In this comedy, Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown play a fallen megachurch preacher and his first wife who is pleading and hoping for a return.
In the astutely observed parody “Honk for Jesus. Pastor Lee-Curtis Childs and his first woman Trinity are not only ready for their close-up, but they also desperately need it in the song “Save Your Soul.” The megachurch preacher Lee-Curtis, who employs a documentary maker to aid in his comeback, is portrayed by Sterling K. Brown. As the woman who supports her man for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the high position that the title of the first lady affords, Regina Hall is a wonder. After all, Wander to Greater Paths is their church, where his and her gilded thrones are located.A sexual scandal caused almost all of the church’s tens of thousands of members to take its name to heart and leave, many of them joining the expanding rival church of its former parishioners Keon and Shakura Sumpter (played by Conphidance and Nicole Beharie).
Adamma Ebo, a first-time filmmaker, wrote the script and directed the comedy. She also co-produced it with her twin sister Adrianne. The director shows a sharp and nuanced knowledge of pastoral influence and the costs of hypocrisy. The Ebo sisters were raised in the Southern Baptist faith in Atlanta, where the movie is set. Adamma Ebo claimed to have drawn inspiration from, or more accurately, battled with, the real-life fall of megachurch pastor Eddie Long, who was accused of sexual misconduct by young men in his congregation in 2010.
Honk for Jesus, however, is not a straightforward mockumentary. Another witness to the pastor and his first lady’s breakdown is the covert fly-on-the-wall filmmaker hired by Lee-Curtis (voiced by Andrea Laing). We, as spectators, are privy to some revealing, private exchanges between the husband and wife.

Brown, a former “This Is Us” star, plays his shattered character, who regularly conflates material wealth and God’s blessings: The prosperity gospel has developed into the cornerstone around which many churches are built. Despite being brown, it still looks lovely. Beharie is also an abhorrently effective First Lady 2.0. However, Hall is the one who successfully expresses both the shallow morality of the characters in the film and its emotional complexity. The presents provided to the newlyweds are enjoyed by Trinity as well. When buying a hat for the comeback service in a mall, one glances at the high price tag.
When Trinity sits down with her mother one morning to discuss her marriage concerns, we learn the complex causes of her issue later on.
It goes without saying that Lee-Curtis will be back on Easter Sunday. His desperation grows as the deadline draws closer and a settlement deal with his accusers hangs in the balance. Let there be sign-whirling on the sidewalks. Let there exist a concept known as “praise mime.” The Black Jesus statue should be displayed.
In the end, the film doesn’t give much compassion to the decent reverend. (He has a lot of compassion for himself.) Furthermore, little is said about the pain that genuine parishioners could feel when their strong are defeated. If Ebo had taken that course, “Honk for Jesus.” Possibly more accurate, but with a deeper tone that chose heartbreaking over astutely humorous. That would have been disastrous for this incredibly clever comedy.
Director | Adamma Ebo |
Writer | Adamma Ebo |
Stars | Regina Hall, Sterling K. Brown, Nicole Beharie, Conphidance, Austin Crute |
Rating | R |
Running Time | 1h 42m |
Genre | Comedy |
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul reviews
Honk for Jesus as of August 17. On movies near me , Save Your Soul received an 88% rating, while on Metacritic, it received a 65 Metascore.
The movie is a “sharp documentary,” according to moviesnearme.net
Brown is terrific in this role as a man-child leader who is fixated on spectacle and has any sense of responsibility, according to movies near me , but Hall is magnificent.
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul rating
The movie has a 15 rating in the UK and a “R” classification in the US.
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul runtime
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul has a runtime of 1 hour & 42 minutes.