The Moment After
Category: Movies & TV
Let’s get one thing clear right away, I love the end-time movie genre. From the futuristic end of time classic movies such as Logan’s Run, Soylent Green, and The Omega Man, to the modern “prophet-of-doom” blockbusters like The Postman and I Am Legend, I love them all… as long as they’re not too violent, gory, or depressing.
The Christian answer to the end-time genre (call it a sub-genre) has firmly been planted in the biblical prophecies found in the Book of Revelation, more specifically the rapture (or taking away) of all believers, the establishment of the New World Order, and the chaos and evil that follows. And yes, I enjoy this genre too. I have many end-time novels and theology books and own most of the Christian end-time movies, including the classic Mark 4 Pictures Thief in the Night series and Cloud Ten’s Apocalypse and Left Behind series.
So on to The Moment After. I originally saw The Moment After around the same time I watched the disappointing Left Behind: The Movie, and I have to say I was somewhat impressed, but conflicted at the same time, something I’m sure that will come across in this review.
Made on a shoestring budget The Moment After is an adequate end-times thriller that adds a few new spins to an already over saturated genre. Essentially a thriller set in a time period leading up to and just after the rapture, the story revolves around two FBI agents investigating the sudden disappearance of thousands/millions of people. Without spoiling the movie too much – during the investigations one of the agents begins to see the light as he comes to understand what really happened to the missing people, while the other agent takes hold firmly of the dark side, and the age old battle of good and evil ensues.
The film looks good, considering it’s serious lack of budget, and is well acted. It stops just short of becoming a full out action thriller, obviously due again to budgetary constraints, although it does have some tense moments. The acting is above par, as is the directing, and the screenplay is well written. I also loved that this movie was not as polished as some of the more expensive end-time thrillers, because at points it had a docudrama feel to it, a style of film-making I love.
Given the subject matter I would have liked to have seen some chances taken with this movie, i.e. some gritty dialogue as well as a little more realistic violence, instead the producers opted to make a wholesome and clean movie that would appeal mainly to the Christian community – I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised as the movie was produced by a Christian company. If I have one contention with “Christian” movies it’s that some chances are going to have to be taken to reach a secular audience. I’m not saying we should revel in bad-language and violence, but there are times when a movie’s story screams for a sudden shot of reality, a short-sharp-shock if you will, and this was one such movie.
Saying that, much of the dialogue is well written and delivered well by the actors, although don’t expect the writing to be as witty or solid as a Cohen Brothers screenplay. The one area I thought they did succeed in was in steering clear of the doom and gloom often associated with end-time movies, opting instead for a positive evangelistic experience.
Essentially this movie is that it’s really nothing new; sure it has some interesting plot developments and a couple of twists, but it has the same scenario as a number of Christian end-time movies/novels – people disappear, chaos ensues, people investigate into why, and so on. Unfortunately it comes across at times like a bad cliche.
However, I liked this movie. I liked that it was made by a small company on a small budget. I liked that they succeeded in making a movie that kept me entertained throughout. I had all but given up on the end-times genre after watching the lackluster Left Behind movie, but this movie restored my love of that genre.
Overall, this is a good film if you like the end-time movies and could easily be watched in a youth group or church movie night setting. Is The Moment After the Christian answer to the “breaking into mainstream Hollywood” dilemma that has plagued Christian film-makers since day one? Probably not. But I definitely think it’s a step in the right direction.
There is also a part 2 available, which I have yet to see, but it’s definitely on my “to see” list.
Christian St John
December, 2008
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