Truth, Beauty, Goodness, and Hollywood 

A few years ago, Netflix released a show called 13 Reasons Why, which told the story of a girl who commits suicide due to bullying. At the time, most people wrote it off as the stereotypical teen drama, and for a while, it was forgotten. 

However, a few months later, a story emerged that shook many Christian parents to their core. It was the story of the 14-year-old daughter of a pastor. In addition to the fact that suicide had become a hot topic at her school, she downloaded Netflix on her phone and began binge-watching the show behind her parents’ backs. 

One day the pastor and his wife returned to their suspiciously quiet house. Then they discovered their worst nightmare: their daughter lying dead in their bathroom, having taken her own life.

The kicker? 

She had taken her life in the same way that the main character in the TV show had. 

This heartbreaking story sparked fury among many parents, who launched a petition begging Netflix to remove the show. Netflix refused, saying that the show was meant to promote anti-bullying and revealing that a second season was already in production. 

The State of Modern Filmmaking

So the question remains, “Was Netflix responsible for this tragedy?” 

While a perfectly understandable question, I think it is the wrong one. Depression, suicide, and mental illness are far too complex to be attributed to a single factor. I think people should be asking, “What about that story was so compelling to this young girl and others like her, and what does this say about modern storytelling?” 

Having never seen the show, I cannot begin to guess the first half of the question. As for the latter half, well, that is where things become complicated.  

Today, the primary mode of storytelling is film. The industry is worth billions of dollars and carries global influence. But not only does it contain monetary power, but the industry also can change how people think through storytelling. From people suddenly discovering a love of shawarma (shwarma sales increased by 80% after the release of The Avengers in 2012), to teenagers participating in the “Bird Box Challenge”, Hollywood has an impressive ability to affect the way their audiences things and behave for good or for evil.

Sadly, the stories being told tend to offer more poison than solid food. 13 Reasons Why, in many ways, was only the tip of the iceberg. More recently, the foreign film Cuties came under fire for sexualizing its child actors. Although the director claimed that the movie was exposing the sexualization of children that occurs so much in modern society, critics pointed out that the somewhat disturbing cinematography that seemed to specifically sexualize these 11-year-old child actors undercut its messages. In addition, studios have become more reliant on shock value rather than creative storytelling, as is revealed in the rising levels of gratuitous sex and violence in film.

Christianity’s Relationship with Filmmaking

Understandably, Christians have been reluctant to get involved in Hollywood. Every week it seems that a new Hollywood scandal or a new film or TV show undercutting the virtues that Christianity holds so dearly. 

And yet, should not this be exactly the incentive that Christians need to get involved? From its beginning, the Christian tradition has recognized the power of storytelling through the visual arts. Manuscripts that survive from the earliest days of Christianity capture the stories of the Bible captured in beautiful illuminations and calligraphy. Medieval cathedrals were adorned with sculptures and stained glass windows depicting Biblical figures. Many of the greatest works of the Renaissance were of BIblical stories and figures. Today, the Jesus film is one of the most viewed pieces of media in history. Clearly, there is a historical precedent for Christians to communicate the gospel through a visual medium. 

Some say, “Hollywood is so corrupt that it is impossible to effect any real change; Christians should not even try.” However, recent flops such as Thor: Love and Thunder, She-Hulk, and The Rings of Power indicate that audiences are sick and tired of seeing movies that urge hatred and division based on race or sex or offer mere titillation rather than substantive storytelling. 

Additionally, filmmaking does not automatically mean Hollywood. Small, independent infrastructures do exist which are working to produce great storytelling. The Chosen project is a perfect example, with Dallas Jenkins and his team creating a high-quality show independent of Hollywood. 

Christians are called to impossible tasks. They have gone to the farthest reaches and the deepest depths of depravity to bring the light of Christ to a desperate. Why should Hollywood be any different?

This argument does not deny that such a task may be difficult. It requires creativity, patience, and perseverance. Above all, it requires faith. Reform can often take years to be seen, maybe even generations. If Christians set out to redeem Hollywood and filmmaking, they may not see results in their lifetime. However, Christians are only called to faithfulness, not to produce results; they can only plant seeds. The growth belongs to God and God alone. 

The Truth in Storytelling

Singer, songwriter, and novelist Andrew Peterson once remarked, “If you want people to know the truth, you should tell them the truth. If you want people to love the truth, you should tell them a story.” What is evident is that people are hungry for great stories that move the heart and energize the mind instead of proclaiming an ideology of despair and hatred. 

Now is a ripe opportunity for Christian creatives to break into the story industry to tell stories that truly matter, stories of beauty, truth, and goodness. 

Because if we do not, who will?