Who doesn’t love going to the cinema, grabbing popcorn and being transported to a different place or time to experience a great story?

The best films have the power to stir our imaginations and emotions, and resonate with us long after the credits have rolled. They awaken something in us because they echo THE big story: God's story of redemption that he's been writing since the beginning of time.

Within God’s story we see countless examples of characters overcoming immense odds, people experiencing love and heartache, suffering and trials, joy and hope. Since humans are made in God’s image, it’s no wonder that the best storytellers often tap into themes like these, which are found in the Bible. This provides unique opportunities to have meaningful conversations with the people in our lives.

Questions you can ask if you’re watching a film with someone who has a Christian worldview: 

• What elements of this film resonate with God’s greater story?  
• What’s the truer and better gospel that Jesus offers, which is missing from the story?

Questions you can ask if you’re watching a film with someone who has a different worldview:  

• What do you feel is the message/big idea this film is trying to communicate?  
• Do you agree or disagree? What would you change?  

2023 gave us the biggest cinematic event in recent history: Barbenheimer. Oppenheimer and Barbie premiered the same summer weekend and people flocked to the cinema to enjoy them. Chances are you or someone you know have seen one or both of these Oscar-winning films.

On the surface, they couldn’t seem more different, but they have more in common than you might think. Either would be great for a movie night or film club. Both deal with complex themes of legacy and purpose, the relationship between creation and creator, the responsibility we have to the world, just to name a few. I’ll leave it there in order to avoid spoilers!

Here a few questions that could help keep the conversation going with people you watch with:

If watching Barbie:  

• If you were face to face with your creator, what would you most want to know from them about yourself?

If watching Oppenheimer:  

• Has there been a moment in your life when you ‘heard the music’?

Questions for either: 

• What gives you purpose? How will you know when you’ve achieved it? 
• What do you think is the biggest issue that needs to get sorted in our world? 
• If you had the resources, how would you make the world a better place?