left behind 2000 movie review

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FILM REVIEW

FILM REVIEW; A Biblically Inspired Tale About Dying and Surviving

By Stephen Holden

• Feb. 2, 2001

''How do you describe both a beginning and an end?'' a narrator intones portentously over the opening credits of Vic Sarin's film ''Left Behind: The Movie.'' ''We should have known better, but we didn't.''

Those unaware of this movie's history should be forgiven if they wonder what in heaven's name might be going on. (And yes, heaven's name has something to do with it.)

After this initial jolt, the film appears to become a futuristic global thriller with sci-fi overtones written and filmed in the clunking kitsch style of a 1970's made-for-television disaster movie. But the dialogue won't stop making bizarre thudding sounds. International potentates discussing world events are given to straight-faced utterances like, ''World peace: it's been a dream ever since Cain looked sideways at Abel.''

Why the solemnity? Well, for one thing, the disaster being depicted isn't just any old catastrophe but the Big One, Armageddon itself. Ho-hum, you might say. Haven't we been there enough times already? Well, maybe not. For the final days anticipated by ''Left Behind'' aren't just any old Armageddon but an evangelical Christian interpretation from the Book of Revelation translated by the authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins into a pulp- fiction series of best-selling thrillers of which ''Left Behind'' was only the first.

Ahead of its theatrical release, the movie, which opens today nationwide, has already sold a staggering 2.8 million videocassettes, mostly in the Christian market. Think of its theatrical release as the crowning touch of a multimedia marketing coup.

Beyond its pre-sold message to a core audience of true believers, ''Left Behind'' succeeds minimally in illustrating the novel's popular appeal. With enough plot for three movies, it keeps the twists, turns and reversals coming until the very end, at which point it leaves the door wide open for the rest of the series to be filmed. Can a boxed set be far behind?

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Left Behind: The Movie

What to know.

Poor production values, slow pacing, and an implausible story makes Left Behind a movie only for the faithful.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Kirk Cameron

Brad Johnson

Janaya Stephens

Clarence Gilyard

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• DVD & Streaming

Left Behind: The Movie

Content caution.

In Theaters

• Kirk Cameron as Buck Williams; Brad Johnson as Rayford Steele; Chelsea Noble as Hattie Durham; Clarence Gilyard Jr. as Bruce Barnes; Gordon Currie as Nicolae Carpathia; Janaya Stephens as Chloe Steele; Christie MacFadyen as Irene Steele; Jay Manchester as Rayford (Raymie) Steele Jr.

Home Release Date

• Victor Sarin

Distributor

• Cloud Ten Pictures

Positive Elements   |   Spiritual Elements   |   Sexual & Romantic Content   |   Violent Content   |   Crude or Profane Language   |   Drug & Alcohol Content   |   Other Noteworthy Elements   | Conclusion

Movie Review

It’s fitting that the end of the world should begin with a whimper, not a bang. Ray is still fighting with his wife, escaping from a stressed-out home life to the sanctuary of his 747 cockpit. Buck is winging his way around the world looking for that ever-elusive Pulitzer-winning news story, palling around with flight attendants and nutcase informants. Hattie’s tired of waiting around for Ray to leave his wife so she can have him to herself. Chloe’s taking exams. Then, suddenly, chaos as the whimper implodes. Millions of people disappear, instantly, making a quantum leap into eternity. But their clothes aren’t the only things left behind. Countless people living without Christ are left to put together the puzzle pieces of real life events they can’t hope to fully comprehend.

Next stop: the Antichrist.

Left Behind: The Movie dramatizes the biblically prophesied rapture of believers and the beginning of the tribulation which follows (mid-trib and post-trib theologians better make their own movie). The script, based on the best-selling Left Behind novels by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, attempts to capture both the intimate moments of human drama and the broad strokes of political intrigue. It works—part of the time.

My own feelings about the film are as mixed as its reviews. On the secular side, many critics have panned production values and story lines. Maitland McDonagh of TV Guide ’s Movie Guide was being nice when he wrote, “This picture’s b-movie values probably play better on video than in theaters.” The Associated Press’ Anthony Breznican just came out and said what he really felt, declaring Left Behind “a weak proselytizing device masquerading as a movie.” On the Christian side, critics are raving. “Viewers from pre-teens up will find Left Behind intriguing and thought provoking,” writes John Evans for Preview Family Movie and TV Review . “ Left Behind is the best movie made so far in the apocalyptic genre and has been crafted with a very careful, deft touch,” declares Ted Baehr’s Movieguide . In the end, there’s a little bit of truth in all of it. Left Behind does fall closer to the “b” line than the “a.” It is also thought provoking and intriguing. Everything depends on your standard for comparison. Judged against the “made-for-cable” crowd, it’s one of the best flicks out there. Up against Steven Spielberg, it’s underwhelming.

positive elements/spiritual content: Without commenting on the ins and outs of “last days” prophesy, it’s fair to say that Left Behind does a great job of confronting moviegoers with the truth of God’s Word. His salvation plan for mankind. The way the world winds down. Several key characters ask Christ to take over their hearts, and the sinner’s prayer is verbalized. Ray comes to realize that his family is the most valuable thing he has, and that realization, coupled with God’s work in his heart, changes his life. A left-behind preacher realizes that what he taught his congregation didn’t line up with how he lived. “What a fraud I am,” he moans, “and everybody bought it.” Directing his attention to the Lord, he cries, “I knew your message. I knew your words. . . . Knowing and believing are two different things.” Buck says, “Our only hope is to join together and trust God. I don’t have all the answers, but for now, faith is enough.” Scripture passages—from Daniel, to Ezekiel, to 1 Thessalonians—are used to explain end-times events.

sexual content: None. It could be assumed that Ray and Hattie had engaged in an extramarital affair, but no details are given. It’s just as plausible that the two shared an unconsummated flirtation, rather than a sexual relationship. Either way, Ray is convicted of his behavior and seeks forgiveness.

violent content: War planes bomb Israel. The scene shows people scurrying for cover and massive explosions tearing through a city. A car bomb kills a CIA agent. An informant is found lying dead in his house. And in an unsettling moment near the end, the Antichrist callously executes two men with pointblank gunfire. In addition, a sniper’s bullet narrowly misses Buck’s head. A large freeway pileup results in burning cars and bleeding victims.

crude or profane language: “Oh God” and “Oh my God” are each used once.

drug and alcohol content: Buck’s colleagues at his news agency smoke (one woman is shown smoking several times). An informant holds a lit cigarette in his hand, but never takes a puff. A bar scene features a very drunk woman. It seems that Buck also orders a beer.

conclusion: Anyone who has seen the Apocalypse or A Thief in the Night trilogies will find Left Behind to be familiar territory (thankfully, 2000 production values far exceed those available in 1972). And just like the books that inspired it, this movie’s ending fairly screams “sequel.” That’s all fine and good—many of Hollywood’s greatest stories have been continued —but prepare yourself for a few unanswered questions as the credits roll.

That said, Left Behind makes great strides in the Christian moviemaking world. It boasts a positive, yet challenging core message. It features zero sex scenes. No vulgarity. And a reserved—if sometimes intense—approach to violent events. Its harrowing themes may frighten young children (just like A Thief in the Night scared the dickens out of me when I was a kid), but teens and adults should find a lot to like about Left Behind .

Positive Elements

Spiritual elements, sexual & romantic content, violent content, crude or profane language, drug & alcohol content, other noteworthy elements.

Steven Isaac

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Left Behind: The Movie (2000)

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The Future Is Clear.

After learning that millions have completely vanished, an airline pilot, a journalist, and others work together to unravel the mystery of those left behind.

Joe Goodman

Paul Lalonde

Alan B. McElroy

Top Billed Cast

Kirk Cameron

Buck Williams

Brad Johnson

Rayford Steele

Janaya Stephens

Chloe Steele

Clarence Gilyard Jr.

Pastor Bruce Barnes

Chaim Rosenzweig

Gordon Currie

Nicolae Carpathia

Chelsea Noble

Hattie Durham

Daniel Pilon

Johnathan Stonegal

Tony De Santis

Joshua Cothran

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A review by GenerationofSwine

Written by generationofswine on january 12, 2023.

Well, I was born and raised Catholic...and I'm still Catholic...and this is the kind of movie I avoid.

I really don't want to sit down and be preached at, I don't want to watch an overt lecture. And, trust me, that goes just as much for the left as it does the right.

But, when the heck, it was free so...I finally came around to watching it and, honestly, YES, it totally does feel like an overt political and religious lecture. And, unfortunately, for some reason, when the conservatives do it the production value is absolute crap and it looks pretty horrible.

And lest when the liberals d... read the rest.

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Left Behind: The Movie (2000)

Directed by vic sarin.

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Description by Wikipedia

Left Behind: The Movie is a 2000 Christian apocalyptic thriller film, based on the novel of the same name by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. It is directed by Vic Sarin and stars Kirk Cameron, Brad Johnson, Chelsea Noble, Janaya Stephens, Gordon Currie, and Clarence Gilyard.

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Left Behind The Movie (2000)

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The Left Behind series of movies, made by Cloud Ten Pictures, are based on a series of best-selling novels. They chronicle the Christian viewpoint of the end of the world. The primary conflict of the series is the members of the Tribulation Force against the Global Community and its leader Nicolae Carpathia—the Antichrist.

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Left Behind

Reviewed by: Ken James STAFF WRITER

Read about Jesus Christ and the rapture , as explained in our “God’s Story—from Creation to Eternity” section— Go

Read what the bible has to say about The Return of Christ : Matthew 24:27, 29-31, 34, 36-44 | John 14:1-4 | Acts 1:11 | I Corinthians 15:51-57 | I Thessalonians 4:13-18 | I Timothy 4:1-3 | II Timothy 3:1-5, 4:1-8 | Titus 2:13 | II Peter 3:3-13 | the books of Daniel and Revelation

V isual art has always captured my attention. Virtually any medium can be used to express deep emotions and evoke the senses. Growing up in a Christian home, I remember a circa-1970s painting that hung on our basement wall. In it Jesus was the focal point, high in the sky in a white robe with arms outstretched. Peace reigned in the spiritual bodies of Christians that had “died and gone before” as their bodies were being caught up in the air. Peace too for Christians still alive, meeting the long awaited bridegroom of the church. But for those left behind, it was pandemonium: grizzly auto accidents and complete chaos.

Without a doubt, the future events of The Rapture and Great Tribulation are immensely popular with Christian film producers. The 70’s and early 80s brought us Mark IV’s classics “A Thief in the Night,” “A Distant Thunder,” “Image of the Beast” and “The Prodigal Planet.” In 1981, there was “Early Warning” and “Years of the Beast.” In the 90’s “Future Tense” (1990), then years later “ The Gathering ,” “End of the Harvest” , and “ The Moment After .” Cloud Ten Pictures hit the CBA bestseller list with their releases “ Apocalypse ,” “ Revelation ” and “ Tribulation .” TBN’s “ The Omega Code ” finished out 1999 with a surprisingly strong box-office presence.

Is there a market for this? Definitely. The producers behind “Left Behind” know it and are committed to getting that message to Hollywood. The Lalonde brothers (one of whom became a Christian due to an evangelistic film) have spent an unprecedented 17.4 million dollars on the film version of Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins runaway best seller Left Behind . Fans of the book may have mixed feelings. While the plot, atmosphere and most details of the book remain unchanged, there are some differences between the book and film. But keep in mind the fact that there is simply no way of putting a 468-page book intact into a 90-minute film without deletions and alterations.

The story of “Left Behind” focuses on Cameron “Buck” Williams ( Kirk Cameron of TV’s “Growing Pains” fame), a world renowned TV reporter who, while on location in Israel to interview Dr. Chaim Rosenzweig (Colin Fox) about his new food growth formula, witnesses the miraculous decimation of Israel’s enemy as it attacks from the air. As if that was not enough of an enigma, the world is thrown into upheaval when millions worldwide suddenly vanish. Airline pilot Rayford Steele (Brad Johnson) and stewardess Hattie Durham (Kirk’s real-life wife Chelsea Noble) find many disappearances onboard their jet.

Back at home, Rayford’s wife and son are among those missing, while his daughter Chloe (newcomer Janaya Stephens) is left behind. Pastor Bruce Barnes (Clarence Gilyard of “Walker, Texas Ranger”) finds himself remaining on Earth, facing the harsh reality that knowing of Christ and believing in Him are two separate things. Bruce, Rayford, Chloe and Buck all place their faith in Christ and become committed to reaching others with the truth, while attempting to stand up against the evil plans of the antichrist, world leader Nicolae Carpathia (Gordon Currie). Unfortunately, Hattie, like millions of others on the globe, is deceived by Carpathia. Believing him to be the answer to world peace, she eagerly joins him as his personal assistant.

If compared to other theatrical or television releases, “Left Behind” is outstandingly clean. With an audience of conservative Christians, content that may be offensive includes Buck drinking beer in one scene, plus one instance where he finds a friend murdered and exclaims “oh God” (both instances before becoming a follower of Christ). Some of the minor characters smoke, and there is a hint of marital unfaithfulness as the married Rayford flirts with Hattie during a flight. There is some bad attitudes displayed by the evil characters, and some violence is present (the most graphic being a bullet hole head wound) and other scenes of blood due to automobile accident scenes.

Without a doubt, “Left Behind” is well worth your time. The acting and directing are top quality. Both as entertainment and as a catalyst for spiritual truth, it delivers! The producers were so committed to creating an effective tool for the gospel that they were not willing to have Hollywood mess this one up; it’s just too important. The potential outreach of “Left Behind” is astounding! Compared to other Christian rapture films, the quality is without equal, with an embarrassment factor of zero. While the gospel is clear, the message is best taught through Christians who could use this film as a discussion starter. There is no invitation at the end, as in films from Billy Graham. Christians should be prepared to field questions and guide people to the truth. Brush up on what the bible says about the return of Christ (info included below).

The film’s (www.leftbehind-themovie.com) official Web site sums it up well: “In this classic X-Files type drama where believers and non-believers are constantly being challenged by science and unexplained preternatural events, hearts, lives and intrigue all lie in the balance.”

No matter what your religious beliefs, there is only one truth. Where will you be spiritually when Christ returns to rapture His church?

See our reviews of the sequels to this movie: Left Behind II: Tribulation Force and Left Behind: World at War

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Left Behind: The Movie (2000) Parent Guide

A news reporter (kirk cameron) finds himself with more questions than answers when faced with a world crisis..

Based on a popular Christian novel, this film dramatizes one interpretation of the Earth's "last days." Those of differing religious philosophies may not appreciate the movie.

Release date January 26, 2001

Run Time: 96 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by donna gustafson.

News reporter Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron) is looking for some answers. While interviewing scientist Chaim Rosenzweig (Colin Fox), developer of a secret formula capable of producing food abundantly from barren land, Buck witnesses a military invasion aimed at the Holy Land. Technical difficulties prevent Israel from returning fire, yet the attacking warplanes miraculously fall from the sky before inflicting any harm. Why?

While Buck Williams may be confused by all these events, this film adaptation of a popular Christian book by the same name, which is part of a series of eight novels co-authored by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, will present a scenario familiar to its fans. As explained on the movie’s official website , “This is the rapture that God has planned as the first sign to begin the unraveling of the end of time.”

Released on video before playing in theaters, the movie has met with mixed reactions from its intended audience. Some have accused it of being a little preachy and melodramatic, while others have found it motivational.

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Donna Gustafson

Left behind: the movie (2000) rating & content info.

Why is Left Behind: The Movie (2000) rated PG-13? Left Behind: The Movie (2000) is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for violence

Overall: B A dramatization containing violent depictions intended for Christians subscribing to this particular interpretation of the “last days.” Those of differing religious philosophies may find the film inappropriate for family viewing.

Violence: C Large number of war aircraft intent on invasion, shoot at people in field. Some planes drop from sky and explode or burn. Men mention using starvation as a motivator for peace, and “taking care of” security leaks. Car accident victim has blood all over face. Police try to control hysterical people on verge of rioting. Two arguing men swing at each other. Mirror breaks when Bible is thrown at it. Military personnel use a gun to threaten man. Murdered man’s face and arm shown. Man targeted by sniper, several shots result in destruction of property. Man throws ball at cross and knocks it over. Car explodes killing one man. Blood from knee injury shown. Two men shot after begging for life, audience sees assassin pull trigger, then dead bodies with bloody head wounds.

Sexual Content: B+ Implied affair between two adult characters. Some characters playing lesser roles seen wearing halter-tops.

Language: A Terms of Deity used as proper nouns.

Alcohol / Drug Use: B+ Some characters playing lesser roles portrayed as smokers. Bar scene shows alcoholic beverages. Incidental character depicted as drunkard.

Page last updated September 15, 2014

Left Behind: The Movie (2000) Parents' Guide

Although Kirk Cameron brings star appeal to this production, what effect does the young age of the actor have on the believability of his character being a veteran newsman with ex-pentagon informants and clout with UN officials?

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Movie Reviews

A man, a plane, a rapture: 'left behind'.

Mark Jenkins

Nicolas Cage stars as airline pilot Ray Steele in Left Behind . Courtesy of Stoney Lake Entertainment hide caption

Nicolas Cage stars as airline pilot Ray Steele in Left Behind .

The world is ending, billions will die, and hell is, literally, coming to Long Island. But the rebooted Left Behind doesn't want to alarm you.

Fourteen years ago, as a new millennium's arrival failed to extinguish our doggedly persistent universe, the first Left Behind movie introduced a slithery Antichrist — a U.N. official, of course — and the prospect of global war centered on Jerusalem. Just last month, The Remaining treated the fundamentalist-Christian notion of "the rapture" as a horror movie, littered with the corpses of born-againers whose souls had been called to heaven.

The second attempt to create a successful movie franchise from the 16 best-selling Left Behind novels takes a gentler approach. The departed abandon only their clothing, not their carcasses. And no demons are glimpsed in a tale that focuses tightly on the family of airline pilot Ray Steele (Nicolas Cage). As Ray tries to land a disabled jetliner whose co-pilot is now chilling with the man upstairs, his challenges derive less from the Bible (1 Thessalonians 4:17, in particular) than from such moldy disaster flicks as 1969's Airport .

For those who missed this particular end of the world the last time it didn't happen, Left Behind is based on a series of sectarian thrillers by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. Adapting the books to the screen began in 2000, but the movies didn't click even as straight-to-church-auditorium fare, and stopped at three. The producers of the latest round of adaptations have also promised three, not a full 13.

The revamped but still clunky saga begins as Ray prepares to fly from JFK to London by removing his wedding ring. He's estranged from his wife (Lea Thompson) since she became a rapture-ready Christian, and is hoping to spend some time with a sexy flight attendant once they land. This carnal design has so warped his judgment that he has decided to skip a family reunion with daughter Chloe (Cassie Thomson), who has returned from college just to see him.

Chloe visits her dad briefly at the airport, and while there meets famed daredevil journalist Buck Williams (Chad Michael Murray), who will also be on that flight to London. Then she takes her little brother to the mall, where break dancers bust some moves that are as fluid as the dialogue is stiff. This protracted setup moves about as briskly as the first three hours of Boyhood .

Finally, the righteous vanish and the rest are left to ponder their disappearance. Chloe searches for her sibling and mom, both of whom are no longer in this world; her dad flies the damaged plane while piecing together the religious significance of what just happened.

In first class, Williams deals with unruly fellow travelers selected for their comic-relief value. Among the passengers is a pistol-packing sports-star spouse played by American Idol champ Jordin Sparks, who sings the end-credits ditty, "I Wish We'd All Been Ready." Viewers will wish that director Vic Armstrong and scripters Paul Lalonde and John Patus had been ready, too.

The movie climaxes with Ray's attempt to land the plane, an utterly nontheological struggle. This section of the movie is adequately staged, if not exactly surprising. Its emphasis on real-world rather than supernatural threats is shrewd, but sooner or later the new Left Behind series will have to focus on its source's real agenda. At that point, the potential audience will evaporate faster than Chloe's kid brother.

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Left behind.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 5 Reviews
• Kids Say 16 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Reboot of faith-based indie hit is confused and awkward.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Left Behind is the bigger-budget reboot of 2000's indie hit Left Behind: The Movie about the Rapture, in which all of the world's good people are whisked away to heaven, leaving the rest behind. There's some general chaos, shouting, pushing, shoving, and looting, as well as…

Why Age 13+?

When the Rapture occurs, people disappear, causing general panic. A man is shot

A secondary character is shown to be a drug addict. She hides in the bathroom an

The main character plans to have an extramarital affair (but it doesn't come to

A kid mentions a sale at Game Stop.

Any Positive Content?

For people who were deemed unworthy of the Rapture, most of the characters seem

Bad people are punished, viewers spend 110 minutes with them and find out that t

Violence & Scariness

When the Rapture occurs, people disappear, causing general panic. A man is shot while leaving a store, and the shooter comes out, pointing the shotgun. Angry people honk and yell at each other from their gridlocked cars, and people run around, pushing and shoving, searching the streets for loved ones. People also start looting. There's a minor plane collision and an intense, forced plane landing, with lots of fire. Viewers hear a story of a woman and children who died in a flood.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

A secondary character is shown to be a drug addict. She hides in the bathroom and removes a little plastic bag filled with white powder from the tip of a lipstick container. Track marks on her arm are shown, and she wears sunglasses to hide her eyes. She speaks about having once had a "bad trip."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

The main character plans to have an extramarital affair (but it doesn't come to fruition). He takes off his wedding ring and is seen flirting. The female characters are dressed in somewhat sexy clothing.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Positive role models.

For people who were deemed unworthy of the Rapture, most of the characters seem pretty decent. Characters work together to save a planeload of people, they're generally kind and listen to one another, and they seem open to improving and learning. Some of them start off as bad-tempered or damaged, but they all seem to come around.

Positive Messages

Bad people are punished, viewers spend 110 minutes with them and find out that they're really not so bad, and then we leave them to apparently face some kind of horrible misery. The point is unclear, and kids could be upset by this hopeless message.

Parents need to know that Left Behind is the bigger-budget reboot of 2000's indie hit Left Behind: The Movie about the Rapture, in which all of the world's good people are whisked away to heaven, leaving the rest behind. There's some general chaos, shouting, pushing, shoving, and looting, as well as a plane crash scene. There's no language or sex, but the main character seems about to have an affair, and women are shown in somewhat sexy outfits. A minor character is shown to be a drug addict; she removes a hidden stash, remembers a "bad trip," and has track marks on her arms. For those who don't come to the film already buying into the story, the message is muddled and somewhat hopeless, and the presentation is awkward. Many fans of the series (in addition to the previous movie, there are several best-selling books) will likely flock to it, unless they have an issue with Nicolas Cage in the lead role. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (5)
• Kids say (16)

Based on 5 parent reviews

Violent, Incoherent movie that fumbles faith beliefs

Stupid, ham-fisted propaganda, what's the story.

Chloe Steele (Cassi Thomson) hasn't been home from college in a while because her mom ( Lea Thompson ) has gotten very religious, and things are awkward. Chloe visits for her dad Ray's birthday, but Ray ( Nicolas Cage ), an airline pilot, has agreed to fly to London. Chloe finds him at the airport and fears that he's having an affair with a pretty flight attendant (Nicky Whelan). She also meets a star TV reporter, Buck Williams ( Chad Michael Murray ), who's on her father's flight and who lends her a sympathetic ear. But then millions of people, including all children, suddenly disappear, sending the world into a panic. Chloe tries to find her brother and her mom, while Ray must single-handedly get his aircraft safely on the ground.

Is It Any Good?

Directed by legendary stuntman Vic Armstrong, LEFT BEHIND is a bigger-budget but subpar reboot of the faith-based indie hit from 2000, itself based on a series of best-selling novels. Everything revolves around the simultaneous fear of -- and desire for -- The Rapture. But the movie's crucial flaw is that the filmmakers want to create sympathetic characters out of those who were deemed sinners and thus not delivered to God. Viewers are supposed to like them but not want to be like them (even though they all fly first class).

Aside from that faulty conceit, the movie, on a pure thriller level, is a massive collection of awkward, poorly written character moments and supposedly spectacular set pieces that are stretched far too thin. The big moment is over in just a few seconds, and the rest is all a bad disaster film. Certainly there are profound, spiritual movies in the world and movies that could enhance your faith, but Left Behind preaches only to the converted.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Left Behind 's violence . How did it affect you? How much is shown, and how much is implied? How skillfully does the movie convey the sense of scale of this event?

What's the movie's message? Does it inspire faith or spirituality? Is it a warning?

Are the characters sympathetic, even though they were left behind? What are their faults? Can they be forgiven?

Movie Details

• In theaters : October 3, 2014
• On DVD or streaming : January 6, 2015
• Cast : Nicolas Cage , Chad Michael Murray , Cassi Thomson
• Director : Vic Armstrong
• Studios : Freestyle Releasing , eOne Entertainment
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Run time : 110 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : some thematic elements, violence/peril and brief drug content
• Last updated : June 16, 2024

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Left Behind

A movie about the rapture starring Nicolas Cage should be wackier than “Left Behind.” It should have more smoldering panic bursting into full-blown freak-outs. It should have more passion, more intensity. It should have more bees.

Yes, Cage’s howl-inducing remake of ‘The Wicker Man” from 2006 actually feels like a legitimately good time compared to this dull groaner about the end times. It’s a remake too: a version of “Left Behind” starring Kirk Cameron quickly came and went from theaters in 2001, followed by a couple of straight-to-DVD sequels. All are based on the apocalyptic novels by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye.

Christian readers and audiences are the base here, but it’s hard to imagine that this incarnation of the story will persuade anyone else to find the Lord unless they’re sitting in the theater praying for the dialogue or special effects to improve. This is essentially an “ Airport ” movie with an Evangelical spin, but it lacks the self-awareness to turn such a wild concept into a guilty pleasure.

Director Vic Armstrong , a longtime stuntman making only his second feature (and his first in a couple of decades), had a larger budget than the original’s, and a more established star in the lead. None of that shows up on screen. The “big” set pieces look small and chintzy, the lighting is hard and flat, and the pacing is a monotonous back-and-forth between an airplane in the skies across the Atlantic and the chaos on the ground below.

But the more serious disappointment comes from Cage’s performance. As the awesomely named Rayford Steele, a philandering airline pilot who sees the light as the end is nigh, Cage needed to bring the wild-eyed, full-bore crazy. This has been his bread and butter of late, and it’s been a thoroughly enjoyable career shift. Instead, he’s oddly inert as the movie’s voice of reason. Looking distractingly rubbery with a helmet of fake, dark hair, he seems to have been Photoshopped into the film. His presence is so strangely awkward and unconvincing.

Then again, the script from Paul Lalonde (who also produced the original “Left Behind” movies) and John Patus doesn’t exactly give him or the rest of the cast much to work with. It’s full of flat character types and blandly expository dialogue.  At the film’s start, Rayford’s daughter, Chloe (the perky Cassi Thomson), has come home from college for the weekend for her dad’s birthday. But Rayford got a last-minute assignment to fly from New York to London overnight, which will keep him away all that time. At least that’s what he told his wife Irene ( Lea Thompson ), who’s no fun anymore now that she’s found Jesus and is urging everyone around her to do the same. (The camera lingers as Irene tosses her gardening gloves on top of her ever-present Bible.) His real plan is to seduce a hot, blonde flight attendant ( Nicky Whelan ) over the weekend, beginning with prime tickets to see U2.

This is actually a vaguely intriguing premise: What happens to a marriage when one spouse undergoes a religious conversion and the other does not? It seems similar to what happens when one spouse gets sober and the other keeps drinking. What sort of wedge does this create? How does the family survive? But these aren’t the questions “Left Behind” cares to ponder. Armageddon is on the horizon.

Anyway, Chloe and her dad have a brief, stilted conversation in the airport waiting area between her arrival and his departure. Being the skeptic that she is, she also has a confrontation about religion with a woman who’s just bought a book about God at the bookstore. Chloe also finds time for a long chat with hunky, hotshot TV news correspondent Buck Williams, who happens to be a passenger on Rayford’s flight to London. ( Chad Michael Murray takes over the role Cameron played in the original. I’d say that’s an improvement.) There’s a lot of sitting around and talking in “Left Behind.”

But then! Out of nowhere, God starts calling the pure of heart to heaven: children, mostly, but also people who have the words BIBLE STUDY written in their calendars in big capital letters. At first, no one realizes this is God’s doing. People just disappear, leaving their clothes and belongings in a pile where they once stood, including Chloe’s little brother and (of course) her mom.

Pandemonium ensues as millions go missing worldwide–or at least, implied pandemonium. This includes a school bus driving off an overpass and a small plane crashing into a shopping mall parking lot. There is zero finesse to these supposedly dramatic images. Mostly, Armstrong gives us a lot of people running around, flailing their hands in the air.

Meanwhile, up in the sky, folks start disappearing, too–including a flight attendant and Rayford’s second-in-command. (Guess this means God really is his co-pilot.) The barely sketched-out passengers in first class start panicking and bickering, including a Texas businessman, an Asian conspiracy theorist and a drugged-up heiress. Former “American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks fares poorly as a paranoid, unstable mom who somehow smuggled a handgun on the plane. Worst of all is the consistent yammering between a kindly Muslim and a surly little person. The movie cuts to them repeatedly for comic relief, but it’s painfully unfunny every time.

“Left Behind” finally edges toward an enjoyable level of insanity as it reaches its conclusion. I wouldn’t dream of giving away the details–mysterious ways, and all–but I will say that it involves the petite Chloe driving a steamroller in the dead of night on a deserted stretch of highway that’s under construction.

Still, for a movie that spells everything out, it’s unclear why God chose this particular moment to inflict his wrath upon the masses. Was it because Rayford tried to forsake his wedding vows with a flirty flight attendant at a U2 show? Still, if you’re a true believer, it’s a beautiful day.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series “Ebert Presents At the Movies” opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

• Martin Klebba as Melvin Weir
• Cassi Thompson as Chloe Steele
• Lea Thompson as Irene Steele
• Jordin Sparks as Shasta Carvell
• Chad Michael Murray as Buck Williams
• Nicolas Cage as Rayford Steele
• Nicky Whelan as Hattie Durham
• Paul Lalonde
• Vic Armstrong

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'Left Behind': when God becomes a Hollywood monster

A terrible book about the apocalypse gets even bleaker.

• By Adi Robertson
• on October 9, 2014 10:00 am
• @thedextriarchy

I’ll admit, I didn’t expect to walk out of a terrible Nicolas Cage movie thinking about theodicy.

From the moment it was announced, I developed a morbid curiosity about the latest attempt at a film adaptation of Left Behind, the 1995 novel that kicked off a wildly popular series about the Christian Rapture. No matter how terrible they were, for a certain wave of evangelical, Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins’ novels were a cultural touchstone. They were part of a rich tradition of religiously charged science fiction, a ripped-from-the-headlines chronicle of the end of days “factually” based on close analysis (but creative interpretation) of the Bible. And the movie, I thought, could be campy enough to transcend its source material. So in a nearly empty Manhattan multiplex theater, I saw Left Behind on opening night.

As it turns out, Left Behind has very little to do with the novel it’s based on. In many ways, that’s a very good thing. The first book in LaHaye’s series follows two protagonists: "revered" airline pilot Rayford Steele and superstar journalist Cameron "Buck" Williams. Unexplained disappearances rock the world, and a charismatic Antichrist rises to power, while Rayford, his daughter Chloe, and Buck prepare to survive the end times as part of the guerrilla "Tribulation Force." This all sounds tremendously exciting, until you realize that both men are arrogant and vindictive bores, the Rapture is forgotten within a few chapters, and the Antichrist is a minor Romanian politician jockeying for leadership of the UN.

With its unpleasant characters, glacial pace, and bizarre preoccupation with phone calls and travel plans, Left Behind may be one of the dullest books (and most cynical money grabs, since its story would be stretched over 15 more volumes and a young adult series) to ever hit the bestseller lists. A 2000 film adaptation, starring Kirk Cameron of Growing Pains , didn’t redeem it.

I’m reasonably confident guessing the original script for this version of Left Behind was not written for Tim LaHaye’s megafranchise at all. The characters and basic setup of the book are channeled into a disaster movie about Rayford (played by Nicolas Cage) struggling to land his plane amid the chaos of millions of people inexplicably disappearing. It’s more Langoliers than Leftovers : runways have gone dark, fuel is running low, and the remaining passengers are growing more paranoid by the minute. There’s no UN, no Antichrist, and in fact the whole plot of the movie covers 25 pages in the book — although, granted, they’re probably the most exciting 25 pages.

The whole plot of the movie covers 25 pages in the book

Left Behind is far less overtly religious than its source. But stripping out almost the entire plot reveals a grim story about religion, evil, and salvation. One of the long-running criticisms of the series, covered at length in writer Fred Clark’s brilliant deconstruction of the novels, is that it’s a fundamentalist revenge fantasy, where an angry God comes back to give sinners their just deserts. The book portrays most of those left behind as either willfully ignorant or outright evil, to the point of including a conversation about how doctors are upset that there are no fetuses left to abort. In turning an evangelical book into a semi-secular movie, the filmmakers somehow, perhaps accidentally, made the story even bleaker: God is capricious and terrifying, and he is going to hurt you.

In any medium, this is an inescapable fact of Left Behind , and of most Christian accounts of the apocalypse. Still, it’s usually balanced by descriptions of God’s love and a promise of protection and eternal life if sinners are born again. Someone may question why God allows evil in the world — as Chloe frequently does in the film — but they’re quickly set straight. Fans of Left Behind in particular often describe it as a hopeful book, promising that redemption is still possible after believers disappear. Whether or not it’s convincing, there’s at least an assertion that God is, in fact, good, and people who reject him are getting what they deserve.

There’s relatively little discussion of Christian beliefs in Left Behind , except for a few quotes about natural disasters and a sudden apocalypse. It plays the apocalypse straight, the way any science fiction movie might. And absent the lens of theology, God is simply a mysterious force that’s directly behind millions of disappearances and indirectly behind millions more outright deaths. Raptured Christians come off less as beacons of truth and more like members of a Cthulhoid death cult who were right in our midst all along. Left Behind half-heartedly hews to the idea that the people who remain will benefit from having their lives changed, but its characters aren’t written harshly enough to be selfish, ignorant stereotypes or well enough to be good-intentioned but flawed individuals. They’re just decent people, suffering. So without the Antichrist to play off, we see only the pure wrath of an unstoppable being that shows up, steals your loved ones, and demands that you be thankful for it. God doesn’t simply allow evil, he plays the part himself.

Unfortunately, Left Behind has bigger problems as simple entertainment. It starts with an aimless, meandering half-hour of pointless banter and earnest discussion between major characters, interspersed with almost completely extraneous vignettes of people who will never be seen again. Chloe and Buck are introduced with a forced meet-cute, and the passengers on Rayford’s plane are thinly drawn cliches created to fill supernatural-disaster-movie quotas. Nicolas Cage is the film’s biggest star, but he’s sadly reserved here, removing one of the biggest reasons to watch Left Behind in the first place.

There’s a solid half-hour of enjoyable action flick in Left Behind . The premise of a handful of people (well, the plane actually still seems reasonably full, but the movie quickly forgets about anyone in coach class) trapped in the sky and trying not to turn against each other is too much fun to ruin completely, even if much of the drama seems sudden, manufactured, and unconvincing. Very little of what Chloe does on the ground during that time makes narrative sense, but she moves fast enough that it doesn’t matter too much. But the movie is stretched too thin over too many genres: it’s a series of personal dramas stitched into an action movie with the occasional element of horror, backed by cheap special effects and sudden shifts between secular and Christian themes.

Left Behind bears some of the hallmarks of a made-for-TV religious movie, including a bland, schmaltzy, and often totally inappropriate score — it ends with a contemporary gospel-sounding cover of Larry Norman’s "I Wish We’d All Been Ready," from the 1970s Rapture-themed film A Thief in the Night. Technically, it hews reasonably close to the novel’s interpretation of the end times. I’m sure the studio is depending on Christian audiences to boost ticket sales, especially since Left Behind would be little more than a by-the-numbers action movie without the big-name connection. But it’s not really accurate to call it a "Christian film," and strangely, that tension might be the only interesting thing about it.

Hollywood is occasionally criticized for toning down religious themes to make films more broadly palatable, whether that means softening something supporting a given faith or something attacking it. By apparently attempting the former, though, Left Behind indicts the darkest parts of its source text, in a way that’s somehow more pointed than secular stories that use the Rapture as a backdrop. There’s no gotcha here, no mockery of religion, no revelation that God is not what He seems. Just a loose translation that shows how strange, how cruel, an idea can look when exposed to the harsh light of genre storytelling.

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Left Behind: The Movie

• The Biblical prophecy of Armegeddon begins when the Rapture instantly takes all believers in Christ from the Earth. A reporter left behind learns that the Anti-Christ will soon take power.
• Rayford Steele is an airline pilot whose relationship with his wife has gone sour; he ponders having an affair with attractive flight attendant Hattie Durham. During a flight to London, a number of their passengers mysteriously disappear, and chaos takes hold as a number of vehicles on the ground and in the air are suddenly unmanned. Meanwhile, television journalist Buck Williams is pondering the rash of sudden disappearances as he works on a report about Dr. Chaim Rosenzweig, an Israeli scientist who has devised a formula that would make any soil on earth easy to cultivate. However, Buck wonders if there's more to Rosenzweig when he discovers that the doctor is in cahoots with two multi-millionaires who plan to broker the invention to promote their own agenda of international domination. — Anonymous
• In an instant, millions of Christians around the world disappear in the biblical Rapture. As the events of the book of Revelation begin to unfold, a small group of recent converts must struggle to survive the oppression of the Antichrist.

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Critics Crucify ‘Left Behind’: 11 Reviews Better Than Nicolas Cage’s Performance

“Honestly, ‘Sharknado’ star Ian Ziering would have done a better job milking this material than Cage, who simply seems confused,” one critic writes

Bad news Christians: Yet another terrible faith-based movie has tarnished your cinematic reputation. And anyone hoping that the Nicolas Cage “Left Behind” reboot would scare lost souls back into church will probably be seeing the same, old faces on Sunday.

Critics have taken a holy crap on this remake of a 2000 movie starring Kirk Cameron . This one, also adapted from a series of bestselling novels about The Rapture that the deeply religious swear is coming, has accumulated a whopping three percent approval rating based on 31 reviews Rotten Tomatoes aggregated. That means one critic has written a positive review, so far.

Also read:   Satan Warns Skeptical Moviegoers From Remake of Kirk Cameron’s ‘Left Behind’ Starring Nic Cage

But based on the brutal takedowns of stuntman  Vic Armstrong ‘s first directing job in over 20 years, it’s hard not to imagine that single critic was paid, or maybe willing to spread the love of Jesus Christ no matter how much it hurts her readers’ eyes.

Since the bulk of the population will probably skip the latest questionable career choice by Oscar winner Cage, here are 11 critical quips more entertaining than the movie:

TheWrap ‘s Diane Garrett:

“Left Behind,” a Rapture disaster movie opening Friday, has all the subtlety of a sledgehammer and production values that verge on parody. Intended for a broad audience, it’s best appreciated by the most ardently faithful.

Arizona Central critic Bill Goodykoontz:

“People often ask critics what the best movie they’ve seen this year is, which makes for interesting conversations, and then follow up with what the worst movie is. That’s usually tougher to answer. So consider this a thank-you to the makers of ‘Left Behind’ for giving me a solid answer. ‘Left Behind’ is a terrible movie, bad in almost every way, not even qualifying as so-bad-it’s-good material.”

See video:   Nicolas Cage Flies Through the Rapture in God-Awful ‘Left Behind’ Trailer

Entertainment Weekly critic Lindsey Bahr:

“At best, ‘Left Behind’ is shoddily made sensationalist propaganda–with atrocious acting–that barely registers as entertainment. At worst, it’s profoundly moronic. Audiences, Christian or not, deserve better, and it’s hard to imagine that the ham-fisted revelations in this schlock could serve any higher purpose.”

USA Today critic Brian Truitt:

“‘Left Behind’ seriously could have used some divine intervention. Instead, the latest adaptation of Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins’ literary Rapture-palooza tosses Nicolas Cage into a disaster film that borders on ridiculous and sets up a potential new movie series for the popular Christian franchise. But when one character says, ‘I’m afraid it’s only the beginning,’ it comes off less as a warning and more as a threat to moviegoers.”

Also read:   ‘Gone Girl’ Reviews: Does David Fincher’s Thriller Make Ben Affleck a Critically Acclaimed Killer?

LA Weekly critic Amy Nicholson:

“The running time is spent avoiding religion to such a loony extent that no one explains that this mass vanishing is God’s work until the film is nearly over. It’s almost as though screenwriters Paul Lalonde and John Patus believe people might buy a ticket to  Left Behind  and not know the twist, like someone sitting down to watch Godzilla and being shocked by the entrance of a giant lizard. Who is this movie for?”

San Francisco Gate critic Michael Ordoña:

“With so much emphasis on proselytizing, there’s little energy remaining for, you know, characters, plotting, dialogue … pacing … It takes upwards of 30 minutes to reach the inciting incident. Seriously, 30-plus minutes to get to the thing we all know is gonna happen. Antsy viewers will be praying for the Rapture by 10 minutes.”

Also read:   ‘Gone Girl’ Review: David Fincher’s Latest Masterwork Mixes Suspense, Cynical Comedy and Razor-Sharp Satire

Washington Post critic Michael O’Sullivan:

“Cage, an actor who normally can be relied upon to provide a modicum of entertainment, even in — maybe especially in — his worst movies, delivers what surely will be remembered as one of the lowest-energy performances of his career. It’s tempting to call ‘Left Behind’ a wake-up call to heathens, except that it is, simply put, an exercise in tedium. Slumber on, ye godless horde.”

Chicago Tribune critic Michael Phillips:

“Of its reported $16 million budget, roughly $15 million appears to have gone to Cage on a dare that he maintain a straight face.”

See video:   Nicolas Cage Is ‘Left Behind’ to Try and Not Crash a Plane in Latest Post-Apocalyptic Trailer

New York Daily News critic Elizabeth Weitzman:

“What has gone so horribly wrong in Cage’s career that he is forced to accept any paycheck that comes his way? There’s no reason he shouldn’t make a religious movie, if that’s what speaks to him. But why would he make such a terrible one? The script is barely patched together, the effects are laughably tinny and the performances are so stilted you’d think this was everyone’s first film. Honestly, ‘Sharknado’ star Ian Ziering would have done a better job milking this material than Cage, who simply seems confused.”

JoBlo critic Chris Bumbray:

“I will say this – ‘Left Behind’ is the funniest movie set on an airplane since…well…’Airplane.’ Too bad it’s not supposed to be a comedy.”

See photos:   11 of God’s Biggest Hits at the Domestic Box Office

The Toronto Star  critic Linda Barnard:

“Score one for Satan.”