‘An Interview with God’ Movie Review: Brenton Thwaites shines in a drama to ask God the tough questions

“What would you ask?”

That’s the central question for the new film, An Interview with God, starring Brenton Thwaites (Maleficent, Gods of Egypt) as a young reporter battle his assignment in Afghanistan and struggling marriage, as he sets an interview with God Almighty.

Thwaites’ Paul Asher is very skeptical of “The Man” claiming to be the Lord, but calm, cool questions get increasingly personal and challenging. David Strathairn (Bourne films, Eight Men Out, Lincoln) is brilliant, recapturing the power he displayed in his Oscar nominated performance from Good Night and Good Luck.

The Interview consists of three sessions, pushing Paul further and further into his self-examination. His marriage is in ruins and the only voice of reason and support comes from his editor, Gary (Hill Harper of Limitless), a man of faith who shares his struggles as a form of encouragement.

Unlike God’s Not Dead, director Perry Lang keeps the film personal, centering exclusively around Paul, as the argument between skeptic and believer plays out in each talk. This is neither a beat down on atheists, nor is it a glorification of Bible believers.

That said, the unbelieving will just find the “debates” to be tedious, bogged down with Straw Man arguments. I think Lang and writer Ken Aguado do a great job of opening a forum for dialogue beyond the film. Sadly there is a short Q&A setup after the film with Eric Metaxas which distracts from the film and offers not for the audience.

There isn’t much to the other arcs in the film. Paul and his wife (Yael Grobglas of Jane the Virgin, Supergirl) are dealing with infidelity in a very convoluted and vague backstory. Paul is reaching out to a faceless war veteran battling PTSD, but these subplots don’t really add much to the over film.

Thwaites is the star of the film and delivers a great performance. With each project his acting chops are getting better and better.

An Interview with God earns 3 out of 5 stars

Partnering with Fathom Events, the film lands in theaters for only 3 nights, but an encore or extended play could happen as the response has been strong. The faithful should enjoy the journey, confirming their battles and struggles with faith, but this isn’t much of an olive branch for the atheists.