Rating: 2.5/5
Joke review:
He loves board games, won’t shut up about religion, and casually mentions Radiohead—have the writers been on the same Hinge dates as me?
Actual Review:
Here I am, lonely, tired and lonely, crying for home in vain, just like a butterfly that's caught in the rain. — Ipana Troubadours
What the hell am I doing here? I don't belong here. — Radiohead
Shut up, shut up — Lana Del Rey
Two Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes and SIster Paxton, sit on a bench in Boulder, Colorado, comparing the Book of Mormon to magnum condoms. That is, we grow up hearing magnums are so much bigger than regular condoms, but Sister Paxton heard they are pretty close to the same size as regular condoms. If you grew up hearing the Book of Mormon is fake, wouldn’t you fall into a similar trap? Perhaps it was the advertisement on the park bench that sparked the conversation. Regardless, the conversation leads to Paxton believing that God is real, while Barnes cannot muster the same conviction.
After some unsuccessful on-the-street proselytization (including a teenage girl pantsing Paxton to confirm she wears “magic underwear”), the two arrive at the last address Sister Hall gave them to visit for the day: the home of a Mr. Reed, who had mentioned at some point that he was interested in hearing more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. As the rain picks up, they knock on the door. He cheerfully greets them at the door, reluctant but not uninterested. Mr. Reed offers to let them in, but they won’t unless another woman is present. Mr. Reed tells them that his wife is inside baking a blueberry pie, so the young women enter.
Mr. Reed locks up their bikes and takes their coat. They wait in the entryway as Mr. Reed fetches them sodas, telling them that the walls and ceilings are lined with metal. When he returns, he informs them his wife is shy but will show herself soon enough. They start discussing the Mormon faith. Mr. Reed produces his heavily annotated copy of The Book of Mormon. His questions become more direct, personal, and awkward. Finally, the missionaries ask to meet his wife. He leaves to fetch her. Sister Barnes notices the candle on the table is blueberry pie scented.
What do the next 85 minutes hold for our naive missionaries?
Three people told me to watch this movie just this weekend, so I bumped it up on the list to check out. I’ve hesitated to jump on it only because I’ve heard the movie is r/atheism in moving picture form.
Straight away, Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East are outstanding here. The two actors grew up Mormon, drawing from that experience to inform their characters. I had a conception of their characters, but the movie delighted me with some choices.
God, Hugh Grant sure talks a lot. I got a little excited when he mentioned The Landlord’s Game because I regularly mention it, to the chagrin of my friend group. If anything, this movie has convinced me never to bring it up again.
In my religious journey, it took me some time to reach this point—that whatever your religious convictions, so long as you are not bringing harm to others, live your life. Many religious people are, but it’s not people like Sister Barnes or Sister Paxton.
The score sounded like Legends of the Hidden Temple.
The cinematography has moments of beauty that almost feel accidental.
There’s a house in Boone that I’ve convinced has the same layout. IYKYK.
My friend Tyler said, “Some teen who is rebelling against Christianity is gonna get more out of [this movie] than anyone else for sure.” I think that’s a fair assessment. But he also said that it’s fun. And that’s also true!