HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL
Starring: Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown
Director: Adamma Ebo
AMARÚ
Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul.’s subject matter is one that epitomizes “if you know, you know.” Directing/producing duo Adamma & Adanne Ebo address the sometimes swept-up transgressions of the Black church in a way that still feels empathetic and loving, but it’s the knockout performances from Sterling K. Brown and Regina Hall that carry the authenticity with a powerful balance of satire, subtlety, and intensity. The movie as a whole leaves you wanting more closure in the storytelling and more levity in it’s dark comedy leanings, but watching two enthralling performances for 100 minutes will keep you entertained.
QUENTIN
I’m sure some people will find Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. to be a hilarious takedown of religion and megachurches, but for me, someone who watches The Righteous Gemstones and has seen other similar satires, its jabs are more than just a little tired and never quite as sharp as the writers think they are. On the plus side, Sterling K. Brown is magnetic as disgraced pastor Lee-Curtis Childs, but if the only things I’ll truly remember are that Childs’ suit game is on point and that Brown is surprisingly shredded like a superhero, that doesn’t say much for the movie as a whole.
JACOB
Satires are difficult to nail down, which is why Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. probably deserves a little more credit than I’m likely to give it as one of 2022’s hidden gems. While the sendup of megachurch culture does boast dynamic performances from Sterling K. Brown and Regina Hall, it fumbles when reaching for something more sincere underneath the comedic tone. Balancing satire between blistering and tragic often leaves a film struggling to commit to either, this being no exception. It still mostly works, but feels somewhat emotionally hollow, rendering its more pensive second half difficult to fully embrace.
