Few things in this world are quite so disappointing as American Christianity. Promoting itself as following the teachings of Jesus Christ, American Christianity right now is a most glorious bait-and-switch. I’m no biblical scholar, but I’m pretty sure Jesus Christ was about peace and love and understanding and inclusion. American Christianity -not all of you, but an unfortunately large percentage- is about none of these things. Current American Christians -especially evangelicals- are about Trump … exalting Trump, serving Trump, saving Trump, and doing Trump bidding. This is the exact opposite of what Jesus Christ taught. So you’ll forgive me if I had trouble swallowing the “hidden” message of faith and Satan-defiance in The Shift.
For decades now, wealthy Christians have taken to promoting Christ in theaters. Films like Letters to God and War Room have proven little better than commercials for Christianity … which makes for terrible theater. Have the films gotten better? More open to general audiences? Well, rarely do we see “God” in a film title, nor open church praying these days. And, yet, still the films seem about as subtle as a broken window.
Take The Shift, where the lead character literally prays The Devil away. That worked? Really? And just when you think we might be into quasi-sci-fi territory, the story of Job breaks out. Oh goody. A genuine sermon on the screen. You know … I didn’t actually miss church; that’s why I stopped going. Geez, you people.
Kevin (Kristoffer Polaha) – we’re really gonna name a protagonist “Kevin” during Home Alone season? OK, whatever- is just your average Wall Street douchebag. He’s havin’ a drink during a major crash that he, apparently, created.
Wow, I already hate this film. What was reasoning the behind this? “You know what we need in our ‘Yea, God!’ film? A relatable hero … Who could it be? I know! How about a bazillionaire stock manipulator who blows it all on a bad bet?” “That’s brilliant!”
Does the film ever explore how many souls were either exploited on Kevin’s rise or taken down on Kevin’s fall? I honestly will never know because I walked out before it had a chance not to tell me.
At the bar, a skank approaches, sensing Kevin is a middle-aged man of wealth and no ring. This is Molly (Elisabeth Tabish), who will become the saving grace in Kevin’s life, I think. Her friends put her up to the propositioning. Nobody around bothered to ask why a middle-age straight man of means has no significant other. Tis the season for senseless romance on screen.
Feeling his terrible day just got a lot brighter, Kevin has a terrible car accident in which he’s not actually hurt and there is no car. Kevin has been transported to an alternate universe where he is befriended by “The Benefactor” (Neal McDonough) – [read: The Devil] Benefactor has plans for Kevin, and takes him to lunch, explaining that he’s in a multiverse and this one doesn’t have Molly in it. The Benefactor explains there are many universes and whenever something changes between universes that’s called The Shift. In fact, when you are errant in a factual belief, that’s not your fault; you’ve simple been “shifted” to a world in which that thing you believed isn’t true.
Jesus Christ. And I mean that in the most blasphemous and derogatory sense. Jesus H. Christ. Is this what it’s come to? Christians aren’t wrong, they’ve just been “shifted?” F*** you and the high horse you rode in on. You are SO WRONG. Donald Trump is a piece of shit and you’re all compliant in enabling his hate. Yes, hate, for he offers nothing else to this world. Don’t excuse yourselves or try to explain your way out of it. In voting for Trump, you enabled him; by failing to hold him accountable, you are complicit in all the evil he creates … and he creates much more evil than any “Benefactor.”
This is just a minor point on the way to a plot. Basically, Kevin knows he’s in “The Bad Place” for lack of a better term and wants to get back to Molly. At one point, we find him screaming, “I NEED TO FIND A DEVIATOR TO GET BACK TO MY MOLLY!!” Huh. I thought you jokers were against drugs. This is a joy of a scene, btw. Kevin has managed to sneak into a cheap high school stage set where a wired-up barber chair can project what Kevin is like in other dimensions. The part I love is that in every other dimension, Kevin is a worthless criminal asshole; only in the world where he connects with skeezy Molly does he end up with a life that doesn’t suck.
Look, movie, I don’t want to play God -but you clearly do- are you sure this is the correct savior? Wouldn’t
we rather root for a guy who tends to do the right thing all else being equal? I mean, what’s the message here? “If I’m wrong, it’s not my fault; I’ve been shifted. If it’s bad, it’s not my fault; I just haven’t found the person that makes me good.” Is that the message here? Way to own your shortcomings, Christians. That message sucks. Even for people who don’t represent “the party of personal responsibility.”
When the lecture of Job came, I had enough. Oh, I fully understand why faith is important … so we never question why things suck. In fact, it’s really important that we not question why things we can change suck. God forbid we ever question our faith and come to the conclusion that either God doesn’t exist or is wholly indifferent. “You just don’t understand.” You got that right. But at the end of the day, I still care enough about my fellow man to vote for not Trump. Can you say the same? WWJD?
I know A LOT of Christians. The vast majority of them are good people. Beautiful, moral, reliable humans. People I love. People I trust. However, and I would repeat this to any among them: your Christian brand isn’t what you think it is. Christianity sees itself, I’m certain, as faith and devotion and kindness and patience and service. These are all lovely things and I encourage them among everyone. But that ain’t Christianity right now. Current American Christianity’s brand is scandal and fealty to Donald Trump, the least moral public person alive today. Yes, it is. And your collective failure as a faith to denounce Donald Trump shows everyone with eyes that you care more about power than faith. Any true religion would never need or desire advertising. Hence, projects like The Shift come off much less as some sort of pro-Christian ad as an exercise in vanity – “Look what we can do to make Christianity seem cooooool!” Good luck with that. I tell you one thing, and when I say this, do know I’m not alone: if Christian heaven is replete with Trump-voting sellouts, I’d rather go to Hell. At least there will be less hate there.
Dimensional travelling occurs when
Satan screws with time and space again
I’m no jet-setter
But I sure liked it better
When the multiverse was filled with spider-men
Rated PG-13, 115 Minutes
Director: Brock Heasley
Writer: Brock Healey
Genre: Goddy God GodGod -oh yeah, sci-fi- God
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: The monsters who made it
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Me
