Light of the World

Rated PG • Theaters

Can you tell the story of Jesus too many times? Not if you tell it right. While no dramatization of the life of Jesus can hold a candle to the Biblical record, the new animated film Light of the World delivers a beautifully crafted and largely faithful account of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

The film storifies the impressions of teenage John (voiced by Benjamin Jacobson), who’s trying to sort through conflicting reports about the Messiah’s identity and purpose, long before he wrote his eponymous Gospel. One upside to this angle is that the film’s wide theatrical release will surely draw some teen viewers who likewise have heard different information about Jesus from the people around them. As the film shows, even Jesus’ own disciples experienced doubts, difficulty understanding His message, and dismay at Calvary. (Spoiler alert: Jesus rises from the dead.)

Warm 2D animation and Alex McKenzie’s vibrant score lift Jesus’ miracles, teachings, and interactions, and the film stays mostly true to Biblical doctrine and history. (See if you can catch the shot of Pontius Pilate holding a Greek scroll of John 1:1.) An unsatisfying storytelling choice to me, though, was the film skipping from the tomb to the Sea of Galilee gathering, bypassing eight-plus days’ worth of post-resurrection encounters and wonderment. Visual depictions of God and dramatic deviations from the Scriptural record will disappoint some viewers, too. Still, the film gets Jesus’ mission right, as He explains it to His youngest disciple.

“I didn’t come just to fix a broken world, John. I came to fix your broken relationship with God.”

The film ends with a six-line prayerful “Salvation Poem” that serves as an invitation to viewers to put their faith in Jesus.

Families will enjoy watching the film together, but they should make sure to have an après-popcorn discussion of the film’s material around an open Bible.