-Written by Kyle Bain.
When the Archangel Raphael (Valentina Garcia) receives a prayer, she takes human form and begins to follow non-believer Damon Fisher (Ben Marten). Together they look to (with some pushback on his part) bring down the hierarchy of a small, failing town–providing peace and stability. For Prophet follows this unlikely duo on their journey toward grace, success, and redemption.
You all know by now that religious films tend not to be my forte, as they often feel judgemental and aggressive. Every now and again, however, I come across a religious film that takes a different approach and manages to make a splash (at least as far as I’m concerned). For Prophet fits that description, effectively telling a compelling story while still allowing the film’s purpose: evangelism.
What initially hit me as odd was the fact that Archangel Raphael is played by a woman. I have discussions about such castings often, and I exist somewhere in a gray area where I believe that using alternative casting depends entirely on the individual situation. For Prophet is a film that didn’t bother me in this regard; as it doesn’t do much to alter the character, the story, or even the world from a meta stance. Additionally, For Prophet exists in a space that I feel is somewhat challenging for a religious film–as they use buzzwords like “non-binary” and, again, cast a female in a role that would typically be given to a male. While religion and politics don’t have to go hand in hand, certain religious viewers typically land on a particular place on the political spectrum. For Prophet extends beyond those expectations, which is an interesting, and welcome twist.
With religious films often being so pointed, For Prophet, headed by Writer-Director Mark Stewart Iverson, has the potential to be far reaching. Again, this is a welcome change and I think it will ultimately work wonders for the film.
As previously mentioned, religious films can often become judgemental–casting aspersions on those that don’t conform to their messages and beliefs. While I never felt the heaviness of that present in For Prophet, there are most certainly moments strewn throughout the film that remind viewers that this cast and crew (at least for the most part) believe the things that they are saying–and their understanding is that those beliefs are the way. They get a tad pushy from time to time, but Iverson does a wonderful job of dialing it back, grounding the film, and getting back to what works for this film, and that’s both the narrative and the brilliant use of lighting to tell that story.
I’m not sure that subtlety is Iverson’s thing–and I’m fine with that, as long as it works for the film. In the case of For Prophet, it does work. A bit of overacting from Garcia and Enrico Natale (Demon–not to be confused with “Damon”) is warranted here, developing comedy and elevating the film along the way. Their wild, sometimes outlandish conversations (even though they are sometimes one-sided conversations) are fun, vibrant, and essential to the development of the story and, more importantly, Damon.
Beyond the characters, Iverson is aggressive in his use of diverse tones and hues. When Raphael is on screen a brighter tone takes over, but when Demon is present everything surrounding Damon is seemingly overcast. For Prophet sees a frequent and aggressive shift in this regard, but, like everything else, is essential to the development of this film and its protagonist.
If you couldn’t tell, For Prophet is a film that I most definitely enjoyed. It expands far beyond the constructs of the typical religious film–and it will certainly be able to appeal to viewers not typically interested in films of this nature. For Prophet may not seem like your cup of tea, and, hey, when all is said and done, you still may not love it as a whole. However, Iverson does such a wonderful job of creating a diverse film, making it likely that viewers from all walks of life have a chance to take something positive away.
Written & Directed by Mark Stewart Iverson.
Starring Ben Marten, Valentina Garcia, Enrico Natale, T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh, Bert Belasco, Eddie Jemison, Stephanie Wohar, Dannie Florine, etc.
7/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE
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