Referred to as “one of the only books that offers a blessing to whomever reads it, and one the most extraordinary books I’ve ever read,” Johanna Shepherd (Zanah Thirus) briefly describes (in narration) the events in the first five chapters of the Book of Revelation. Then viewers are suddenly transported to a bleak world filled with destruction as Johanna searches for her parents amongst burning buildings.
She manages to find her best friend, Faye (Clarissa Losey), and the two try to figure out a way to survive their chaotic reality. When Johanna hears the cries of her pregnant babysitter, Ava (Chris Swensen), she takes her in to help protect her from the evil that surrounds them. The women must resort to stealing food, weapons and breaking into people’s homes to stay alive.
They also cross paths with dangerous men who blame Christians for what is happening in the world and use Johanna to lure them to their hiding place. The Christians warn Johanna to not take the “mark of the beast” and give her a Bible as they read from Revelation. Soon the dangerous men breakdown the door and violently shoot and kill all the Christians.
Johanna and her friends eventually hide from the men and must stick together to endure the turmoil as the forces of evil grow stronger. While everything crumbles around them, Johanna begins to realize what’s happening is predicted in the Bible and she needs to trust its instruction in order to survive.
The Coming is a dramatization of the Book of Revelation. A large part of the book is covered either through story or narration. Viewers of the movie witness Johanna’s perspective change as she reads the Bible and refuses to accept the “mark of the beast.” She also displays positive character traits when she takes in Ava and refuses to abandon her, even when Faye wants to leave her behind. Faye also shows integrity when she covers for Johanna while she is caught reading a Bible (which could get her killed).
This movie provides a glimpse of what it might look like to live in a catastrophic world but also focuses on discovering the hope of Jesus Christ’s return. Despite its spiritual message, it includes graphic violence and disturbing scenes as would be expected in an apocalyptic movie.
People are shot and killed without any remorse. Most of the killings are gunshots to the head and some involve blood splatter. A woman is strangled and another woman’s finger is cut off (just beyond the camera shot). Most people get in fist fights and have wounds and bruising from their altercations. People also steal, lie and break and enter homes for survival.
We award this film our Dove Seal for Ages 18+.
The Dove Take:
The Coming depicts an apocalyptic world of the end times through the eyes of a woman who endures it and discovers hope despite her circumstances.
