wealth, exhibiting unholy behavior, and just generally not holding as true to the word of God as they preach to their devoted congregation. It shows this form of worship as if it was pure entertainment, a numbers game, something to grab an audience and hold them for dear life. The couple are even forced to compete with new, up coming church called Heaven’s House run by married pastors Shakura (Nicole Beharie) and Keon Sumpter (Conphidance).
Brown is terrific as Lee-Curtis, portraying a man so fed into his own delusional sense of grandeur, putting on a performance at every moment, expecting the best of any situation even if things are obviously not going to go well. The confidence is astounding in how funny it can be, but also sad and pitiful. The same goes for the always great Hall, who works wonders with her face, often having to keep her real feelings hidden from the filmmakers trying to capture the comeback, slowly reaching the limit of her patience for Lee-Curtis’ tomfoolery.
I will say though, that having seen the trailer, I think it paints a far goofier portrait of the movie than the nature of it actually is. It is more of a dramedy than a straight comedy, taking the characters and their situation fairly seriously, with the comedy mostly stemming from Lee-Curtis’ outrageous personality or Trinitie’s reaction to certain situations. The film isn’t afraid to let a dramatic moment happen and linger on it for however much it needs to in order to be as effective as it can be. This tonal approach was fairly surprising to me, but I think it really works.
As someone who doesn’t have a lot of familiarity with Southern Baptist megachurches, aside from the occasional news articles and general pop culture exposure, I was surprised by how much I found myself invested in Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul., and without ever getting lost in how the dynamics of that world operate. The main attraction are the performances, not just from Hall and Brown, but everyone involved. Even when things can go a bit over-the-top, there are elements of truth in these characters that are genuinely felt. The constant switching from mockumentary to a traditionally filmed narrative makes for an interesting viewing experience, but I do feel this would have worked about as effectively had it simply committed to one form over another. There are points where I think the film could’ve explored the themes revolving around their subjects in a broader context, in a more pointed and biting fashion, but I can understand why they kept a small scale and intimate focus. Still, the film is quite good and entertaining and thoughtful, and it makes me curious to see what Adamma Ebo (and her filmmaking partner/twin sister, Adanne) does next.
Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul. is now out in theaters and streaming on Peacock.