‘Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist’ Review: Kevin Sorbo Steps Into Nicolas Cage’s Shoes for Sequel, After Rapture of Previous Movie’s Entire Cast

Should you see only one thriller this yr during which a climactic automobile chase is adopted by the director-star breaking character to ship a five-minute sermon straight into the digicam — adopted by three extra minutes of Mike Huckabee main viewers in prayer to simply accept Jesus into their hearts, earlier than the tip credit roll — then make it “Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist,” the newest in a collection of apocalyptic movies primarily based on the bestselling Christian ebook collection.

Though “Rise” is the sixth characteristic derived from dozens of rapture-iffic novels and spinoff novellas printed beneath the “Left Behind” banner within the mid-’90s by means of mid-2000s, it’s the primary within the movie collection to have Kevin Sorbo as a number one man in addition to director. The place previous installments had been comparatively coy about their evangelistic function, Sorbo opts so as to add a literal come-to-Jesus epilogue. Chances are you’ll recall that the final actor to painting heroic pilot Rayford Steele was Nicolas Cage, in 2014’s “Left Behind” (a reboot to which the brand new movie serves as a direct sequel). Cage didn’t finish his flip within the franchise by breaking the fourth wall for an altar name, one thing the actor’s fervent cult might now have a look at that as a missed alternative.  

Halfway by means of “Rise of the Antichrist,” Sorbo’s Steele, a non-believer who’s lastly beginning to see the sunshine, consults with pastor Bruce Barnes (Charles Andrew Payne) a couple of biblical prophecy that’s about to return true, within the model of “pre-trib,” premillennial theology that first grew in recognition amongst many Christians within the twentieth century. On a whiteboard, the minister — who acquired left behind as a result of he was, on the time, a phony believer — addresses a prophetic query that the filmmakers think about necessary: whether or not the clock on the seven-year Nice Tribulation begins with the Rapture, or whether or not it actually received’t start till an awesome temple is rebuilt on the Temple Dome in Jerusalem. Eschatalogically inquiring minds wish to know.

This precise schedule of the protracted apocalypse isn’t actually a significant plot level, but it surely does get you pondering extra about timelines, not only for the Finish Occasions however for movie productions. Like: the place within the heck are we within the chronology of “Left Behind” films? Kirk Cameron starred within the first three movies, beginning in 2000 and ending with 2005’s “Left Behind: World at Warfare,” earlier than producer/co-writer Paul Lalonde, the one fixed in all the productions, began afresh with the 2014 remake of the unique, starring Cage. (In between, there was a little-noticed 2016 spinoff, “Left Behind: Subsequent Technology,” primarily based on the 40 “Left Behind: The Youngsters” books.) The brand new sequel begins off six months after the occasions portrayed within the reboot, albeit with not a single forged member coming back from the earlier movie.

On this sequel, we’re advised the world is rapidly going to hell, following the disappearance of all of the world’s true Christians, though there’s not a lot filmic proof of that past the sight of trash luggage adrift within the streets on the uncommon events the Canadian shoot ventures open air. The chaos is established by way of CNN-style newscasts carried out by the movie’s different main man, chiseled, cocky TV anchor Cameron “Buck” Williams (Greg Perrow), who, having been established because the one principled newsman alive, begins trying into the nefarious forces making an attempt to seduce and topic the United Nations and whole globe.

In actual life, Sorbo is a polarizing sufficient persona that there may very well be a number of non-evangelicals sneaking into showings for the aim of a hate-watching. (The actor is so devoted to right-wing trolling that, on launch weekend, he made one more sneering joke in regards to the hammer assault on Paul Pelosi.) However anybody exhibiting up in quest of unintended laughs, due to his participation or as a result of they’ve fond recollections of snickering at no-budget Christ-sploitation films like 1972’s “A Thief within the Night time” at church camp, could also be upset to search out that “Rise of the Antichrist” not often rises to pure camp.

It sports activities enticing lensing, dialogue that sometimes has a little bit snap to it, and even some first rate directing of some of the performances … together with Sorbo’s personal. That’s very true in a single properly low-key, church-set scene the place the actor performs alongside his real-life spouse (Sam Sorbo, excellent), each taking part in characters who misplaced their spouses within the rapture. His display presence right here has a naturalistic sweetness that feels at shocking odds with the snarky meanness of Sorbo’s social media persona as God’s Indignant Man.

A lot of the movie is spent implicitly or explicitly portray the federal government’s and information media’s pandemic-era insurance policies or reporting as hoaxes, establishing public concern or gullibility that supplied a pleasant setup for Devil to essentially do his factor in end-times to return. (On this universe, there’s not even a Newsmax or an OAN left behind to query, not to mention personal, the libs.)

When the principal antagonist, within the type of Romanian big-wig Nicolae Carpathia (Bailey Chase), lastly reveals up for what quantities to solely about 10 minutes of display time, we all know he’s the Antichrist as a result of a thrilled tv reporter tells viewers he’s getting probably the most enthusiastic greeting of anybody since Obama. (Boo, hiss.) Truly, Carpathia doesn’t seem to have any of the charisma anticipated of a man who’s going to seduce the world; he resembles a way more hard-assed Ron DeSantis, crossed with a Bond villain.   

One of the apparent issues with how skinny “Rise of the Antichrist” is on any sort of film rapturousness is the way it denies audiences from spending very many minutes with the man within the title, and even secondary baddy Jonathan Stonogal (Neal McDonough, taking part in the chief of the world’s greatest social community, in a manufacturing filmed nicely earlier than such a determine turned a significant hero to conservatives). The assumption, in all probability, was that moviegoers’ everlasting souls will profit extra from hanging with its godlier characters. It’s all the time simpler to scare audiences with the sight of empty fits, in spite of everything, than to face the horrifying prospect of arising with a price range for the Battle of Armegeddon.