THE LIST

You should see The List if you want an engaging mystery that takes prayer seriously. Its central conflict places good against evil, belief in God against the occult, and prayer against curses. Christian viewers will especially appreciate its salvation experience and clear reliance on God for victory.

The film is not flawless. It moves slowly in places, and the mystery can be confusing until its pieces come together. Still, it offers something rare: a thriller where prayer is treated as a vital part of the battle against evil.

Christians can enjoy and support it, while secular viewers may find a compelling mystery even if its Christian message is not their primary reason to watch. The practical answer: The List is worth the trip for teenagers and adults.

In contemporary South Carolina, young lawyer Renny Jacobson learns that his late father has excluded him from a $22 million estate except for an invitation to join a secret society called “The List.”

Renny accepts, expecting wealth, but soon discovers the group’s sinister nature. As he and Jo Johnston investigate their family histories, they encounter danger, curses, and the prayers of Renny’s mother and others.

Three stars means The List is a good, entertaining film with noticeable limitations. For a low-budget movie, it is very well made, and its mystery keeps the story moving even when the plot becomes confusing.

The film’s strongest feature is its unusual seriousness about prayer and spiritual conflict. Its Christian themes give the thriller moral weight, while the mystery can also engage secular viewers. The main weaknesses are a slow pace in places and the difficulty of following all the pieces before they come together.

The List presents a light, somewhat ambiguous Christian worldview with very strong moral elements. It portrays the occult and curses as evil to be opposed, while placing belief in God and prayer at the center of the struggle against that evil. The story also includes a salvation experience and shows reliance on God as the path to victory.

The film exalts prayer as a vital activity rather than a merely private practice. It treats good and evil as real opposing forces and presents secret financial power as something that can become sinister. Its moral clarity aligns with a biblical understanding that evil should be resisted and that believers should depend on God. At the same time, its worldview is described as somewhat ambiguous, so the film’s Christian message is not presented without qualification.

The film’s central longing is for deliverance from the curses and evil surrounding its characters. Scripture likewise calls believers to bring their struggles to God: “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16).

The List is a well-made, entertaining mystery with a rare confidence in the power of prayer. Its slow stretches and occasional confusion do not erase its strong moral center. For teenagers and adults, especially Christian viewers, it is WORTH THE TRIP.