The Firing Squad (2024)
With the decentralization of Hollywood these days, it seems as if everyone is getting in on the filmmaking racket. This has always been the case, of course, but lately it’s taken on critical mass, and even media outlets such as The Daily Wire and Epoch Times are turning out movies.
One of these is The Firing Squad, which was jointly produced by the Epoch Times’ Epoch Media and independent company Rock Media and is loosely based on the true story of two Australian prisoners who were the ringleaders of the drug running group known as the Bali Nine. While in prison, these two and many others converted to Christianity, but despite pleas for clemency from their families and numerous public figures, were executed on April 29, 2015 at Nusakambangan Island.
Eight in all were executed on that day, and they walked out to the execution grounds singing “Amazing Grace,” and “Bless the Lord, O My Soul,” only stopping when all were dead by firing squad.
Now, I know everyone has their own opinion about the Epoch Times. I’m a little mixed on them myself, but they do have a lot of good articles on such topics as literature, history and health in their print newspaper. The mainstream media absolutely haaaates them because Epoch is proudly anti-Communist, it’s factually balanced and doesn’t tow the line when it comes to mainstream journalism’s pet issues like climate change and the COVID shot. They were founded out of the Falun Gong movement, which blends various tenents of Eastern religions and once put out anti-Chinese Communist Party leaflets. Even today, they are at times a way for freedom-minded Chinese people to tell the world about what goes on in the People’s Republic of China.
Since Epoch is not a strictly Christian organization, it’s interesting that they would fund a movie like The Firing Squad, as it trumpets the Gospel message loud and clear. As a movie it’s fairly strong, but from a missions standpoint there may be some issues.
Starring Kevin Sorbo as Pastor Lynbrook, Cuba Gooding, Jr. as Samuel Wilson, and James Barrington as Peter Lone, The Firing Squad mostly focuses on the latter as he journeys from being an overconfident drug runner and atheist to earnest Christian. He not only converts, but the prison has an active ministry going that even draws some of the guards to attend worship at the little prison chapel.
It’s hard to say how closely the film mirrors what actually happened to Peter’s real-life counterpart, Andrew Chan, but the likely thing is probably not too much, as the men’s experiences within the prison beyond their conversion were naturally shrouded in mystery. It’s also possible that the families of the men may not have wanted the film to be a point-for-point recreation of what happened, maybe because it’s still too painful. I couldn’t find out for sure, though.
The movie does show Peter marrying Miriam, a woman who works in the prison ministry. Like his onscreen self, Andrew Chan married his girlfriend two days before he died. In the movie, as in real life, the prisoners walked to their execution singing “Amazing Grace.”
Firing Squad is so intent on presenting the Gospel that anytime relevant verses are quoted by the actors, the Bible reference pops up on the screen. It’s helpful for knowledge’s sake, but unclear how many theatergoers are going to pull out their phones to look up a Bible verse in the middle of a darkened movie theater. I’m guessing the film is going to be shown in other places where it’ll be easier to follow along in that regard.
It’s also unclear how many non-Christians will understand the Christianese, or standard Christian cliches, that are pretty heavy throughout the movie, and I’m saying that as someone who’s been in the church her entire life. When I was an Awana leader we were always trained to avoid too much Christianese, especially when talking to children, because words and phrases Christians take for granted can sound awfully strange to people who don’t have much Bible knowledge or none at all.
What does it mean to “accept Christ,” for instance? It’s easy to say, but it can be hard to define. I hope anyone who sees the film has someone they can talk to if they have questions.
I also wish there had been more than one song used. Every time a character reaches a milestone in their Christian journey, we hear Todd Smith from Selah singing a chorus of “I’d Rather Have Jesus.” It’s certainly moving, but Selah’s got tons of great songs, even a gorgeous rendition of “Amazing Grace,” and hearing the same song over and over got a little awkward. Maybe it could have been done as an instrumental after the first couple of times, or the characters could have sang it, who knows.
All that aside, though, The Firing Squad is pretty gut-wrenching and raises some pertinent questions, namely, if you died today, where would you go? It’s something we all have to face at one time or another, and there is hope, even for a condemned prisoner about to face death. I found The Firing Squad to be very uplifting and encouraging.
The Firing Squad is currently in theaters. Rated PG-13.
My grade: B
Principal Cast: James Barrington, Kevin Sorbo, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Tipua Ainu’u, Edmund Kwan, Madeline Anderson, Eric Roberts, Christian Segura, Mateo Zapata, Nadia Maximova, RJ Nieves, Jonathan Nagy, Anthony Wong, Justin Berti, Anthony Wong, Rahul Chakraborty, Germancortez-r, Eric Park, Darren Cruz
Written and directed by Timothy A. Chey.