In a quote that is often evoked when the subject of belief is brought up, Karl Marx so boldly called religion “the opium of the people. It is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of our soulless conditions”, which has often been appropriated as the source of conversations around the supposedly outdated nature of faith, especially in a world that is growing increasingly secular, to the point where the once-mighty church is now slowly fading away, overtaken by a wealth of other sources that offer the population the comfort and solace that was previously occupied by undying religious devotion. While it is certainly misguided to view it through the words of one person (especially someone whose anti-religious stance was definitive of his entire philosophy), but it does help start the discussion around how religion is portrayed in contemporary art, especially in film. Few works in recent years have been able to take as bold a look at religion than Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul., a film written and directed by Adamma Ebo in her directorial debut. Telling the story of a disgraced preacher who was previously the head of a massively successful mega-church, as seen through the eyes of his devoted but emotionally unstable wife, the film is an unfiltered and deeply haunting account of the extent to which religious belief can drive someone towards insanity. Ebo’s ambitious and raw talent works in conjunction with a pair of exceptionally strong performances to create an unforgettable tapestry of belief, as crafted by someone whose feelings towards this subject matter is made abundantly clear from the very beginning.

Constructed as a tell-all documentary about this church’s attempt at a comeback after its congregation departed, Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. is one of the most pointed and deeply provocative satires of recent years. Ebo certainly had many fascinating ideas, and she sews them into the fabric of this film, which is very much a work that is not afraid to become candid about its own incredulity towards organized religion, which it sees as something of an oppressive force. However, this is not a surface-level attack on belief, especially not those who hold onto their faith. In fact, the film is very empathetic to those who follow a religion, mainly avoiding looking at them as anything other than dedicated disciples that are unfortunately blind to the excess of the people that are given a podium and allowed to spew their own views and have it seen as quite literally the gospel truth, since there is a degree of gravitas that comes with being a preacher who holds significant amounts of power over people. This film is not interested in attacking religion itself, since it is quite sympathetic to those who find value in faith – its target is undeniably those who profit off it, both financially and socially, to the point where there have been many powerful people who have had the most despicable indiscretions swept under the rug as a result of having power and influence over a community that is blind to their flaws, which is single-handedly the most powerful tool that can be utilized anyone who wants to make a fortune through taking advantage of the god-fearing population, which is the foundation for this brutal indictment on a social structure that gives far too much credence to people who do not deserve it.

However, this is not always the case, and some of them do find themselves in positions where they can no longer evade the court of public perception – Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. looks at the aftermath of such an event, where a once-beloved preacher and his wife have to scrounge around to find even the smallest amount of adoration, in the hopes of staging a major comeback. Ebo’s work here is absolutely incredible, and she crafts a film that is wildly funny, but also one that carries with it a certain bleakness. Despite being a hysterically funny comedy, there is a darkness to this film that gradually makes us more uncomfortable, putting us in a precarious position of being voyeurs into this world, quietly observing rapidly crumbling around us, much like the fictional filmmakers involved in capturing this supposed comeback. Ebo’s control of tone is indicative of a truly extraordinary talent, with every detail being well-composed and essential to the broader story. We start out the film not knowing much about these characters – the use of the mockumentary format is more than just capitalizing on a common structure, but is done in order to emphasize the concept of these characters being put in charge of constructing their own narrative, telling their story in their words, with the voyeuristic implications of such an approach making the eventual deterioration of both their physical and psychological empire all the more striking. This is credit to the impeccable effort Ebo puts into carefully constructing this film, and portraying the depths to which these characters can go before realizing that they are not innocent in a world full of bad people, but rather the very perpetrators of the hubris and excess that they have supposedly devoted their life to preaching against, which is a shocking realization for all involved.

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. works best when it is able to stop and take stock of all its assets, finding new ways to incorporate a lot of the more promising ideas into a film that is very much driven by a few well-constructed elements that aid in telling the story. More than anything else, Edo owes a lot of the success of the film to the two performers who occupy the main roles, with Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown being the anchors that keep the film in motion. Both of them are seasoned performers who have done exceptional work on countless occasions, but yet are still somehow underrated, often being overlooked in favour of some of their contemporaries. At a glance, Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. doesn’t seem like the kind of film that necessarily translates into a career-changing narrative for either of the actors, especially since it is not a film that we can easily interpret on the surface. However, the further we venture into the story, the more we find these actors doing incredible work with characters that are inspired by common archetypes, but infused with a lot of depth by Hall and Brown. As we’ve said, there’s a darkness that begins to encroach on the film as it progresses, but this is all done through how the actors perform – the tone remains consistent, but it’s the characters that begin to shift, becoming more sinister or desperate as the film moves on and begins to provoke more detail into the lives of these people and the kinds of individuals that they represent. Hall in particular is giving a career-best performance, taking several risks and exposing a vulnerability that we have never seen from her – but she is matched by Brown every step of the way, with his portrayal of the embodiment of toxic masculinity and fragility being one of the most stark we’ve ever seen, his blend of incandescent charisma colliding with his capacity for genuine malice, making for an extraordinary dynamic between the two incredible actors who single-handedly make this film so unforgettable.

However, as tempting as it is to stop the discussion here and look at Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. as merely a sharp satire on the world of religion and how many people have found a way to commodify belief in a higher power, this film is far more complex. There are certain indicators that Ebo was trying to say something else here – after all, the disgraced preacher (while a prominent character) is essentially rendered as a secondary figure after a while, as the film eventually shifts its focus away from the scandal and attempted comeback, and more onto the state of this marriage, as seen through the eyes of the long-suffering wife who has been placed in a position where she had pledged an allegiance to her husband, promising to stand by him through whatever hardships, which are revealed to be far more abundant in their relationship than we’d have thought. Hall’s performance resounds with pain and fury, and while the film is undeniably a comedy, it has nuances that redirect our attention away from the more surface-level satire, and placing it directly on the fact that this is essentially a film about a woman teetering dangerously close on the edge of a nervous breakdown, someone who has grown weary of always being the supportive wife whose entire existence is to be the voice of reason in a very public marriage, and the affirming voice for someone whose insecurities have driven him to the point of complete financial and moral bankruptcy. Ebo makes many scathing comments on the cult of celebrity, but focusing on the half of a couple that is normally obscured by their more famous partner, the person who is as reliable as the sunrise, but whose entire purpose is slowly starting to unravel as they come to terms with their own fierce sense of individuality, which works in tandem with the more traditional aspects of the story to make Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. so complex.

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. certainly has many bold ideas, the kind that we normally find with novice filmmakers, who choose to make an audacious entrance by going for the jugular and leaping into the unknown, almost as if they need to make a name for themselves from the start. This doesn’t always work, but in the case of this film, it will be difficult to look at Ebo as anything other than one of the most promising young voices in contemporary cinema. A daring and rambunctious filmmaker whose storytelling prowess shows someone with the sensibilities of a seasoned veteran, but whose approach points towards a kind of youthful rage, the kind of apoplectic disdain for contemporary society, that is steadily becoming a mainstay in modern cinema. We all have different definitions of what good satire looks like, and it’s difficult to pinpoint it to a specific style or approach – but Ebo’s work here indicates a firm grasp on the fundamental aspects of the genre, creating a blend of bombastic humour and ferocious anger to portray a story that provides an analysis of not only contemporary perceptions on religion, or the gender dynamics that occur in modern American society, but a forthright and provocative commentary on an entire culture that has been driven to the point of insanity, whether it is through the idolization of people who do not deserve even an iota of fame (and who doubtlessly use every bit of attention to fuel their growing moral corruption), but who receive it in an abundance. A subversive and challenging masterwork of contemporary satire, and the kind of film that is as hilarious as it is thought-provoking, Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. is a truly indescribable film that creates an atmosphere of simultaneous delight and discomfort, a poignant combination that is effectively used in the construction of this harrowing but vital satirical masterwork.