One of the nice things about having a reputation for being interested in films, television and popular culture is the number of people who recommend things for me to watch and read. But it’s challenging to keep up with the overwhelming output of new shows, movies and books. The increased number of streaming services—as well as the original programming on each service— makes it impossible to stay on top of all the new media. It’s like trying to drink from a firehose. 

So, when people reach out and recommend something they’ve found and enjoy, it’s heartwarming. It’s through such a recommendation that I discovered Films for All Seasons: Experiencing the Church Year at the Movies, an engaging new book by film critic Abby Olcese, whose writing has been featured in /Film (slashfilm.com) and RogerEbert.com. 

I’ve read so many superficial Christian film books that I’m almost always wary when a new one is suggested to me. Although I was initially skeptical, I found Olcese’s engagement with popular films through the lens of the church year an interesting way to get Christians to think about the intersection of faith and popular culture, as well as bring the church’s ancient liturgical calendar to life. 

As someone who grew up in The Salvation Army of the 1980s, I knew nothing of the church calendar beyond Christmas and Easter. I had a vague knowledge of Advent and Lent, but no real understanding of the Christian year. It wasn’t until I began engaging with more liturgical expressions of Christianity that I began to understand the beautiful and complete story the year plays out.

For those who haven’t encountered this idea, the church calendar is like a road map of the Christian faith, a way of marking time throughout the year by focusing on the life of Jesus. It’s a rhythm that helps believers connect to the bigger story of God’s work in the world. It begins with Advent, a season of waiting and preparation. That’s followed by Christmastide, 12 days of celebrating the birth of Jesus. Then comes Epiphany on January 6 (which marks the end of Christmas and celebrates the revelation of Jesus to the world, represented by the coming of the Magi), Lent (a 40-day time of reflection and self-denial leading up to Easter), Easter itself, and Pentecost. 

Each season has its own themes, colours and traditions that help people worship in meaningful ways and tell the Christian story. Some seasons are joyous celebrations; some are desert periods of waiting and reflecting. More than dates, the church calendar is a tool to draw closer to God and grow in faith. 

In selecting films to watch and discuss during each season, Olcese balances some well-known and expected titles (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Last Jedi and Barbie) with some surprising choices (Logan, The Night of the Hunter and The Last Temptation of Christ). She writes about contemporary superhero and family films, such as Shazam! and the Paddington Bear films, as well as classics, such as The Mission and The Bishop’s Wife. 

Her first chapter, “Thoughts on Watching Devotionally,” serves as an apology (in the theological sense) for engaging with film, a well-argued defence for serious movie watching: “Questions of purpose, belonging, morality, and humanity aren’t isolated to the Bible … Many examples of popular storytelling ask these same questions and come to similar (and sometimes challenging) conclusions.” 

Not only does Olcese make a convincing case for Christians watching and engaging with popular films, but she also models a compelling way to do that. In choosing films for each liturgical season, she links the themes of the season with the themes of the movies. For the desert season of Lent, she uses several dark, brooding narratives, such as Annihilation and The Dark Knight Returns. Each chapter reflects on the film in relation to the liturgical season and includes some questions, making this an excellent resource for a small group study. 

By structuring the book around the church calendar, Olcese will introduce many readers from Protestant denominations to the concept and beauty of the liturgical year. But she has also created a model for Christian film viewing, a blueprint readers can use as they continue to engage in their own movie watching. 

Rather than the sense of mild disappointment I often get from these types of books, Olcese’s Films for All Seasons makes me want to use it as the basis of a small group, where we can watch interesting, sometimes challenging, movies within a framework of faith. 

Dr. Michael W. Boyce is the director of program implementation at the College for Officer Training in Toronto. 

For more on the Christian year, see our series by Dr. Isaiah Allen, assistant professor of religion at Booth University College in Winnipeg: 

Happy New Year!
Advent marks the beginning of the Christian calendar.

Living Lent
The gospel is not a theological proposition—it is a story.

The Resurrection Age
What it means to have an Easter faith.