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Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist

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Watch Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist with a subscription on Prime Video, rent on Fandango at Home, Apple TV, or buy on Fandango at Home, Apple TV.

Audience Reviews

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Kevin Sorbo

Rayford Steele

Neal McDonough

Corbin Bernsen

Bailey Chase

Kathryn Kohut

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‘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

The latest installment in the rapture franchise provides efficient filmmaking at times, but doesn't offer much movie rapture on the way to an altar-call epilogue.

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

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If you see just one thriller this year in which a climactic car chase is followed by the director-star breaking character to deliver a five-minute sermon straight into the camera — followed by three more minutes of Mike Huckabee leading viewers in prayer to accept Jesus into their hearts, before the end credits roll — then make it “ Left Behind : Rise of the Antichrist,” the latest in a series of apocalyptic films based on the bestselling Christian book series.

Popular on Variety

In this sequel, we’re told the world is quickly going to hell, following the disappearance of all the world’s true Christians, although there’s not much filmic evidence of that beyond the sight of trash bags adrift in the streets on the rare occasions the Canadian shoot ventures outdoors. The chaos is established via CNN-style newscasts conducted by the film’s other leading man, chiseled, cocky TV anchor Cameron “Buck” Williams (Greg Perrow), who, having been established as the one principled newsman alive, starts looking into the nefarious forces trying to seduce and subject the United Nations and entire globe.

In real life, Sorbo is a polarizing enough personality that there could be a few non-evangelicals sneaking into showings for the purpose of a hate-watching. (The actor is so dedicated to right-wing trolling that, on release weekend, he made yet another sneering joke about the hammer attack on Paul Pelosi.) But anyone showing up in search of unintended laughs, because of his participation or because they have fond memories of snickering at no-budget Christ-sploitation movies like 1972’s “A Thief in the Night” at church camp, may be disappointed to find that “Rise of the Antichrist” rarely rises to pure camp.

It sports attractive lensing, dialogue that occasionally has a little snap to it, and even some decent directing of a few of the performances … including Sorbo’s own. That’s especially true in one nicely low-key, church-set scene where the actor performs alongside his real-life wife (Sam Sorbo, very good), both playing characters who lost their spouses in the rapture. His screen presence here has a naturalistic sweetness that feels at surprising odds with the snarky meanness of Sorbo’s social media persona as God’s Angry Man.

Much of the film is spent implicitly or explicitly painting the government’s and news media’s pandemic-era policies or reporting as hoaxes, establishing public fear or gullibility that provided a nice setup for Satan to really do his thing in end-times to come. (In this universe, there’s not even a Newsmax or an OAN left behind to question, let alone own, the libs.)

When the principal antagonist, in the form of Romanian big-wig Nicolae Carpathia (Bailey Chase), finally shows up for what amounts to only about 10 minutes of screen time, we know he’s the Antichrist because a thrilled television reporter tells viewers he’s getting the most enthusiastic greeting of anyone since Obama. (Boo, hiss.) Actually, Carpathia doesn’t appear to have any of the charisma expected of a guy who’s going to seduce the world; he resembles a much more hard-assed Ron DeSantis, crossed with a Bond villain.   

Reviewed at AMC Santa Anita, Santa Anita, Calif., Jan. 28, 2023. Running time: 128 MIN.

• Production: A 101 Films Int'l, Fathom Events presentation of an Amcomri Entertainment, Stonagal Pictures production. Producers: Paul Lalonde, Michael Walker, Jason Wan Lin, Ed Clydesdale, John Duffy, Kevin Sorbo, James Quattrochi. Executive producers: Paul McGowan, Larry Howard, Andy Lyon, Neal McDonough.
• Crew: Director: Kevin Sorbo. Screenplay: Paul Lalonde, John Patus, Jessica Parker. Editor: Chris Bragg. Music: Tyler Bragg.
• With: Kevin Sorbo, Neal McDonough, Bailey Chase, Corbin Bernsen, Greg Perrow, Sarah FIsher, Sam Sorbo, Charles Sndrew Payn, Stafford Perry.

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• DVD & Streaming

Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist

• Christian , Drama

Content Caution

In Theaters

• January 26, 2023
• Kevin Sorbo as Rayford Steele; Greg Perrow as Cameron “Buck” Williams; Charles Andrew Payne as Pastor Bruce Barnes; Neal McDonough as Jonathan Stonagal; Bailey Chase s Nicolae Carpathia; Corbin Bernsen as Steve Plank; Sam Sorbo as Amanda; Sarah Fisher as Chloe; Stafford Perry as Dirk; Braeden Sorbo as Connor

Home Release Date

• March 10, 2023
• Kevin Sorbo

Distributor

• Fathom Events

Movie Review

Thanos didn’t do it this time.

No, when millions of people simply vanished from the face of the Earth on one otherwise fine day, it wasn’t the result of an Infinity Stone-gloved snap . The experts would certainly scoff at that potential explanation. Why, that’s almost as silly (they would say) as believing the disappearances were because of the Rapture .

But if it’s not a Marvel movie and it’s not the biblical End Times, what is it? And could it happen again?

Intrepid reporter Buck Williams aims to get to the bottom of this global mystery. But he’s not getting much help. His boss wants him to stop asking so many questions already.

“The news? It’s no longer about the truth,” Buck gripes to his girlfriend, Chloe Steele. “It’s about the message. As if we’re afraid that [viewers] can’t handle the truth.”

Chloe and her grieving dad, Rayford, are focused on one terrible truth: Half of their family is gone now. Ray’s wife, Irene; and son, Raymie; vanished with all those millions of others. Again, the world has no explanations.

But here’s the thing: Irene told Ray that this very thing would happen. In fact, this very thing was prophesied literally 2,000 years ago. And while the experts say it wasn’t the Rapture, Ray suspects that maybe—just maybe —it was.

But if the vanishings were the Rapture, that means that other, darker forces are at work, too.

The world feels like it’s collapsing in the wake of the vanishings. Violent crime has risen exponentially. Suicides are up tenfold. Stepping into the chaos is Jonathan Stonagal—creator of Eden, the biggest social network in the world. He’s (ahem) generously offered to allow the world to use Eden as a new worldwide banking system—a conduit, he says, to ease financial panic and ensure the world’s citizens get what they need.

All he needs to make that happen is buy-in from two foot-dragging countries: Israel, which needs a Mideast peace treaty in order to sign on; and Romania.

But Romania’s charismatic leader, Nicolae Carpathia, wants some extra-special assurances from Stonagal before he climbs on board.

And those conditions will be a beast to meet.

Positive Elements

We offer a tip of the hat to Buck Williams, a popular cable news personality who returns to his investigative journalistic roots here. He’s unwilling to accept expert talking points on face value, and he’s determined to find out what’s really going on. When a second wave of vanishings allegedly strikes, Buck is immediately suspicious. And his investigations lead to some truly revelatory information. Buck risks both his career and life to bring those revelations to light.

He’s not alone. Buck is joined in his truth pursuit by Dirk, a conspiracy-minded hacker; and Connor, a born-again newbie at Buck’s cable network. All three are willing to go to significant lengths to expose the rotten roots behind Eden, and not all of them make it to the credits.

Speaking of credit, let’s also give some to Ray and Chloe and Bruce Barnes, a pastor of New Hope Church who was inexplicably (but not unexpectedly) left behind. All three had heard about the Rapture well before it happened. Pastor Barnes had even studied it thoroughly. ( Religiously , you might say.) All three—and millions of others—had rejected the truth lurking behind that Rapture, that Jesus is Lord and Savior.

We’ll get into the more explicitly spiritual journeys our protagonists find themselves on in the section below. But here, let’s just acknowledge that it takes courage to admit when you’re wrong.

And while must of the world continues to live in denial, these three, along with a few others we meet, understand that they rejected a truth that they should’ve not just accepted, but embraced and cherished. And by the movie’s end, they and others are determined to follow a new, harder path, and to bring as many other people as they can along with them.

Spiritual Elements

Obviously, Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist is explicitly Christian. It’s based on Tim LaHaye’s and Jerry Jenkins’ incredibly popular Left Behind book series, which itself was based on how many interpret the book of Revelation and other prophetic Scriptures. It’s not the only interpretation—but it likely represents the most popular understanding among many evangelical Christians today.

And certainly, most of the events we see here are intended to point straight back to Scripture. For example: When characters wonder about Eden’s role in biblical prophecy, Pastor Barnes points back to Revelation 13:16-17, which indicates that “no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name.” Another example: We hear 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 quoted, where the Apostle Paul talks how during the Rapture the dead will “rise first,” followed by the living. Punctuating that truth, one character digs up a grave of a departed loved one to confirm that, yes, Paul was right. We could point to many, many other instances, but that gives you a flavor.

While Rise of the Antichrist stresses that the bad times are just beginning—we haven’t even hit the hardcore tribulations yet—they’re ramping up. A narrator reminds us, “Jesus told us that the world would hate Christians” as the film shows a vandalized church. “All Souls Matter” is scrawled on its marquee. Inside, the accusation “God is dead” is scrawled on the walls in red paint, and a pig’s head with a crown of thorns hangs on the cross.

“Why do people who don’t even believe in God suddenly hate Him so much?” The narrator speculates. “Because they have nobody else to blame it on.”

But some moments of spiritual beauty take place in the midst of that destruction and persecution. A pastor offers hope and encouragement via video, even though he himself was Raptured. “Whatever you have to face on Earth,” the pastor says, “It’s not too late. You can still spend eternity in heaven.” Several people commit to Christ during the course of the movie, most reciting a version of the Sinner’s Prayer. Pastor Barnes admits, “I may have given up on God, but I’m humbled to know that God hadn’t given up on me.”

We hear other Bible verses read and see well-used Bibles on screen. Some characters, pre-conversion, refer to the Bible as “that stupid book” and its adherents to “religious wackos.” Chloe tells her father, “I’m really not in the mood for church,” and hangs up on him; but a kindly woman manipulates circumstances to bring Chloe to church anyway. A Jewish man talks about his own faith while wearing a kippah, and we hear a few references to the Dome of the Rock, the Islamic holy site sitting where Solomon’s Temple once was. We learn that Solomon’s Temple was originally built right next door—and there are plans (in the film) to build a massive temple on the real original site.

Sexual Content

In the books, former pilot Rayford Steele admits that he had a “roving eye” before the Rapture, and we meet the flight attendant upon whom his eye landed.

Hattie visits Ray unexpectedly at his home, wearing a work outfit that reveals her back and a good deal of leg. She wraps her arms around Ray’s neck suggestively, but Ray extracts himself. “What almost happened between us, it doesn’t matter now,” he tells her. “I’ve accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, and you cannot find the truth without Him.”

Chloe and Buck are also dating, but the most physical affection we see between the two of them is an occasional hug or touch.

Violent Content

A man dies in an explosion. Three people are murdered—shot to death. (Guns are fired elsewhere, too.) We hear that one of Buck’s coworkers supposedly committed suicide (though the movie insinuates that that’s likely not true).

Someone is attacked by a knife-toting mugger. The would-be thief knocks the victim down and cuts her arm, and we see a bit of blood. (Later, the victim is told that the cut doesn’t even require stitches—just a bit of antibiotic. We see the wound a bit more as it’s treated.) She sprays the mugger’s face with mace, and he eventually runs off.

We learn that Pastor Barnes was also attacked by the same folks who vandalized his church. He’s lying down in a pew when Ray finds him—not, apparently, knocked out, but nursing a bruised jaw.

We see news clips indicating the world’s chaos and violence—though the most actual violence we see seems to be sequestered to scenes of fires burning in the street and riot police brandishing batons and whatnot. Buck also confronts his boss over horrific footage of people jumping to their deaths being used on his show. We, however, do not see that footage.

We do see the feet of an otherwise unseen character inching to what appears to be a building ledge as the narrator tells us about a drastic rise in suicides. On a news program, we learn that murders have risen by 300%, and suicides are up by 1,000%. (It’s being called a “pandemic of evil.”)

The finale of the film includes a high-speed car chase.

Crude or Profane Language

We hear two uses of the word “h—.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

Stonagal and Nicolae Carpathia sip what seems to be whiskey as they discuss their conspiracy to, essentially, take over the world’s entire financial system.

Other Negative Elements

Rise of the Antichrist has been updated, obviously, from the original books (written in an age before social media was a thing). We hear plenty of references to more modern events, especially COVID (both overt and more subtle nods). And while those more political allusions are not necessarily “negative,” depending on your point of view, they’re certainly pervasive.

When a handful of characters ask Pastor Barnes who or what they can trust in this age of misinformation, Barnes tells them this:

“Trust God. Trust Jesus. Trust the Bible. And for literally anyone else, take what they’re saying to you and weigh it against the word. And then you pray, pray, pray. For God’s help, not to be led astray.”

It’s in moments like these when Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist , is at its strongest—when it leans into the ultimate truth of the movie, and the greatest truth of all. It’s at its best when the characters are on their knees, just like the rest of us should always be.

Rise of the Antichrist has some other strong moments in it, as well. The writing can feel crisp and even funny; it clips along at a reasonably good pace, as a thriller should. And it comes with some pretty decent acting, too. (Neal McDonough, who plays Stonagal, is always a riveting presence on screen, be it in secular or spiritual movies.)

But it’s still a bit uneven. For me, the movie’s socio-political allusions slowed down the pace and felt not just unnecessary, but distracting. And fans of the book—presumably the primary audience for Rise of the Antichrist —may find the movie’s departures from LaHaye’s and Jenkins’ work distracting.

I’d like to see this series continue. The Left Behind books were such a phenomenon back in the day. And because they were written as apocalyptic adventure thrillers, the source content lends itself to cinema. Rise of the Antichrist feels like a modest step up from the Left Behind movies that came before—but I think that future iterations can be better yet.

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

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3 Things You Should Know about 'Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist'

• Michael Foust CrosswalkHeadlines Contributor
• Updated Feb 06, 2023

Buck Williams is an experienced television journalist who is searching for the truth in a world full of fear and lies.

Six months ago, millions of people – representatives of every country on the planet – disappeared, instantly, without a trace.

It was, Williams tells viewers, the “single most catastrophic event in all of human history.” Unfortunately, though, there are “still more questions than answers.”

Some people believe aliens caused it. Others posit that the government is behind the disappearances. Still, others believe that a new technology is to blame.

A few people even theorize that the vanishings were predicted thousands of years ago in an ancient book, the Bible

Who is right? And will Williams ever uncover the truth?

The new film Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist follows the story of Williams and others as they try to survive in a world that is quickly unraveling.

Here are three things you should know about the movie:

Photo courtesy: ©Fathom Events, used with permission

1. It’s a Sequel to the 2014 Film

Rise of the Antichrist is a sequel to the 2014 film Left Behind , both of which are based on the bestselling novels by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins and which imagine what the world will be like in the days surrounding the return of Jesus and the Rapture . The novels and films are based on what theologians call a pretribulation, premillennial interpretation of the Bible’s passages about the Last Days. (Other categories of interpretation include amillennialism and postmillennialism, both of which differ dramatically from the Left Behind plot.)

The first half of the film follows a skeptical Buck Williams as he investigates various theories about The Vanishing – some say the people who disappeared were “different” – and interviews so-called experts on his network. Williams’ view on the End Times changes as he watches a powerful businessman, Jonathan Stonogal, promote a one-world currency and a powerful politician, Romania’s Nicolae Carpathia, promote a one-world government. (One of those characters becomes the Antichrist.) Those events align with what Barnes has said will happen.

Photo courtesy: ©Fathom Events, used with permission.

2. It Features Well-Known Talent

You’ll likely recognize some of the faces in Rise of the Antichrist . Kevin Sorbo ( God’s Not Dead ), the film’s director, portrays Steele, while Neal McDonough ( Captain America, Band of Brothers ) plays Stonogal. The film also stars Emmy-nominee Corbin Bernsen ( Major League series), Sam Sorbo ( Let There Be Light ), Greg Perrow ( Actor for Hire ) and Charles Andrew Payne ( The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants ).

Faith-based films often receive criticism for their poor acting, yet the cast in Rise of the Antichrist  is solid and believable. Perrow, who has the appearance of a TV host, is a perfect fit for the role.

Rise of the Antichrist features a different set of actors and actresses than that of 2014’s Left Behind , which had   Nicholas Cage portraying Steele and Chad Michael Murray playing Williams. (If you’re curious, the new films are a sort of “reboot” of the 2000-era Left Behind films starring Kirk Cameron.)

3. It’s Part-Detective, Part-Apologetics, Part-Sermon

You don’t have to be a fan of the Left Behind series to enjoy Rise of the Antichrist.  That’s because much of the film is similar to a science fiction detective film as it follows a television reporter on his quest for the truth.

It’s one-third a thriller film, one-third an apologetics lesson, and one-third a sermon. It includes the “come to the altar” moments that some moviegoers hate, but it also includes a few lessons in pretribulation, premillennial apologetics, seemingly aimed at critics within the Christian community who say there’s little biblical support for this view of the End Times. (Asked by Chloe Steele to reveal biblical evidence for the Rapture, Barnes turns to 1 Thessalonians 4 and then reads it. Barnes also shows Steele and others his “End Times” charts.)

Rise of the Antichrist  is the best Left Behind movie yet, even if it does include one or two moments of “cheese” that briefly distract from the plot.

Fans of the Left Behind story will enjoy it the most. But for those who never read the books – like me – it includes enough gripping drama to make it interesting.

Rise of the Antichrist is unrated but likely would be PG-13 due to violence (we see people shot and killed at point-blank range) and thematic elements of fright and peril. It also includes brief coarse language (h-ll, 2).

Entertainment rating : 3 out of 5 stars.

Family-friendly rating : 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press ,  Christianity Today ,  The Christian Post , the   Leaf-Chronicle , the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

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Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist Review

Our summary, our full review.

Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist is the extremely anticipated sequal to the 2014 Left Behind movie and is losely based on the Left Behind series of books. But does it live up to the hype?

The film is set after the rapture and follows Rayford Steele (now played by Kevin Sorbo in this film, he also directed this film too) who is now taking the warnings his wife gave him seriously about the rapture and in his stuggles goes to the Church his wife attended, discovering that the pastor of the Church has been left behind too. Together they realise that the rapture has taken place and Rayford sets out studying the Bible and trying to convice his daughter of what has happened. At the same time we see Buck Williams reporting on the events and trying to discover and uncover motives behind the recent news at the UN.

First off a disclaimer, I am a big fan of the Left Behind series of books and this review is my opinion and I appricate that many people will have a very different view of this film.

This is the fifth Left Behind movie, the first three stared Kirk Cameron as Buck Williams and though low budget, the story followed the series of books quite well and Kirk was a convincing Buck Williams. In 2014 we had the Left Behind reboot staring Nicolas Cage as Rayford Steele, that film was dissapointing. Now we have a sequal to the 2014 film with a modernised storyline and Kevin Sorbo staring as Rayford. You don’t need to see the 2014 film, this film seems like another reboot.

Kevin Sorbo does is fantastic in his role of Rayford Steele and is quite convincing as the character as is Sarah Fisher as Chloe Steele. I am sorry though that Greg Parrow does not make a convincing Buck Williams for me.

The film however did dissapoint, it doesn’t really follow the storyline in the books, I would say it is based on the end of book one, so don’t get confused thinking this is set on book three. The film is very limited by budget and stays away from lots of special effects and CGI, and often feels dated. The updated storyline doesn’t always make sense. In terms of the modernised story, the Covid pandemic has been intentionally shoehorned in, and Eden pay doesn’t really make any sense as to why everyone is signing a peace deal, at least in the book the Eden formula was solving a problem. Also some of the technical speak and lines are not correct. In all honestly the film is let down by the script. If the Left Behind name wasn’t attached to this movie, you’d think it was a completely different rapture film and actually if that was the case, I probably would have rated this film higher. Any Left Behind film has to live up to the brillience of the books.

That said, Kevin Sorbo has directed this film well, alongside his acting as Rayford, he has really carried the film along and it is one of his scenes while watching Pastor Billings that really stands out and is the highlight of this film. If that scene brings even one person to Christ than the whole film has been worth it.

Overall and after all I have said, fans of Left Behind may have differing opinions of the film, but I think one thing we can all agree on is, Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist is a good film to introduce people to the end times, the rapture and the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

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LEFT BEHIND: RISE OF THE ANTICHRIST

"you make the decision".

What You Need To Know:

Miscellaneous Immorality: Nothing else objectionable.

More Detail:

The opening scenes of LEFT BEHIND: RISE OF THE ANTICHRIST display the fear, panic, chaos, and unnatural disasters that result from the sudden, mysterious disappearance of millions of people across the globe. American citizens are instructed to stay at home as shutdowns are needed to restore order from the chaos and told not to question the wisdom and instructions of the authorities in the recovery from this “pandemic of evil,” an intentional poke at COVID-19 protocols.

The movie follows two emergent storylines. First, network news anchor Buck Williams not only reports the resulting news stories but reignites his investigative skills to get to the bottom of this planetary disappearance and the motives behind the solutions emerging from world leaders. Meanwhile, from a more personal perspective of this tragic, mysterious event, now-grounded airline pilot Rayford Steele is at home with his daughter Chloe as they grieve the disappearances of Rayford’s wife and son. Compounding their emotions of loss is the reality that Rayford’s wife had informed them about the sudden disappearance event ahead of time, but they didn’t heed the warnings.

Buck reports various theories explaining the vanishings, namely UFO kidnappings on a mass scale; the nefarious use of STAR TREK style transporter technology to take people hostage; consideration of the remaining presence of many self-identifying Christians pointing to a planned hoax fulfilling biblical prophecy of “a delusion at the last times.” No matter the cause, Buck is fixated on the people planning to take advantage of the global crisis by organizing a one-world government and sole electronic currency to “face it together as one, united people.” They want to transform Earth’s future from a “tribal to a united human race.”

Meanwhile, Rayford repentantly takes the warnings his wife had shared through her knowledge of the Bible and seeks out a church pastor to explore the implications of the disappearances. Rayford finds that one of the pastors of his wife’s church had also disappeared, but one remained. Together, Rayford and the remaining pastor admit that they believe that they have witnessed “the Rapture,” an event sparsely suggested by the Apostle Paul in the Bible’s New Testament, and an event neither men believed in previously. Both men end up on their knees praying the sinners’ prayer and dedicating their lives to Jesus Christ. Buck Williams will eventually do the same through their influence, then participate with them in an airlift of tracts over a major city inviting others to do the same.

Is there any movie adaptation of one particular book that has had three different productions, one in each of three consecutive decades, other than LEFT BEHIND? LEFT BEHIND: RISE OF THE ANTICHRIST is this decade’s contribution to bringing to the big screen of what this 2023 movie’s poster proclaims as “based on a true story. . . that hasn’t happened. . . yet.” When considering that actors as well-known as Kirk Cameron and Nicolas Cage played the lead role of airline pilot Rayford Steele in the 2000 and 2014 entries respectively, a few of the targeted viewers may recall those movie experiences. Kevin Sorbo’s lead-actor contribution to this present decade’s entry will accomplish a similar effect, bolstered by the animated performance of actor Greg Perrow in the other lead role, that of news reporter Buck Williams. Convincing acting, great camera work and fittingly dark indoor sets provide the right feel for this dark time for the world. The script is very wordy, however, and the storyline is heavily dialog-driven, yet purposefully so as it gives thorough voice to the hearts and minds of the characters. One example is the numerous times characters offer their prior and/or present reasons that they haven’t made a commitment to the Lord. These turn into conversations that explore pros and cons that can give skeptical viewers food for thought.

LEFT BEHIND: RISE OF THE ANTICHRIST has a strong pre-millennial worldview. Scripture is quoted, people pray and matters of faith, as well as doubt, are respectfully discussed. An opposing, pagan worldview is portrayed, espousing a power-hungry, whatever-it-takes attitude toward work (at the news network boss’ office or with the social media company’s head) and government (at the one-world start-up meetings). Older viewers may appreciate the dialogue more than younger ones.

MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for younger children, particularly for a cold-blooded murder and a bomb that kills a character. Also, some will debate the theological issues involved.

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Kevin sorbo says new film 'left behind: rise of the antichrist' is timely amid chaos worldwide.

Christian actor Kevin Sorbo has reflected on the timeliness of his new film, "Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist," and shared why he believes Jesus’ return might be looming. 

Next month, the “Hercules” star will appear alongside Neal McDonough, Corbin Bernsen, Greg Perrow, Sarah Fisher and Sam Sorbo for the latest installment in the “Left Behind” series, based on the bestselling books by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins.

In the film, which will hit theaters nationwide for a limited run beginning on Jan. 26, Sorbo stars as Rayford Steele, a role previously held by Nicolas Cage, who starred in the original 2014 film. 

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“After millions of people vanish and the world falls into chaos, the only light is a charismatic leader who rises to become head of the U.N. But does he bring hope for a better future? Or is it the end of the world?” reads the film synopsis.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Sorbo revealed he was initially approached about making the film seven years ago, but the plot feels more timely today due to the unrest and chaos seen across the world.

"And I look at it and I'm like, maybe this is a blessing," Sorbo said. "Because you look at the chaotic world we're living in right now. It's almost biblical. It's almost got a Revelation theme going to it in a way. So I found it interesting that it did end up where it's at right now. And I don't know, maybe this was meant to happen and come out now, but it just seems like the time is right."

Though he doesn’t want to predict the date of Jesus’ return — as the Bible warns against attempting to predict because only God knows the time and date ( Matthew 24:35-37 ) — Sorbo said it seems like the world is ripe for such an event to take place.

“Reading Revelation and looking at what that book says, and reading the Left Behind books, which I read many, many years ago, it just seems like wow, this is like a perfect set-up to what's happening right now in the world with all the chaos, the anger, the hatred, the divisiveness. And I said, if there's ever a time for Jesus to come back, it seems like the right time to do it,” he said. 

Sorbo said he believes there’s a “need for more” faith-based films like “Left Behind,” adding: "I think more and more people want to see movies with a positive message, not all the negative, angry hatred messages that Hollywood keeps putting out in their movies and TV shows."

"Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist” is directed by Sorbo and written by Paul Lalonde, John Patus and Jessica Parker. Paul Lalonde, the film’s producer and co-writer, said in a statement shared with The Christian Post that the film is based on a “true story” that “just hasn’t happened yet.”

“The current political, social and global climate is creating a perfect storm for an even greater revival of interest in what the Bible says about it all,” said Lalonde. “Nothing you see on the news is surprising if you have the roadmap in your hand.” 

Lalonde said the film will bring “Bible prophecies to life so that audiences can understand the big picture in a more tangible way.”

The Left Behind books, written throughout the '90s and 2000s, sold 72 million copies worldwide.

Jenkins, whose son, Dallas Jenkins, created “The Chosen,” recently told CP he believes the world is experiencing some of the scenes fleshed out in his bestselling books.

"We're getting pretty close to the end. I think we have more reason to believe that now than we ever have,” Jenkins said. “It seems like something is coming. You just wonder how long God can carry us as sinful and restless as the world is.” 

"On the other hand, God has a different economy of time than we do. He wrote in the Bible 2,000 years ago that the end was soon or imminent, and that we should watch and wait. We've been doing that all these years,” he continued. “The Bible also says that to God, 1,000 years is as a day and a day is as 1,000 years. So if He waits one more day, in His mercy, that would be 1,000 of our years. Yet I don't think there's any more prophecy that needs to be fulfilled before the end, so it could be today as well.”

The 71-year-old novelist said that Christians are called to share the Gospel with a watching world, no matter how intimidating or discouraging. 

"I think it's obvious that we need to be at the task of being sure that the fewest people possible are left behind,” Jenkins said. “That means sharing our faith and being bold and not holding back. Sometimes we're so afraid to offend somebody, we could offend them right into Hell. I think we need to just be overt, and it's on them what they do.”

Watch the trailer for "Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist" below.

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LEFT BEHIND: RISE OF THE ANTICHRIST (PG-13, 120 min.)

Director: Kevin Sorbo

Writers: Paul Lalonde, Jessica Parker, John Patus

Stars: Kevin Sorbo, Neal McDonough, Corbin Bernsen

Six months after millions of people disappeared in the Rapture, the world is just beginning to recover. When a so-called expert claims that a second wave of vanishings is imminent, news anchor Cameron Buck sets out to disprove her theory. On a parallel journey, Ray tries to convince his daughter that his wife’s disappearance was, in fact, the rapture. In a world where Biblical truth is censored and vilified, he’s desperate for answers. As their paths begin to converge, Buck soon realized that the story is much bigger than he could have imagined. They are indeed living in the end times prophesied in the Bible and facing the rise to power of the evilest and most dangerous human being in history…The Antichrist.

Extra Material:

• Behind the Left Behind
• Kevin & Sam

Product Description

In the wake of the sudden disappearance of millions of people around the world, the prophesied "Great Tribulation" has begun. A charming new leader rises to the head of the UN, but does he bring hope for a better future? Or is it the end of the world? As the Antichrist spreads his web of lies, everyone must choose a side, as the stakes have never been higher

• FORMAT: DVD
• GENRE: Faith & Spirituality
• RATING: TV-PG
• RUNTIME: 110 minutes
• LANGUAGE: English
• DISC COUNT: 1

NOTABLE TALENT:

Kevin Sorbo, known for Hercules (TV Series), The Potwins (TV Series), and Knight’s End (TV Series)

Neal McDonough, known for 9-1-1:Lone Star (TV Series), The Flash (TV Series), and Yellowstone (TV Series)

Corbin Bernsen, known for Major League, City On A Hill (TV Series), and LA Law (TV Series)

Sarah Fisher, know for Degrassi: Next Gen (TV Series), The Potwins (TV Series), and Heartland (TV Series)

LEFT BEHIND RISE OF THE ANTICHRIST

Product details.

• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Package Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.52 x 5.39 x 0.67 inches; 2.72 ounces
• Director ‏ : ‎ Kevin Sorbo
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ NTSC, Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 50 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ March 21, 2023
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Neal McDonough, Kevin Sorbo, Corbin Bernsen, Sarah Fisher, Greg Perrow
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Amcomri
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BQP3VZTD
• Country of Origin ‏ : ‎ USA
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• #1 in Faith & Spirituality (Movies & TV)
• #148 in Action & Adventure DVDs
• #212 in Drama DVDs

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Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist (2023)

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Kevin Sorbo: ‘Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist Depicts Current Day Reality’

Read Time: 1 minute 30 seconds

Do you ever wonder what the world will look like after the rapture? Will people believe that Jesus came back for His bride or will they think it was some alien abduction? “Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist” is coming to theatres across America to depict what a current-day rapture would look like.

“I love the tagline…it’s a true story that just hasn’t happened yet,” actor and director Kevin Sorbo says in our exclusive interview.

The previous “Left Behind” movie came out eight years ago and starred Nicholas Cage. In the sequel, which comes out on Jan. 26, 2023, the movie ties in with the very real and imminent struggles facing our world today.

“I think it’s perfect for the time we are living in right now. You see the craziness of what governments are doing around the world right now. The fear, the pandemic, the anger, the hate, the cancel-culture and wokeness,” Sorbo says. Jokingly he says, “if the rapture hasn’t already happened it feels like it’s on the way.”

Sorbo’s character goes on a soul search throughout the film trying to understand what is going on. His wife and son were both right with God and they were taken up. “You’ve got people who’ve denied that it happened, they say maybe it was aliens that took millions of people away,” he says.

There will always be people who deny God, what He’s doing, and when He returns. Sorbo and the cast are praying that when people go and see the movie it will open their hearts to the truth lying behind the fictional storylines.

“We’re trying to fight back and gain the culture of America back because Hollywood is controlling the culture right now and it’s not good. The anger and divisiveness they put out there are on purpose and we’ve got a battle on our hands,” he says.

Spread the word with your family and friends that the movie is coming out and head out to one of the 1,500 theatres it will be airing in on Jan. 26. For more information you can go to www.LeftBehindMovie.com {eoa}

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The Nicolas Cage Movie With A Depressing Rotten Tomatoes Score Of 0%

T o understand "Left Behind," one must understand a version of Christianity not widely practiced by many people outside certain pockets of the United States. In some American Evangelical churches, they preach of the coming Rapture, when all of the Christians on Earth -- including the dead ones -- will be bodily scooped up by God and transported into Heaven. The idea of a Rapture is taken from an interpretation from the Book of Thessalonians which didn't enter into the Christian lexicon until about the 1830s, making it a very recent development. When Evangelical churches began to become popular in the United States in the 1950s, a stripe of fundamentalist theology began embracing the Rapture as a prophecy that was almost immediately nigh. 

On December 31, 1995, Baptist minister Jim LaHaye and author Jerry B. Jenkins published the Rapture-themed book "Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days" to much ballyhoo. "Left Behind" envisioned the Rapture on a practical level, picturing what it would look like back on Earth after all the good Christians were scooped up and taken away. The book follows several characters looking on in horror as the world falls apart for all the people unworthy of ascension. Intended for a Christian audience, one can't help that "Left Behind" wasn't written as an expression of smugness; let us look on in pity at the poor dopes who weren't Christian enough to get into Heaven. 

"Left Behind" spawned 15 sequels, 40 YA novellas, six movies, a comic book, and a video game. It remains a cornerstone in Christian media.

In 2014, perhaps bafflingly, actor Nicolas Cage appeared in the first theatrical version of "Left Behind," playing a pilot named Rayford Steele. As of this writing, it has a 0% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 70 reviews . 

Read more: The 15 Best Comedy Duos Of All Time

South Of Heaven, Left Behind

Both Christian and mainstream audiences already knew about "Left Behind" by 2014, as there had already been three direct-to-video "Left Behind" movies starring Kirk Cameron . The first "Left Behind" movie came in 2000, two years before Cameron co-founded the ultra-Evangelical ministry The Way of the Master with Ray Comfort and Todd Friel. To a lot of mainstream audiences, the three Cameron films -- "Left Behind: The Movie" (2000), "Left Behind II: Tribulation Force" (2002), and "Left Behind: World at War" (2005) -- were something of a joke, a limp attempt to make the old-world squareness and closed-minded dogma of 1950s Evangelical churches seem as cool as a post-apocalyptic thriller. 

The 2014 film, made for a budget of $16 million, featured Cage, but also notable stars Lea Thompson, Chad Michael Murray from "One Tree Hill," and "American Idol" competitor Jordin Sparks. One might also spot Quinton Aaron from "The Blind Side" and Martin Klebba from, well, all your favorite action and fantasy movies. 

The Rapture has specific rules in the "Left Behind" movies. Christians are bodily transported into Heaven, leaving behind their clothes and all inorganic materials. Those Raptured while driving will leave their cars to crash into the closest wall. The Rapture is likely where authors of Marvel Comics got the idea for Thanos' "snap" from "Avengers: Infinity War." Those left behind are all guilty of minor non-Christian infractions such as divorce, haughtiness, or merely arguing the case for atheism. Even preachers are left behind, as one of them confesses he doesn't believe what he preached. 

Once the Rapture occurs, however, there is little room for theology, as the remainder of the film becomes something of a plane disaster thriller.

Evangelical Pity Party

Rayford Steele finds that his co-pilots have been Raptured, as have many pilots, causing numerous air collisions and crashes. Rayford has to find a way to land his plane safely with his co-pilot missing, and will have to reach out to his daughter Chloe (Cassi Thompson) who is on the ground in New York. She'll end up clearing a makeshift runway for her father on a road that's still under construction. The plane crash sequence from "Left Behind" is straight out of an Irwin Allen-produced disaster movie from the 1970s. 

The theology of "Left Behind" is dodgy enough to begin with, and its intentions are impure. It seeks to shame nonbelievers into converting by showing the Hell of Earth that will be wrought should they be left behind in the Rapture. It also seeks to indulge the little self-satisfaction from Christian viewers who assume they will be Raptured, allowing them to cast their vain pity on all those pesky non-Christians destined for punishment. 

More than anything, though, "Left Behind" is cheap . One might assume that the bulk of the $16 million budget went to Cage, the film's biggest star, leaving nothing for decent cameras, good editing, or interesting visual effects. "Left Behind" is ugly, sluggish, and dramatically doltish. Like a stone with a Bible verse written on it, "Left Behind" thuds into people's laps. 

Cage said in 2014 interviews that he was interested in "Left Behind" because his brother, Marc Coppola, was a Christian Pastor and he was interested in exploring his brother's faith. Cage was raised Catholic, although it is unclear if he still practices. One might say that his religion is acting.

"Left Behind" was followed by the 2023 sequel "Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist" starring and directed by Kevin Sorbo. 

Read the original article on SlashFilm

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‘Civil War’ Review: We Have Met the Enemy and It Is Us. Again.

In Alex Garland’s tough new movie, a group of journalists led by Kirsten Dunst, as a photographer, travels a United States at war with itself.

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‘Civil War’ | Anatomy of a Scene

The writer and director alex garland narrates a sequence from his film..

“My name is Alex Garland and I’m the writer director of ‘Civil War’. So this particular clip is roughly around the halfway point of the movie and it’s these four journalists and they’re trying to get, in a very circuitous route, from New York to DC, and encountering various obstacles on the way. And this is one of those obstacles. What they find themselves stuck in is a battle between two snipers. And they are close to one of the snipers and the other sniper is somewhere unseen, but presumably in a large house that sits over a field and a hill. It’s a surrealist exchange and it’s surrounded by some very surrealist imagery, which is they’re, in broad daylight in broad sunshine, there’s no indication that we’re anywhere near winter in the filming. In fact, you can kind of tell it’s summer. But they’re surrounded by Christmas decorations. And in some ways, the Christmas decorations speak of a country, which is in disrepair, however silly it sounds. If you haven’t put away your Christmas decorations, clearly something isn’t going right.” “What’s going on?” “Someone in that house, they’re stuck. We’re stuck.” “And there’s a bit of imagery. It felt like it hit the right note. But the interesting thing about that imagery was that it was not production designed. We didn’t create it. We actually literally found it. We were driving along and we saw all of these Christmas decorations, basically exactly as they are in the film. They were about 100 yards away, just piled up by the side of the road. And it turned out, it was a guy who’d put on a winter wonderland festival. People had not dug his winter wonderland festival, and he’d gone bankrupt. And he had decided just to leave everything just strewn around on a farmer’s field, who was then absolutely furious. So in a way, there’s a loose parallel, which is the same implication that exists within the film exists within real life.” “You don’t understand a word I say. Yo. What’s over there in that house?” “Someone shooting.” “It’s to do with the fact that when things get extreme, the reasons why things got extreme no longer become relevant and the knife edge of the problem is all that really remains relevant. So it doesn’t actually matter, as it were, in this context, what side they’re fighting for or what the other person’s fighting for. It’s just reduced to a survival.”

By Manohla Dargis

A blunt, gut-twisting work of speculative fiction, “Civil War” opens with the United States at war with itself — literally, not just rhetorically. In Washington, D.C., the president is holed up in the White House; in a spookily depopulated New York, desperate people wait for water rations. It’s the near-future, and rooftop snipers, suicide bombers and wild-eyed randos are in the fight while an opposition faction with a two-star flag called the Western Forces, comprising Texas and California — as I said, this is speculative fiction — is leading the charge against what remains of the federal government. If you’re feeling triggered, you aren’t alone.

It’s mourning again in America, and it’s mesmerizingly, horribly gripping. Filled with bullets, consuming fires and terrific actors like Kirsten Dunst running for cover, the movie is a what-if nightmare stoked by memories of Jan. 6. As in what if the visions of some rioters had been realized, what if the nation was again broken by Civil War, what if the democratic experiment called America had come undone? If that sounds harrowing, you’re right. It’s one thing when a movie taps into childish fears with monsters under the bed; you’re eager to see what happens because you know how it will end (until the sequel). Adult fears are another matter.

In “Civil War,” the British filmmaker Alex Garland explores the unbearable if not the unthinkable, something he likes to do. A pop cultural savant, he made a splashy zeitgeist-ready debut with his 1996 best seller “The Beach,” a novel about a paradise that proves deadly, an evergreen metaphor for life and the basis for a silly film . That things in the world are not what they seem, and are often far worse, is a theme that Garland has continued pursuing in other dark fantasies, first as a screenwriter (“ 28 Days Later ”), and then as a writer-director (“ Ex Machina ”). His résumé is populated with zombies, clones and aliens, though reliably it is his outwardly ordinary characters you need to keep a closer watch on.

By the time “Civil War” opens, the fight has been raging for an undisclosed period yet long enough to have hollowed out cities and people’s faces alike. It’s unclear as to why the war started or who fired the first shot. Garland does scatter some hints; in one ugly scene, a militia type played by a jolting, scarily effective Jesse Plemons asks captives “what kind of American” they are. Yet whatever divisions preceded the conflict are left to your imagination, at least partly because Garland assumes you’ve been paying attention to recent events. Instead, he presents an outwardly and largely post-ideological landscape in which debates over policies, politics and American exceptionalism have been rendered moot by war.

‘Civil War’ Is Designed to Disturb You

One thing that remains familiar amid these ruins is the movie’s old-fashioned faith in journalism. Dunst, who’s sensational, plays Lee, a war photographer who works for Reuters alongside her friend, a reporter, Joel (the charismatic Wagner Moura). They’re in New York when you meet them, milling through a crowd anxiously waiting for water rations next to a protected tanker. It’s a fraught scene; the restless crowd is edging into mob panic, and Lee, camera in hand, is on high alert. As Garland’s own camera and Joel skitter about, Lee carves a path through the chaos, as if she knows exactly where she needs to be — and then a bomb goes off. By the time it does, an aspiring photojournalist, Jessie (Cailee Spaeny), is also in the mix.

The streamlined, insistently intimate story takes shape once Lee, Joel, Jessie and a veteran reporter, Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), pile into a van and head to Washington. Joel and Lee are hoping to interview the president (Nick Offerman), and Sammy and Jessie are riding along largely so that Garland can make the trip more interesting. Sammy serves as a stabilizing force (Henderson fills the van with humanizing warmth), while Jessie plays the eager upstart Lee takes under her resentful wing. It’s a tidily balanced sampling that the actors, with Garland’s banter and via some cozy downtime, turn into flesh-and-blood personalities, people whose vulnerability feeds the escalating tension with each mile.

As the miles and hours pass, Garland adds diversions and hurdles, including a pair of playful colleagues, Tony and Bohai (Nelson Lee and Evan Lai), and some spooky dudes guarding a gas station. Garland shrewdly exploits the tense emptiness of the land, turning strangers into potential threats and pretty country roads into ominously ambiguous byways. Smartly, he also recurrently focuses on Lee’s face, a heartbreakingly hard mask that Dunst lets slip brilliantly. As the journey continues, Garland further sketches in the bigger picture — the dollar is near-worthless, the F.B.I. is gone — but for the most part, he focuses on his travelers and the engulfing violence, the smoke and the tracer fire that they often don’t notice until they do.

Despite some much-needed lulls (for you, for the narrative rhythm), “Civil War” is unremittingly brutal or at least it feels that way. Many contemporary thrillers are far more overtly gruesome than this one, partly because violence is one way unimaginative directors can put a distinctive spin on otherwise interchangeable material: Cue the artful fountains of arterial spray. Part of what makes the carnage here feel incessant and palpably realistic is that Garland, whose visual approach is generally unfussy, doesn’t embellish the violence, turning it into an ornament of his virtuosity. Instead, the violence is direct, at times shockingly casual and unsettling, so much so that its unpleasantness almost comes as a surprise.

If the violence feels more intense than in a typical genre shoot ’em up, it’s also because, I think, with “Civil War,” Garland has made the movie that’s long been workshopped in American political discourse and in mass culture, and which entered wider circulation on Jan. 6. The raw power of Garland’s vision unquestionably owes much to the vivid scenes that beamed across the world that day when rioters, some wearing T-shirts emblazoned with “ MAGA civil war ,” swarmed the Capitol. Even so, watching this movie, I also flashed on other times in which Americans have relitigated the Civil War directly and not, on the screen and in the streets.

Movies have played a role in that relitigation for more than a century, at times grotesquely. Two of the most famous films in history — D.W. Griffith’s 1915 racist epic “The Birth of a Nation” (which became a Ku Klux Klan recruitment tool) and the romantic 1939 melodrama “Gone With the Wind” — are monuments to white supremacy and the myth of the Southern Lost Cause. Both were critical and popular hits. In the decades since, filmmakers have returned to the Civil War era to tell other stories in films like “Glory,” “Lincoln” and “Django Unchained” that in addressing the American past inevitably engage with its present.

There are no lofty or reassuring speeches in “Civil War,” and the movie doesn’t speak to the better angels of our nature the way so many films try to. Hollywood’s longstanding, deeply American imperative for happy endings maintains an iron grip on movies, even in ostensibly independent productions. There’s no such possibility for that in “Civil War.” The very premise of Garland’s movie means that — no matter what happens when or if Lee and the rest reach Washington — a happy ending is impossible, which makes this very tough going. Rarely have I seen a movie that made me so acutely uncomfortable or watched an actor’s face that, like Dunst’s, expressed a nation’s soul-sickness so vividly that it felt like an X-ray.

Civil War Rated R for war violence and mass death. Running time: 1 hour 49 minutes. In theaters.

An earlier version of this review misidentified an organization in the Civil War in the movie. It is the Western Forces, not the Western Front.

How we handle corrections

Manohla Dargis is the chief film critic for The Times. More about Manohla Dargis

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