Diana Emah
Unlike your normal Christian movie cliché, where we find people who love God later an issue arises most of the time impossible to the world, then faith is engaged and God intervenes for with Him all things are possible.
Or, a scenario where a Christlike behaviour is portrayed by the main actor after some certain ill circumstances happened to him/her, and does what a Christian should do even if it’s difficult differently from the world’s perspective.
The Remaining is not that type of movie, reasons why it made it to our review list though it is a 2014 movie.
In most Christian movies, the happy ending is the main actor/actress gets what he/she desired thanks to their faith in God, in The Remaining it’s the total opposite, where the happy ending is acquired from you dying because of your faith in God. “You have to die”.
The Remaining is a 2014 American apocalyptic horror film directed by Casey La Scala, who co-wrote the script with Chris Dowling.
The film had a limited theatrical release on September 5, 2014 and centers upon a group of friends that are forced to examine their lives after the Apocalypse strikes.
PLOT
The film opens with a montage of videos depicting Skylar “Sky” (Alexa Vega) and Dan’s (Bryan Dechart) happy moments together.
In the present, Skylar and Dan are celebrating their wedding.
Tommy (Johnny Pacar) is shooting a documentary as a favor for Dan. During the wedding, Tommy is in an elevator with Skylar’s parents, who are Christian.
However, before answering a question, the air turns cold and Skylar’s parents suddenly drop dead, with their pupils shrinking to a pin-prick size.
When Tommy exits the elevator, he finds the main floor has descended into high chaos, as others have dropped dead with the same pin-prick pupils.
As Tommy and Jack (Shaun Sipos) exit the building to investigate a tremor, they find the city up in flames as planes fall from the sky and explode upon impact.
When racing back to the building to find a safer way out, an ear-splitting sound, similar to a trumpet, echoes across the building.
After this, loud claps of thunder and intense lightning are present. When Tommy, Dan, Skylar and Jack exit the building safely, Skylar theorizes that they are experiencing the Rapture, as the believers are raptured and the non-believers are left behind.
Tommy dismisses this, as what he believes what is happening right now is related to science. Skylar then declares that they need to get to a place of safety, as the events will grow worse and worse as time goes on.
Afterward, monstrous-sized hail rains down on the town. The four proceed to seek shelter in a library. Tommy encounters Sam (Liz E. Morgan) in the library.
Skylar finds a bible and tells Sam, Dan, Jack, and Tommy a verse related to the Rapture, the First Trumpet.
The five proceed to go to a nearby church for safety. Nearing the church, a demonic being snatches Skylar out of Dan’s grip and they find her on the road but heavily injured by the entity.
Upon reaching the church, the group is let in and led to the sanctuary for safety by Pastor Shay (John Pyper-Ferguson).
When walking in the church, Jack reunites with Allison (Italia Ricci) while Dan tries to comfort Skylar while she is being healed.
When Tommy asks what’s going on, Shay explains that they are living in the Rapture. More survivors are let inside the church, but one of them is pregnant.
The pregnant woman does give birth, but her baby doesn’t show signs of crying or breathing, indicating that the baby is stillborn.
When Tommy asks why God kills these people, Shay explains that God raptures the believers’ souls while leaving their mortal bodies behind.
Shay explains that the reason why he wasn’t raptured was that he didn’t display real faith in Christianity. A survivor tries to get into the church, only for a demonic being to kill him, while cracking a church window in the process.
Sam records Tommy say a message to Allison just in case Tommy doesn’t make it. A news article reveals that the Rapture has occurred worldwide, with children, infants and Christians getting raptured, with scientists labeling it as “Instant Death Syndrome” and that unusual weather has been occurring worldwide.
Tommy shows Shay, Jack, and Allison a video of Skylar getting snatched by the unknown force, with Shay explaining that the Fifth Trumpet was played. Frame by frame, they see the face of a Fallen.
CAST
– Johnny Pacar as Tommy Covington
– Shaun Sipos as Jack
– Bryan Dechart as Dan
– Alexa Vega as Skylar
– Italia Ricci as Allison
– Liz E. Morgan as Sam
– Kimberley Drummond as Lauren Neyland
– John Pyper-Ferguson as Pastor Shay
– Kim Pacheco as Nurse Rachel
– Mary Austin as Park Goer, Dead Woman in Car Accident
I will totally recommend you to watch this movie (except if you are not a fan of horror movies). It is a depiction of the book of Revelation on image.
It serves as a reminder that we should not be too focused on our lives here on Earth and forget the main goal, which is making it to everlasting joy in heaven, achieved by putting God’s work first and promoting the kingdom.
To watch trailer click here.
