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Movies Are Prayers: How Films Voice Our Deepest Longings
"Movies are our way of telling God what we think about this world and our place in it. . . . Movies can be many things: escapist experiences, historical artifacts, business ventures, and artistic expressions, to name a few. I'd like to suggest that they can also be prayers." Movies do more than tell a good story. They are expressions of raw emotion, naked vulnerability, and unbridled rage. They often function in the same way as prayers, communicating our deepest longings and joys to a God who hears each and every one. In this captivating book, Filmspotting co-host Josh Larsen brings a critic's unique perspective to how movies function as expressions to God of lament, praise, joy, confession, and more. His clear expertise and passion for the art of film, along with his thoughtful reflections on the nature of prayer, will bring you a better understanding of both. God's omnipresence means that you can find him whether you're sitting on your sofa at home or in the seats at the theater. You can talk to him wherever movies are shown. And when words fail, the perfect film might be just what you need to jump-start your conversations with the Almighty.
208 pages, Paperback
Published June 13, 2017
52 people are currently reading
868 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
January 26, 2019
From other exposure to similar attempts, I expected slipshod exposition to put the Word into the service of an author's favorite cultural expressions. Not so. The Bible narrative is primary and pulsates through this text. The examples from that point to it well are secondary and well chosen. I suspect you will understand and appreciate the Gospel more from reading this book. I also suspect you may look twice at the narrative beneath pop-culture the next time you encounter it.
June 13, 2017
If you know Josh Larsen, the biggest surprise of this book is that he only made Wes Anderson films the centerpieces of two chapters.
A book that taught me some things about prayer AND film. I wish all of my fellow Christians put this much thought into film, we'd get a few less Fireproofs and a few more films worth thinking about.
A book that taught me some things about prayer AND film. I wish all of my fellow Christians put this much thought into film, we'd get a few less Fireproofs and a few more films worth thinking about.
October 16, 2025
Finally, recognition of The Muppets and absolutely God gifted joy they bring
September 11, 2022
1.5
In the foreword, this book is recommended to anyone, religious or no; but it's pretty plain that the content is geared toward Christians, and I'm genuinely surprised to find positive reviews from both sides of the camp. It could be a pleasant, moderately interesting outing for the casual film fan who also happens to be religious, but I expect more serious movie buffs may find the pick and mix, surface-level approach tiresome. Larson is clearly passionate about film, though he surprised me on occasion with some rookie blunders (like confusing match cuts and jumps cuts) and occasionally making baseless leaps in logic to fit his outlook.
I would say that the book starts well enough, if only because the premise (while cringe in presentation) is an interesting one. The essential relationship between film and prayer here is that movies can be seen as deeper expressions of something internal (the idea conjures one of a few interpretations of Romans 8:26). I don't think Larson's definition of prayer is made abundantly clear though (one minute he'll be arguing movies as prayers, the next he'll be arguing for movies as uttering prayers), so I was left wondering initially whether he was arguing for the movie as a prayer of its creator, or merely that the movie substitutes itself as a prayer for the audience. It soon becomes clear that, at least for the most part, Larson is arguing the latter. I found this a pretty weak and convenient interpretation of the definition of prayer for the sake of marrying pop film commentary with Christian values (and if we zoom in on the Romans 8 parallel made in the introduction, then in that context the movies are really a parallel with the Holy Spirit and not the prayer itself). The former would have been a much more compelling exploration; if film and prayer are to become synonymous then surely the issuer/creator of the prayer/movie should be the source for determining whether indeed the parallel holds up? But instead Larson is content to navigate each chapter by listing his favourite movies, highlighting some themes, injecting subjective meaning, and then sticking the words 'prayer of' in front. This quickly becomes repetitive and many of the observations are frustratingly simplistic; some of the analysis can even be boiled down to "this film is sad - it's a prayer of lament!". And even then, the film isn't so much a lament as it is that Larson is observing that a character laments. This isn't the same as the film, the art object itself, being a lament, which would (again) depend on the position of the artist. Seeing the tenuous way Toy Story was justified as a prayer of confession was pretty much the last straw for me. I nearly threw the book into the fire (until I realised that it was the hot season and I didn't actually own a fireplace).
Putting all that aside, the format in which a selection of unrelated films are navigated at Larson's whim is equally annoying. If I want to hear this much detail about a movie, I'll have seen it first, in which case, I don't want a full summary. If I haven't seen it, I don't want a full summary spoiling events for me before I watch it. This approach does nothing for me whether I've seen the film or not. It's either tiresome or invasive.
At the end of the day, this is Larson using spiritual parallels to justify his hobby. I for sure think that film has a lot of value and that viewing it as expressing something spiritual subconsciously is a fascinating subject. But it's not explored here.
I'll leave you with the same facepalm Larson ends the book with:
In the foreword, this book is recommended to anyone, religious or no; but it's pretty plain that the content is geared toward Christians, and I'm genuinely surprised to find positive reviews from both sides of the camp. It could be a pleasant, moderately interesting outing for the casual film fan who also happens to be religious, but I expect more serious movie buffs may find the pick and mix, surface-level approach tiresome. Larson is clearly passionate about film, though he surprised me on occasion with some rookie blunders (like confusing match cuts and jumps cuts) and occasionally making baseless leaps in logic to fit his outlook.
I would say that the book starts well enough, if only because the premise (while cringe in presentation) is an interesting one. The essential relationship between film and prayer here is that movies can be seen as deeper expressions of something internal (the idea conjures one of a few interpretations of Romans 8:26). I don't think Larson's definition of prayer is made abundantly clear though (one minute he'll be arguing movies as prayers, the next he'll be arguing for movies as uttering prayers), so I was left wondering initially whether he was arguing for the movie as a prayer of its creator, or merely that the movie substitutes itself as a prayer for the audience. It soon becomes clear that, at least for the most part, Larson is arguing the latter. I found this a pretty weak and convenient interpretation of the definition of prayer for the sake of marrying pop film commentary with Christian values (and if we zoom in on the Romans 8 parallel made in the introduction, then in that context the movies are really a parallel with the Holy Spirit and not the prayer itself). The former would have been a much more compelling exploration; if film and prayer are to become synonymous then surely the issuer/creator of the prayer/movie should be the source for determining whether indeed the parallel holds up? But instead Larson is content to navigate each chapter by listing his favourite movies, highlighting some themes, injecting subjective meaning, and then sticking the words 'prayer of' in front. This quickly becomes repetitive and many of the observations are frustratingly simplistic; some of the analysis can even be boiled down to "this film is sad - it's a prayer of lament!". And even then, the film isn't so much a lament as it is that Larson is observing that a character laments. This isn't the same as the film, the art object itself, being a lament, which would (again) depend on the position of the artist. Seeing the tenuous way Toy Story was justified as a prayer of confession was pretty much the last straw for me. I nearly threw the book into the fire (until I realised that it was the hot season and I didn't actually own a fireplace).
Putting all that aside, the format in which a selection of unrelated films are navigated at Larson's whim is equally annoying. If I want to hear this much detail about a movie, I'll have seen it first, in which case, I don't want a full summary. If I haven't seen it, I don't want a full summary spoiling events for me before I watch it. This approach does nothing for me whether I've seen the film or not. It's either tiresome or invasive.
At the end of the day, this is Larson using spiritual parallels to justify his hobby. I for sure think that film has a lot of value and that viewing it as expressing something spiritual subconsciously is a fascinating subject. But it's not explored here.
I'll leave you with the same facepalm Larson ends the book with:
"Dear God,
We pray for your presence in our theaters, in our homes, and wherever we participate in one of your great gifts: the art of cinema. Receive the praise of Avatar. Answer the yearning of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Hear the lament of 12 Years a Slave. Be merciful in the face of James Dean's anger. Accept Buzz Lightyear's confession. Bless the tentative reconciliation of Do the Right Thing. Enourage George Bailey as he obeys. Meet Buster Keaton in meditation. Stoke Fred and Ginger's joy. Thank you for the movies, Lord, and the talents you've given to those who make them. We ask for your guidance, so that we may watch and pray with wisdom and grace that honors you.
Fin/amen."
March 13, 2024
Yeah, I mean when a book considers Do the Right Thing, Toy Story, and Rushmore as prayers, there can only really be one rating I can give it.
December 31, 2025
I agree with the underlying premise that film is a legitimate art form that speaks powerfully to human experience, and thus merits theological engagement and critique. The specific claim that “movies are prayers” feels strained, which renders both the theology and the criticism a bit shallow. It didn’t help that I haven’t seen many of the movies he discusses. He seems to prefer obscure arthouse titles.
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September 21, 2024I’m so glad this exists. Josh’s approach is an accesible and generative model of what it can mean to be a Christian and a cinephile. If you ever feel like you can’t be both, or wonder what connections there are between the two, this book is for you.
February 16, 2018
I'm a frequent listener of the always-interesting Filmspotting podcast, but wasn't sure what to expect from Larsen's book on faith and film. As a Christian, I'm always looking for writers/directors/producers who seem to be asking what I call "good questions" about the world and our place in it, regardless of their faith (or lack of it). I'd never really considered the "movies are prayers" concept, but Larsen makes a strong case for it. More than anything else, he makes you think.
November 27, 2020
This may get 4 stars after some more thought. There were aspects of the execution that held it back, but the heart and intention behind it are definitely praiseworthy.
June 1, 2020
Written by a celebrated critic in the niche world of podcasts about movies, Larson's book is less a examination of the language of cinema as it is an examination of cinema as a language - a language we use to express the desires of our hearts. For Larsen each film is the prayer of its creator (whether intended or no) and he posits that, with a dose of sedulous meditation and reverence, we viewers can be participants in the prayerful act and commune with what is divine, both in and outside ourselves.
It is to Larsen's credit that book presents thoughtful grist for a movie lover's mill, a christian's consideration, or those who happen to seek both celluloid and the Holy Spirit. There is something for anyone who can subscribe to one of those three labels - many somethings, in fact, to muse upon, wrestle, disagree with, and pursue.
Seldom has a book resonated with me so cleanly in one chapter, then had me so skeptical - or even baffled - in the next. Despite the muddier sections of the book, I have already recommended it to several friends and colleagues and I am sure it will be kicking about in my head for years to come whenever movies are on my mind - which is rather often indeed.
It is to Larsen's credit that book presents thoughtful grist for a movie lover's mill, a christian's consideration, or those who happen to seek both celluloid and the Holy Spirit. There is something for anyone who can subscribe to one of those three labels - many somethings, in fact, to muse upon, wrestle, disagree with, and pursue.
Seldom has a book resonated with me so cleanly in one chapter, then had me so skeptical - or even baffled - in the next. Despite the muddier sections of the book, I have already recommended it to several friends and colleagues and I am sure it will be kicking about in my head for years to come whenever movies are on my mind - which is rather often indeed.
October 24, 2018
I would give this 3.5 stars, but I rounded up because there were some really magnificent analogies present.
I didn’t really know what I was getting into when my aunt let me borrow this book, especially considering that I’m not even half the movie oficiando that she is, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that Josh Larsen really highlights art, creativity, and they collide with faith and spirituality in film.
Whether or not any of his examples or specific thoughts were lost on me, I still enjoyed digging into what another Christian had to say about the arts and the importance they hold, even through the lens of 21st-century media.
I have added many films to my list and expanded my horizons on how prayer can be displayed in everyday life and in unexpected places. I’d recommend this to any wishing to do the same.
I didn’t really know what I was getting into when my aunt let me borrow this book, especially considering that I’m not even half the movie oficiando that she is, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that Josh Larsen really highlights art, creativity, and they collide with faith and spirituality in film.
Whether or not any of his examples or specific thoughts were lost on me, I still enjoyed digging into what another Christian had to say about the arts and the importance they hold, even through the lens of 21st-century media.
I have added many films to my list and expanded my horizons on how prayer can be displayed in everyday life and in unexpected places. I’d recommend this to any wishing to do the same.
April 15, 2019
Despite its title, I didn’t expect this book to be a study of film through the lens of Christian theology. It became apparent in the first chapter, but my Puritanical need to finish pushed me to persevere. Larsen offers some interesting bits of film criticism, especially in terms of thematic considerations, but the doctrinaire rumination and application overwhelms the experience— I’m not sure the slog was worth it. I did note a few films I’d like to now watch though.
July 8, 2017
As Filmspotting fan I was expecting excellant movie conversations but this was filled with way too much of religion talk. I wish Josh would have read audio book, at least.
October 28, 2017
This is one of the best and most thoughtful books on the intersection of films and faith that I've read. Considering movies as prayers is a unique and, it turns out, hugely meaningful approach.
August 13, 2017
I picked this up as a dear friend told me about it and it intrigued me. I love movies and have connected them with my faith for over a decade. I have seen them as ways we can experience transcendance as we engage with movies, learning something about ourselves, life, and God, and sometimes even experiencing God Himself. I had not necessarily thought of them as prayers.
Josh Larsen, cohost of the podcast Filmspotting, says “that movies, at their most potent, are not diversions or products or even works of art, but prayerful gestures received by God.” He further elaborates: “Movies are our way of telling God what we think about this world and our place in it… . Movies can be many things: escapist experiences, historical artifacts, business ventures, and artistic expressions, to name a few. I'd like to suggest that they can also be prayer.”
He divides the book into 10 types of prayer, each forming a chapter of the book:
1) Prayers of praise
2) Prayers of yearning
3) Prayers of lament
4) Prayers of anger
5) Prayers of confession
6) Prayers of reconciliation
7) Prayers of obedience
8) Payers of meditation
9) Prayers of joy
10) Prayer as journey
He uses various movies, from Buster Keaton silent film, to the most recent Star Wars movie,* The Force Awakens*, as well as books and scripture to illustrate his points. For the most part, just a scene or two from a film is used.
This book is a quick read and does communicate the writer’s thesis well. I have two main criticisms. First, it is short at just over 200 pages, with a good 25% devoted to notes. I had expected more. Second, I anticipated more in-depth analysis of some films. Larsen does that at the very end, as he takes the concept of prayer as journey and looks at one film. He does with Rushmore, exploring how it moves through the various stages in progression. That was what I wanted more of.
All in all, I would recommend this book. I’d give it 3.5 if I could.
Josh Larsen, cohost of the podcast Filmspotting, says “that movies, at their most potent, are not diversions or products or even works of art, but prayerful gestures received by God.” He further elaborates: “Movies are our way of telling God what we think about this world and our place in it… . Movies can be many things: escapist experiences, historical artifacts, business ventures, and artistic expressions, to name a few. I'd like to suggest that they can also be prayer.”
He divides the book into 10 types of prayer, each forming a chapter of the book:
1) Prayers of praise
2) Prayers of yearning
3) Prayers of lament
4) Prayers of anger
5) Prayers of confession
6) Prayers of reconciliation
7) Prayers of obedience
8) Payers of meditation
9) Prayers of joy
10) Prayer as journey
He uses various movies, from Buster Keaton silent film, to the most recent Star Wars movie,* The Force Awakens*, as well as books and scripture to illustrate his points. For the most part, just a scene or two from a film is used.
This book is a quick read and does communicate the writer’s thesis well. I have two main criticisms. First, it is short at just over 200 pages, with a good 25% devoted to notes. I had expected more. Second, I anticipated more in-depth analysis of some films. Larsen does that at the very end, as he takes the concept of prayer as journey and looks at one film. He does with Rushmore, exploring how it moves through the various stages in progression. That was what I wanted more of.
All in all, I would recommend this book. I’d give it 3.5 if I could.
May 24, 2017
Movies are about life. As God's creation, all aspects of life are some kind of communication with him. So it makes sense that movies are prayers. It would also make sense that really anything is conversation with God whether we recognize it or not. This book is showing specifically how films can be that line of communication with God. So if you're interested in being more aware of God and like to watch a lot of movies, this film can help you fuse those two concepts together. I think this is important because movies are such a big part of our culture that to ignore our interaction of God with them would leave a big Godless hole in our culture. God is everywhere. This book just helps us be more aware of that which ultimately helps people have more contact with God in their lives and spending more time with a transforming God is great. I think as humans we experience the nine ways of communicating that are categorized as prayers in this book, with movies, with other people and with God. Due to cultural traits and personal traits, we may experience or participate with all of them in varying degrees. However, all are important to life, to having a balanced line of communication with ourselves, with each other and with God. As a result, different chapters might hit different people as being more impactful than others. For example, I may find it much easier to enjoy or praise life's riches and God than to feel the sadness and lament of the brokenness in the world. Movies can help me feel that appropriate lament. In one of the more poignant chapters in this book, the author describes his own hardship with meditative and contemplative prayer (one of the weak points of Western culture) and how certain movies can help him with this. In another strong chapter on reconciliation, the author describes some of the weaknesses of US culture and American Protestant churches and how movies can help if they were taken more seriously and with a mind to see movies of stories of lives in some kind of communication with an ever-present God. A lot of movies are, after all, a way too see the lives and stories of people we'd never get a chance to meet otherwise and so we get to watch and listen as they communicate with God and with us and if we pay attention and learn to see as the author of this book can, then we can become closer, gain more understanding and communicate more with other people, with God and even with ourselves.
April 6, 2018
After reading Josh Larsen's recent review of Labyrinth, in which he not only explains the film's coherence but goes further to convincingly argue that David Bowie's infamous codpiece was the key to interpreting the film, I decided it was time to finally pick up Movies Are Prayers.
And I liked it. Larson knows his films, covering not only obvious faith/cinema conversation points — The Seventh Seal, The Tree of Life, Babette's Feast, It's a Wonderful Life, the work of Andrei Tarkovsky — but spends plenty of time on films usually overlooked by Christian critics. (Any Christian engagement with films like Hiroshima Mon Amour or In the Mood for Love or directors like Miyazaki and Godard is a win in my book.)
In general, Larson is best when he goes deep with a film, be it Rushmore or My Neighbor Totoro, where his attention to form is most evident.
I especially appreciated the section on film as a place of encounter with the other, which deeply resonated with my own experience.
Recommended as an entry-level guide for Christians seeking to delve into the wider, wilder world of cinema.
And I liked it. Larson knows his films, covering not only obvious faith/cinema conversation points — The Seventh Seal, The Tree of Life, Babette's Feast, It's a Wonderful Life, the work of Andrei Tarkovsky — but spends plenty of time on films usually overlooked by Christian critics. (Any Christian engagement with films like Hiroshima Mon Amour or In the Mood for Love or directors like Miyazaki and Godard is a win in my book.)
In general, Larson is best when he goes deep with a film, be it Rushmore or My Neighbor Totoro, where his attention to form is most evident.
I especially appreciated the section on film as a place of encounter with the other, which deeply resonated with my own experience.
Recommended as an entry-level guide for Christians seeking to delve into the wider, wilder world of cinema.
July 31, 2018
A book that takes movies and Christian faith very seriously, so pretty much perfect for me. I love how Larsen -- co-host of the wonderful movie podcast Filmspotting -- considers the various types of movies as prayers according to the Bible's redemptive timeline: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. A number of my favorite movies were mentioned and I added a ton to my "to watch" list. My favorite part of the book was the final chapter in which Larsen showed how one of his favorite movies, Rushmore, incorporated all the different types of prayers. It made me sort of wish that there had been more sections of the book in which he dug deeper into one movie like that. But, still, this is a wonderful book and highly recommended for cinephiles.
July 13, 2021
Very interesting concept. At first, it was hard for me to grasp the looser idea of prayer presented in this book, but as he continued giving examples, it made more sense. It did become a little disappointing that there were so many movie examples that I haven’t seen. The most meaningful examples to me were of the ones I’ve watched. I think his goal was to pick the perfect movie for his point and hopefully expose people to new genres and open their eyes to how vast the movie industry is, but that was a bit like trying to have his cake and eat it too. I think he should have chosen to either write a book about movies as prayers OR a book about great unknown films instead of trying to squish both into one book. The good thing was that it reminded me to continue analyzing movies just like I do other art. Films are much richer with lively discussion and deep thinking.
April 6, 2022
For me, a stout introduction to film criticism conveyed through a framework of theological longing.
As a long-time-fan of Larsen's podcast Filmspotting and as someone curious about his reconciliations of faith and film, this book only increased my admiration for his astute and delicate work.
This book met me where I was at and took my understanding and curiosity further--anyone hoping to break further into film while better understanding our faith's place in it should seriously pick this up.
As a long-time-fan of Larsen's podcast Filmspotting and as someone curious about his reconciliations of faith and film, this book only increased my admiration for his astute and delicate work.
This book met me where I was at and took my understanding and curiosity further--anyone hoping to break further into film while better understanding our faith's place in it should seriously pick this up.
June 25, 2022
I picked this up because it was in the film section of the library and I read it on my flight today. It was interesting but much more religious than I was expecting, which, duh, the title should have clued me in, but hindsight is 20/20 and all that. Each chapter was a mini-treatise on the specific nature of prayer and how different films are examples of praise, lament, anger, reconciliation, or joy, etc. I loved the unique perspective and it made me think.
January 23, 2025
I’m no literary expert, but as someone deeply interested in film and the way that Christianity interacts with it, this book had a lot of wonderful insight. In a time where ‘Christian films’ can be of questionable quality and theology at times, viewing the medium in a different way (this book’s proposed way) is a fresh and encouraging perspective.
In other words, read this book. It’s good. If you think that films are just entertainment and hold little value, read this book, and hopefully it’ll change your mind.
In other words, read this book. It’s good. If you think that films are just entertainment and hold little value, read this book, and hopefully it’ll change your mind.
March 26, 2021
A really compelling argument for the prayers that are presented through cinema, including a range of types of prayers and corresponding Scripture. I found every chapter as interesting as the last even when I wasn’t familiar with the movie discussed, and it confirmed the clarity of my own lens through which I see God’s story in film and TV
May 27, 2025
It's funny that I should like and respect this book so much when, as it happens, I'm not on board with his central claim (also his title) that movies are "prayers." What Mr. Larsen does with this claim all through the book, I totally get and like and enjoy. Perhaps instead of the word "prayer"--which I take to refer to a fairly specific act, talking to God--the book should say movies are "reflections" or "projections" or something.
But like I said, it hardly matters. The book is brilliant and well written and a great exploration of the power of movies and stories to help us make and express meaning, to grapple with our existence, to seek the Higher.
I really like this book.
But like I said, it hardly matters. The book is brilliant and well written and a great exploration of the power of movies and stories to help us make and express meaning, to grapple with our existence, to seek the Higher.
I really like this book.
June 19, 2019
I enjoyed how Larsen describes movies as ones of yearning, lament, confession, etc.! If anything, it was a reminder that art in all forms (this being film) usually reveals our true hearts and desires. Can you guess what kind of prayer Into the Wild is?
January 21, 2020
This book was very readable and helpful to think about how prayer/meditation can be incorporated into film watching. I especially enjoyed the first few chapters.
June 4, 2020
Completely up my alley. God uses films to speak to us and we can speak to him through film.
July 20, 2025
I really like Josh Larsen on film spotting, but I did not enjoy an analysis of films through the lens of Christianity. He does an incredible job analyzing movies, but I could not get over the fact that every other page was talking about how Spider-man 2 relates to the book of Job.
March 21, 2018
This was very insightful, and should help me better appreciate many types of movies — including some of the ones I don’t really like.
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