Risen Definitely Rises to the Top

A Review of Risen from The Sovereign

Risen definitely rises to the top of my list of recommended movies about the events surrounding Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Joseph Fiennes portrays a Roman tribune tasked by Pontius Pilate (Peter Firth) to find the missing body of the Nazerene, Yeshua.

The storyline is plausible and not at all far from the mark, which would be the biblical text. Yes, there’s a few things I would do differently, but why bring any of those up when so much is done correctly?

The acting is superb and the sets are convincing. Some portrayals were imaginative. For instance, I appreciated the humanness of the common foot soldier eager to go off duty from the crucifixion site. I especially resonated with the joy and camaraderie expressed by Jesus (Cliff Curtis) and His disciples. And, oh, when you go, you’re gonna love Bartholomew.

This movie will take you as close as you can get to the actual events. If you wonder if Jesus of Nazareth really did rise from the dead, Risen may be what convinces you of the truth of His resurrection.

What Others Are Saying about Risen

“Risen is powerful and gripping! Masterfully done! To see the Easter story through the eyes of a Roman soldier left me in awe! Brilliant!” ~ Karen Kingsbury, #1 N.Y. Times best-selling author.

“Risen is a thriller of a movie, sending audiences back to the source of the script for the real page-turner. Both movie and book are that good.” ~ Dr. Roy Peterson, president & CEO of American Bible Society.

The ‘Risen’ Movie: An Unbeliever Confronts the Empty Tomb ~ an excellent review by Eric Metaxas, author, speaker, and radio host.

There’s an App for That…

Apps are available for most anything, so it shouldn’t surprise you that the YouVersion Bible app has a five-day reading plan based on Risen with video clips and devotional content.

NOTES:

• You might be interested in my other post: How to Share Your Faith at Risen.
• For very young viewers the crucifixion and corpses would be too much.
• I hadn’t seen actor Tom Felton since his role as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, so I enjoyed seeing him in a different role. In this video interview with his reactions to the film, Tom says the movie moved him from atheism to agnosticism.
• The quoted reviews are from the Facebook site for Risen.
• The image is available from Lovell / Fairchild Communications.