Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 6, 2023

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. is the Mockumentary film from first-time Director Adamma Ebo, based on her short film of the same name. The film follows a disgraced pastor who believes that congregational and personal recovery is in the cards because he's him. It's a film about ego and the unhealthy mixture of self-worth and the spiritual walk. The film is focused on the superficial, looking at why the pastor's failings are a problem of his own perception rather than a problem with clashes and contradictions with scripture. The film, then, is not about a religious experience or a spiritual turnaround but it is rather the story of a man, and his wife, who use the power of religion to find financial gain and personal satisfaction and whether they can hold on to their lifestyle, and their relationship, when things go south.

Pastor Lee-Curtis Childs (Sterling K. Brown) is a prosperity gospel preacher who believes that his worldly wealth is a sign of his spiritual maturity and intimacy with God. He pastors “Wander to Greater Paths Baptist Church” in Atlanta, Georgia, which is the church home for about 25,000 congregants. He pastors in concert with his wife, the church’s “first lady,” Trinitie (Regina Hall), who is a fixture of faith and fashion for the flock. However, the Childs’ are pulled down by a sexual misconduct scandal. The congregation dwindles to next to nothing and the building is left abandoned. Nevertheless, Pastor Childs believes that the church is poised for a big-time rebound because he's just that good. However, only a few loyal congregants remain. Many of the congregants are moving to “Heaven’s Home,” a smaller megachurch pastored by Keon and Shakura Sumpter (Conphidance and Nicole Beharie). As Childs hatches a plan to return the masses to the pews, he hires a film crew to document is comeback. Though he is ravenous for return, doubts arise in Trinitie’s mind, and the community seems soured on him, too.

The movie does well to demonstrate the worldly grounding that defines these supposed spiritual leaders. As the film opens, it is clear that, for Lee-Curtis, the gospel and the mission of the pastor are lucrative pathways to worldly gain, not spiritual growth. And that worldly gain has gotten to Lee-Curtis’ head. He practically sees himself as a god. He’s built something special, and even if a personal shortcoming – that has pushed away some 24,995 congregants – has stalled his path to greater riches and fame, he believes that the cult of personality that exists in in his own mind will draw them all back, and then some. The film follows his schemes to build back better, to steal a phrase, though the film also follows his wife Trinitie and her growing doubts about not just the validity of the plan but her husband’s character. She has willfully ridden his coattails to her own fame and fortune, but her vision is not clouded by delusions of grandeur, and the film offers, then, a story of contrasts as it follows these connected, but increasingly opposed, characters.

The question is not, for the characters, or for the movie, whether through this reset of their ministry they will also find a reset for their heart and soul and lead not just their congregation, but themselves, towards the true gospel message, not their own version of it, and to stop living in hypocrisy. At one point, a “be humble” tag is seen hanging from one of the pastor’s sports cars. Much of the humor stems from that hypocrisy and the power couples’ blindness to it. One can certainly see Trinitie, through the film, battle that truth with her own desire for the latest and greatest and her place of prominence at the table, and maybe a few times one can see those same wheels spinning in Lee-Curtis’ head, too, but they never really take him anywhere. A realization of their true spiritual shortcomings might have made for a more interesting movie, but the film chooses to draw the humor from their (and his in particular) unaware state of their own spiritual insincerity. Brown and Hall are terrific in the leads, both capturing their characters’ firm essences with impeccable command, manifesting the outward characteristic remarkably well but equally so those inward elements that are perhaps even more vital to the film’s story.

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The digitally photographed Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. looks great on Blu-ray. The image offers tight, clear details, especially in close-up where dynamic facial and skin textures are in evidence, as are the fine point luxurious threads on the various high-end suits, dresses, and hats that Lee-Curtis and Trinitie wear throughout the film. World clarity, both inside the church and outside its walls, is first-rate. Because of the "Mockumentary" style, there are some softer focus shots and those that take a moment to find focus, but this is inherent to the source. Colors are vibrant, again evident in the clothing which is the main color standout throughout the film, offering wonderfully vibrant pinks, oranges, and greens, amongst various other tones. Black levels are solid, whites are brilliant, and skin tones are deep and pure. There is some source noise, which can spike at times, but rarely is it too terribly bothersome.

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Universal brings Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. to the Blu-ray format with a well-rounded DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation offers some impressive musical cues, from church organs to intense Rap beats, both presenting with the fluidness and clarity one would expect, the former, for example, airy and filling, the latter aggressive and bass-heavy. Spacing and surround immersion are very satisfying in both instances. Light atmospheric effects are well integrated, and some of the flowing traffic and beeping horns heard in the final act pleasantly and realistically traverse the soundstage. Dialogue is clear and center focused for the duration.

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. includes an alternate open; deleted, extended, and alternate scenes; and a gag reel. No DVD copy is included. However, Universal has bundled in a Movies Anywhere digital copy code. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• Alternate Opening (1080p, 1:04).
• Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes (1080p, 16:16 total runtime): Included are Showtime, Skate Rink, Childs in the Attic, Trinitie in the Bath, Highway Pedestrian Guy, Trinitie Bringing Food, Trinitie Praying Over Lee-Curtis in Bed, Trinitie Sees Sidewalk Woman Again, and Anita Speaks.
• Gag Reel (1080p, 3:34): Humorous moments from the shoot.

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's a shame that the film never pushes for a deeper spiritual exploration of its characters...but maybe, then again, it does offer that, as in it comments on the absolute spiritual vacancy within them, and Lee-Curtis in particular. He's a man of vision for himself, not the church, and the film certainly hammers that point home thanks to a very robust performance from a Sterling K. Brown. The film certainly holds one's attention, if only to see how far Lee-Curtis might stoop and how high his ego may correspondingly soar, while also seeing if Trinitie will come to have the veil of success lifted from her own eyes. The disc offers a few cursory extras in addition to rock-solid video and audio presentations.