Peter Debruge Chief Film CriticHow to take on the hypocrisy of megachurch culture on a micro budget? That’s the quandary at the center of the Ebo twins’ “Honk for Jesus.
Save Your Soul.” An easy-target satire of a disgraced Southern Baptist pastor and the First Lady who stood by his side amidst scandal, packed as a Christopher Guest-style mock documentary, writer-director Adamma Ebo’s indie comedy (produced by sister Adanne) should tickle those who share her skepticism of organized religion — especially the profit-oriented variety — but doesn’t go much deeper than the 15-minute short film on which it’s based.The biggest upgrade here comes from recasting power couple Lee-Curtis and Trinitie Childs with Sterling K.
Brown and Regina Hall, actors who brings layers to what could have been a one-joke wonder. That joke, which proves plenty convenient for a film made on limited resources, hinges on how a congregation that once numbered more than 25,000 has now dwindled to fewer than half a dozen (the “Devout Five”), and the lengths the Childs must go to win back all the others.
The feature does an especially satisfying job of expanding Hall’s role, treating her as a kind of metaphor for the Welcome to Greater Paths Baptist Church population at large.
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