'The Jesus Tapes' Review: A Bold Premise That’s Worth a Look

 

'The Jesus Tapes' Review: A Bold Premise That’s Worth a Look

A man claiming to be Jesus Christ sits down for a public-access television interview. That is the irresistible premise of Rick Pamplin’s "The Jesus Tapes," a found-footage mockumentary built around VHS recordings purchased at a Florida storage auction. The tapes contain episodes of a Los Angeles television show, behind-the-scenes material, and news coverage documenting the stranger’s appearances. His identity is in question. His message of peace, love, and forgiveness is familiar.

I loved the idea—and the bravado of poking fun at the mythology surrounding Jesus. Putting this mysterious visitor in a public-access studio, rather than surrounding him with the grandeur of a biblical epic, brings the story down to earth. Here is someone claiming to be Christ, sitting across from an interviewer who can ask the questions the rest of us might want answered.

The trouble is that the message gets repetitive. Then again, so does religion.

Perhaps that is deliberate. Hear something often enough, and it can seep into your thinking before you have decided whether you believe it. At times, the repetition feels like a mischievous plan to bore us into submission: keep talking until resistance gives way to acceptance. I cannot say that was Pamplin’s intention, but it was hard not to think about the connection while watching.

That does not make every repeated point engaging. There are stretches when the film seems determined to explain something it has already made clear. I wanted it to trust the premise—and the audience—a little more. The setup gives us plenty to consider without continually underlining the message.

What held my interest was the opportunity to question a story so many people are taught to accept. It is one thing to profess belief in Jesus. It is another to confront a person claiming to be him and decide what, exactly, would make that claim convincing. Would we listen? Demand evidence? Dismiss him before he finished speaking? The interview format gives those questions a place to play out.

The rest is a matter of taste. If you appreciate a film that gives deeply religious viewers a reason to pause and think, The Jesus Tapes may work for you. Believers willing to examine their assumptions have something to engage with here. Those looking only for reassurance, with no room for doubt or scrutiny, may find it less welcome.

And skeptics do not have to accept the stranger’s claim to enjoy the nerve of the exercise. I certainly appreciated its willingness to take a familiar religious figure out of the usual reverent setting and make him the subject of an uncertain, sometimes awkward conversation.

The execution did not always match my enthusiasm for the idea. Still, I would rather watch a film willing to risk an uncomfortable question than one content to tell its audience exactly what it already believes. All in all, "The Jesus Tapes" is worth a look.

TJT B-W Still 6.jpg (Courtesy Photo)

“A terrific premise with the bravado to challenge, provoke, and make you think. Worth a look!”

— Lapacazo Sandoval, AmNews Curtain Raiser

Film Details & Credits

Title: "The Jesus Tapes"

Genre: Mockumentary / Found Footage

Runtime: 1 hour, 21 minutes

Director: Rick Pamplin

Cast: Names withheld in the supplied release materials

Production note: According to the release materials, the film has no opening or closing credits.