I would say in the world of film criticism I am more open to the faith-based genre than many of my contemporaries. However, I do recognize the pit-falls the genre has and why so many don’t connect with them. That said, one of the best directors of the genre over the last few years has been Garrett Batty who directed outstanding films like Freetown and  Out of Liberty. What makes his movies stand out is he always focuses on the individual journey over the religious ministry making for a compelling story with humanity whether you’re invested religiously or not. His latest film Faith of Angels is probably the weakest I’ve seen from him but it still tells a good story worth watching.

I had the chance to interview Garrett and star John Michael Finley after I saw the movie for the Hallmarkies Podcast.

Faith of Angels tells the true story of when Joshua Dennis was stuck in an abandoned mine in Tooele, Utah. John Skinner played by Finley hears a distinct prompting to help with the search but he is rebuffed by the sheriff (Cameron Arnett) who fears the involvement of amateurs after a disaster the year before.

My favorite aspect of this film is the journey Skinner goes on. As a person of faith I can relate to the struggle of feeling compelled to do something but having it not make sense to those around you. Is that not the sheer essence of faith? Doing something and believing in something you can’t explain but know is true? This is a very hard concept to make cinematic and the team here did just about as good a job as you could.

The rest of the story with Joshua is gripping enough even if the pacing can drag at times and certain scenes feel repetitive. Still, if you are looking for an inspiring story of a true modern-day miracle Faith of Angels will be just the movie for you. This is a movie you do not have to be Latter-day Saint to enjoy as most of the events are at the cave and non-denominational in nature.

Smile Worthy

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