If there is such a thing as a multiverse, perhaps a reality exists in which "Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul." is funny. Perhaps even very funny.
It isn't this one.
That's a real bummer, too, because it's easy to be intrigued with the idea of Sterling K. Brown — so compelling as Randal Pearson on the recently concluded NBC drama series "This Is Us" — playing a scandal-riddled preacher from a Southern Baptist megachurch.
It's not that Brown isn't up to the task; it's that the film's writer-director, Adamma Ebo, has picked a project too ambitious for her feature debut — which this week lands in theaters and on Peacock after debuting in January at the Sundance Film Festival.
The feature started as a short, which Ebo made while working toward her master of fine arts degree at UCLA.
We can appreciate Abo's desire to look at the religious culture in which she was raised — she attended a megachurch in Atlanta while growing up — through the lens of satirical comedy. Terrific satire is a tall order, though, and Abo fails to find the comedic tone with an approach that's part straight comedy, part mockumentary.
"Honk for Jesus" is largely unfocused and, more importantly, almost entirely unfunny.
It is the story of Brown's Pastor Lee-Curtis Childs and his wife, Trinitie Childs, first lady of the church where Lee-Curtis used to preach to thousands. That was before, well, the unpleasantness, a scandal involving his interactions with multiple young men in the congregation.
In one of our first moments with him, we see him stepping in literal you-know-what just outside the church's doors, an incident to which he reacts very poorly because he is wearing expensive Italian shoes. (It would help the movie if we somewhat liked Lee-Curtis despite his obvious faults, but this moment helps to ensure we never will.)
The couple has a huge closet filled with pricy clothing in their mansion, outside of which sit several very nice cars. Clearly, preaching used to be very profitable.
These days, though, things are different for the Childs, who had to close their church, Wander to Greater Paths, after his indiscretions came to light. However, they are planning a comeback, with a planned Easter Sunday reopening of the church, at which time they are counting on many congregants wandering back to them.
That is why the documentary crew is following them, and despite Trinitie's best efforts to control the narrative, the Childs constantly are captured at something other than their best. (One issue with "Honk": It can be tough at times to know whether what we're seeing at any given time is being captured by the crew or is part of the general narrative. Ebo's visual cues seem inconsistent, at least on a single viewing.)
While the Childs themselves may be reason enough for the comeback to fail, they also face competition from Sakura and Keon Sumpter — Nicole Beharie ("Miss Juneteenth") and Conphidance ("Little America — The Cowboy"), respectively — a young married couple, both of them pastors, They are planning to open a new location of their increasingly popular Heaven's House on the same religiously significant day.
Nonetheless, Lee-Curtis and Trinitie plow ahead with their plans, him practicing his all-important sermon for the day of their "rebirth" as she criticizes it mercilessly. They also desperately seek attention, including logging hours by the road looking for, yes, affirming honks from passing cars.
Even with an uneven performance from Hall ("Girls Trip," "Me Time"), you at least somewhat feel for Trinitie — it can't be easy to be in her position — but then she's also probably staying with her husband for the wrong reasons.
Perhaps, given the immense talent of Brown ("Waves," "Marshall"), there was something he could have done to lift "Honk for Jesus," or at least to make Lee-Curtis more relatable. If that thing exists, however, he didn't do it.
"Honk for Jesus" does elicit the occasional smile, such as a moment early on when Lee-Curtis is preaching with great passion to a loyal few faithful who have stood by Trinitie and him. He gets so swept up in his act, however phony it may be, that he takes off his shirt. As he reveals his muscular chest, a couple in the pews cover the eyes of their young daughter.
If the movie worked as intended, though, that moment would barely be memorable. That it stands out is damning.
There may be enough here for certain folks, especially those who, like Evo, grew up in this culture. She seemingly took great care to get the fashion — exemplified by Trinitie's hat choices — right.
Ultimately, though, that's just dressing on a subpar salad.
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'HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL.'
1.5 stars (out of 4)
MPAA rating: R (for language and some sexual content)
Running time: 1:38
How to watch: In theaters and on Peacock Friday
