The Remaining

The Remaining

Starring Johnny Pacar, Shaun Sipos, Bryan Dechart, Alexa Vega

Directed by Casey La Scala

Synopsis:
Skylar (Alexa Vega) and Dan (Bryan Dechart) are about to get married, and everyone is celebrating the festivities, including their best friends Tommy (Johnny Pacar), Jack (Shaun Sipos) and Ali (Italia Ricci).  All is well until several of the wedding guests suddenly die unexpectedly, and they learn that the world has dissolved into utter chaos.

The Rapture has happened, where God has taken those who believed in Him to heaven, and left the unbelievers to deal with the wrath.  Fire and hailstorms are just the start, as a legion of evil demons have been unleashed on Earth, and as Skylar and her friends struggle to survive, they learn that they ultimately have to make a choice to either save their eternal souls, or curse them for eternity.

Review:
Casey La Scala directed one of my favorite comedies growing up with "Grind," so having him at the helm of a pseudo-Christian film was something that comforted me, knowing it wouldn't be another typical stereotypical Christian-based film like "Fireproof" or "Courageous," or the plethora of other Christian films that skipped on production value, actors, or story.

Whereas the concept of a "Christian horror" film seems like an oxymoron, it actually delivered in both aspects without one completely overshadowing the other.  The concept of the Rapture is that at one point in time God will take those who believe to heaven, while He inflicts judgment on the earth.  This is a theological concept that people take from the Bible which - spoiler alert - is never mentioned there, or at least in the way most people believe.

But enough about theology.  Let's get back to the movie.  As I said, there's an over-abundance of cheap Christian films out there (usually starring Kirk Cameron, aka the second coming of Jesus), and I feared "The Remaining" would be added to that heap.  Thankfully it wasn't.

First there's a great cast, led by former "Sky Kids" and "Machete Kills" star Alexa Vega, and a supporting cast consisting of actors from some of today's hottest shows such as "The Vampire Diaries," "Melrose Place" and "Chasing Life."  Their performances made you really care for the characters, and instead of offering stock-Christian sayings, they actually sounded intelligent while still offering a Christian solution.

Second was the effects.  This wasn't a big-budget blockbuster by any stretch of the imagination, but they did very well with the little they had to work with.  The demons aren't really shown in full form, but you can tell they're around by the destruction they cause, and it allows you to imagine what they might look like, and as we all know, our imaginations are often better than what we're given to see.

Third is the production values.  At first it seemed like it was going to be another found-footage film, shot by the film's videographer Tommy.  Thankfully the director didn't go in that direction, although there were some scenes shot through Tommy's lens.  It didn't distract from the story, and added a sense of urgency and intimacy. 

Finally there was the story.  Yes, there's some cliche Christian quotes ("Why wasn't I raptured?  I went to church!" "I went to church but I didn't believe enough"), but what "The Remaining" did was not focus so much on the message that it took away from the actual story.  It shows a world filled with flawed people, some who were basically just going through the motions of church and didn't really believe, and others who had absolutely no belief whatsoever.  As they struggle to survive, they begin to learn that maybe death isn't the worst thing - as long as you believe.

Summary:
A talented director, a great cast, and a surprisingly decent storyline pulls "The Remaining" out of the Christian film rut and delivers a decent horror film with an important message embedded.

My Rating: B+