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Left Behind is a confounding spiritual movie that misrepresents the religion of clever Christians, feeling extra like a poorly thought-out satire that includes Nicolas Cage. The film begins to ask attention-grabbing philosophical questions on the issue of evil however rapidly devolves right into a campy catastrophe epic missing self-awareness. Unintentional campiness kicks in when the rapture occurs within the film, resulting in chaotic and baffling plot developments that make it an infuriating and compelling watch.
It takes a particular form of movie to trigger the viewer to pause it fifteen minutes in to type out what one may solely name convoluted–and that is just the start. Nicolas Cage’s 2014 disasterpiece Left Behind is one for the ages, full with propaganda that absolutely misrepresents the religion of many an clever Christian. The movie looks like a poorly thought out satire of Christian doctrine, which is why the truth that it’s a spiritual movie is so confounding. If this movie was comprised of an ironic perspective and advertising efficiently to a Christian viewers, it will maybe be probably the most ingenious prank in cinematic historical past, however that may undoubtedly be giving the filmmakers far an excessive amount of credit score. For Cage completionists, it’s a must-watch, not solely as a result of it has a 0% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but in addition as a result of it’s his solely foray into the realm of Christian films.
What Is ‘Left Behind’ About?
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Left Behind fairly actually tells the story of the rapture in probably the most bland, easy approach attainable. Chloe Steele (Cassi Thomson) has come dwelling from school to shock her father Rayford (Cage), a well-respected pilot, for his birthday. Upon arriving at JFK, she calls her mother who informs her that Rayford is not capable of greet her at dwelling as a result of he needed to work. Chloe is upset for some purpose, regardless that this was a really probably end result contemplating that her father is a pilot and in consequence shocking him in all probability wasn’t the brightest thought contemplating the unpredictable schedule of pilots. Not solely is she upset at her father for doing his job, however instantly assumes that as a result of he has to fly a aircraft to London that he’s pulling away from her mom. Whereas that’s true, the reasoning behind Chloe’s conclusion is weird.
Chloe’s mother has just lately transformed to Evangelical Christianity and has begun to warn her household of the approaching doom. The movie really begins to ask attention-grabbing philosophical questions relating to the issue of evil and why God would not do something about it. This battle is most prominently explored within the relationship between Chloe and her mom, Irene (Lea Thompson). The 2 have a really stilted dialog that broaches the basic query of whether or not God will be each good and omnipotent, two beliefs which might be foundational to the Christian religion. Every time the movie begins to go someplace attention-grabbing it rapidly devolves right into a C-rate melodrama till it’s an all-out catastrophe epic. It by no means once more tries to ask questions that it would not know what to do with, nevertheless it does flip right into a delightfully campy mess. It’s each much less impactful than it believes, but in addition tremendously entertaining. As soon as the meat of the story takes off, the film turns into one of the ridiculous movies of the previous ten years missing the tiniest sliver of self-awareness, irony, or subtlety. Have you learnt how uncommon that’s? Left Behind has a lot undeserving confidence in its execution and in its function that you will virtually really feel unhealthy for it. Virtually.
‘Left Behind’ Is Unintentional Camp at Its Most interesting
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The movie’s unintentional campiness kicks into excessive gear when the rapture occurs. Chloe is hugging her youthful brother when he out of the blue disappears in a flash, abandoning his garments in good uniformity in his sister’s arms, hat and all. The visible is so weird and unintentionally comical that it instantly elevates the film to one thing past only a “unhealthy” Christian film. The film turns into sheer chaos and all these left on earth start committing crimes towards one another for some purpose. For instance, instantly following the rapture, Chloe is mugged. What this has to do with the rapture or how the rapture turned these left on earth into petty thieves shouldn’t be given a lot thought. It is sensible that folks would raid the pockets of the disappeared, however what’s inflicting them to rob those that weren’t taken? The movie’s baffling writing and seeming lack of thought make it an infuriating watch. Nevertheless, it is the form of infuriating watch that you will be eager about for the following week since you simply cannot recover from the truth that it exists.
Questions of religion or of God’s omniscience are instantly dropped by Left Behind as a result of it is aware of it now not must preserve the viewers intellectually stimulated as soon as Nic Cage is barreling by way of the sky in a aircraft that’s rapidly operating out of gasoline. He involves the conclusion that every one the passengers who disappeared on his aircraft have been Christians by going by way of their private gadgets and discovering clues, corresponding to swiftly written Bible quotes or random Christian paraphernalia. The truth that the characters haven’t any true company and are merely being affected by the occasions of the movie additional pushes Left Behind into the “how was this made??” class of unhealthy movies.
The expertise of watching Left Behind is akin to watching a multi-car pileup; you are curious simply how lengthy it can final and the way a lot injury will be completed. It seems rather a lot. From extremely distasteful subplots of suicide and “worldly” struggles to insinuations that folks of different Abrahamic (however not Christian) faiths aren’t accepted into Heaven regardless of their robust ethical character and clear love of God. With each flip the film tries to take, one other narratively disastrous and incomprehensible scene awaits.
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‘Left Behind’ Is the Fantastic Form of Nic Cage Bizarre
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Left Behind presents a very unforgettable expertise, a high quality that the majority followers of Nic Cage and his work have come to anticipate. It’s the uncommon movie that has really no thought how unhealthy it’s. You’ll be able to virtually style the audacity of the filmmakers to current this as a film; it qualifies as such solely as a technicality. It is a good, old style propaganda piece, the type that they simply do not make like they used to. It would not be too stunning if Left Behind developed an analogous fame to that of different propaganda movies like Reefer Insanity.
Mockingly, Nic Cage would not “Cage out” the way in which he does in different classics in his filmography. Nonetheless, the film snuggly matches in with the enigmatic actor’s profession decisions. He typically chooses films with various ranges of camp and which just about at all times have an unwavering sense of sincerity. The identical can undoubtedly be mentioned of Left Behind. It is one other gem within the nice Nicolas Cage’s ever-growing assortment of flabbergasting profession strikes and will be loved in the very same approach as The Wicker Man, Ghost Rider, or Figuring out. He is probably not probably the most ridiculous a part of this film, however that does not imply it would not have a lot to supply in that division. Remarkably unhealthy, Left Behind earns its place within the canon of so-bad-its-good films.