Christian blogger Doug Rawlins, and his wife, Liz, live and work in Washington D.C. After her graduation party, a family friend’s daughter is abducted, and no one seems to be too worried, including her own father. When Doug finds startling information in their friend’s basement, he leaves quickly. When those same friends invite Doug to Cairo to speak with a Muslim talk-show host on live TV, Doug thinks nothing of it and goes on the trip, despite his wife’s pleading for him to stay home.
While in Cairo, Doug attempts to share Christianity in the midst of the interview, which does not go well and leads to his kidnapping by the Iranian regime. When Liz finds out what has happened, she makes the decision to take matters into her own hands to save her husband.
From the very beginning of the movie, viewers are left confused—why would Doug choose to accept this invitation during such strange circumstances? Why did he think it would be a good idea to try to convert Muslims to Christianity on live television? The inconsistencies are plentiful.
As the film continues, Liz somehow gets into contact with underground Christians who agree to help her find her husband; meanwhile, Doug develops a sort of rapport with his captors and ends up badly beaten in a political prison. Unexplained situations, like these, become a theme throughout the movie.
While it is rich with Christian principles, the film offers few realistic scenarios—Doug’s captors allow him to write a blog in captivity, he escapes death on multiple occasions, and Liz’s friends always seem to step in at just the right time. In addition to this, the plan to break Doug out of prison is incredibly elaborate yet is executed quickly and seamlessly with little resistance from the prison guards. As a whole, it seems too unrealistic to be even loosely based on a true story.
From a videography standpoint, the production is well done, with the exception of a few minor inconsistencies. The audio is clear, as is the message: Stand firm in faith regardless of consequences. While lacking some depth, Infidel does a good job of staying true to its purpose and adequately shares God’s mercy for those who are placed in difficult situations for the purpose of furthering the Gospel.
The Dove Take:
While thematically wealthy with Christian values, Infidel is a film that provides unrealistic expectations for missionary work and ease of escaping hostage situations.
