Documentaries have a reputation for being boring, not entertaining, educational, or dry. Just ask someone if they want to watch a documentary with you, unless the topic is something they are passionate about, they will suddenly find the cat needs a bath. This was similar to the responses I received when asking my family if they wished to join me in watching an advance copy of “The Case For Heaven“. We are believers, we have studied heaven and what the Bible says about it. This has the potential to be very boring. . . .
Oh, how surprised we all were. I was joined by my whole family by the time we were halfway through. Not only was the format engaging, but those being interviewed or featured were as well. If you are familiar with Mr. Lee Strobel’s books, The Case For Christ, etc. then you will find the journalistic style of this movie to be similar. It is this style that keeps the movie moving, always moving the viewer towards the answer.
Did you see “The Case For Heaven” in its limited theater release earlier this year? Or did your church host it? If you missed it (like we did) now is your chance! Starting July 15th you can watch the beautiful, compelling “The Case For Heaven” on Pure Flix! You can sign up for a free 7-day trial if you don’t have a subscription – or you might win a 3-month subscription by entering the giveaway below.
The Question
The question “what happens after we die?” is what begins the journey down the rabbit hole. The movie, “The Case For Heaven”, follows a similar flow as the book it is based on. After looking at why people are afraid to die, the movie looks at what we do to “live forever” or leave a legacy, and how we know there is something after this life. The case is being built to prove that heaven exists.
From interviews that feel like two friends having a conversation to recounting stories of near-death experiences, witnesses offer testimony to support the case for heaven. Some of those featured are well-known authors themselves like Luis Palau [God Is Relevant], Francis Chan [Crazy Love], John Burke [Imagine Heaven], and Sharon Dirckx [Am I Just My Brain?]. Point by point the case is made.
Testimony and Proof
The testimony and proof presented were not solely about near-death experiences with visions and experiences of Heaven. One man (Howard Storm) shared his experience of being drawn away and tormented – quite the opposite of Heaven (spoiler – he cried out to Jesus and was rescued). Some of this segment was animated but might be too intense for younger children. Another interviewee (John Steingard) has turned from faith to claim to be, at best, agnostic. This was a great opportunity to pause and discuss what the man had shared. And these are just two examples – there is so much more in the movie.
Beautiful cinematography
The flow of “The Case For Heaven“, the locations, and the cinematography made this enjoyable to watch. The movie is beautiful. A documentary where much of the content is one person talking or a person answering the questions of another could be set anywhere. A green screen could have been used to give the appearance that all of the recordings happened in one location. Thankfully, that is not how this movie was filmed. Many of the scenes are outdoors, in God’s creation. The background might be an old church or a cemetery – but these are just as much part of the cast when you think about it. The locations for various scenes crisscrossed the globe, from Chicago, Illinois to Hong Kong.
All in all “The Case For Heaven” made excellent points and is very compelling. It not only encourages but also helps us with answers when we encounter others asking these same questions. There are some doctrinal differences that we encounter often and did not detract from all that is great in “The Case For Heaven”. These also offered points to pause and talk about what was being said and compare it to Scripture.
A couple of times I was distracted by some wearing masks (I believe this was filmed during 2021). And more distracted by the beautiful architecture of old churches and chapels (I had to back the movie up twice because I was so completely captivated by the building in the background). At just shy of 2 hours, this could have felt like a long movie with frequent checking for “how much longer”, but it didn’t. This was done really, really well. I’m looking forward to more of Lee Strobel’s The Case For ___ books becoming movies – especially if the Sandovals will be involved.
Giveaway
The giveaway closes Monday, July 25th at midnight. The winner will be drawn and notified on the 26th.
To enter, complete the short form here. If the form is not displayed below, you can access the giveaway entry form here.
Disclosure:
Many thanks to Pure Flix for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.