It's Just A... Movie
- Joe Hawkins
- Aug 27
- 7 min read
The Excuse We All Hear
“It’s just a movie.”
That phrase has become the default defense whenever entertainment is questioned. It rolls off the tongue quickly, a shield against conviction. But the phrase carries an assumption: that movies are harmless, temporary, and without consequence. That they cannot influence our hearts, shape our beliefs, or affect our walk with Christ. In reality, films are one of the most powerful forms of storytelling in human history, capable of shaping culture and redefining morality. What we watch lingers in our thoughts, reshaping how we view right and wrong long after the credits roll. To dismiss that influence is to underestimate both the power of story and the subtlety of the enemy.
History gives us plenty of evidence. After the release of Top Gun in 1986, U.S. Navy recruitment skyrocketed as young men signed up, inspired by what they had seen on the screen. When Frozen premiered in 2013, it wasn’t just another animated film — it sparked cultural conversations about identity, freedom, and “letting go” of traditional boundaries, themes echoed in classrooms, merchandise, and even in church sermons. The Matrix (1999) didn’t just entertain; it introduced a generation to concepts of simulated reality, Eastern mysticism, and postmodern doubt, fueling philosophical debates that continue today.
If secular films can so dramatically shape military enlistment, cultural identity, and even philosophical frameworks, how much more should Christians recognize the spiritual impact of what they consume? Movies are not just entertainment. They are sermons — and the world is listening.
But let’s be honest — that excuse has cousins:
“It’s just a show. Everyone’s watching it.”
“It’s just a song. I just like the beat.”
“It’s just a game. It’s not real.”
“It’s just a book. I know it’s fiction.”
The word “just” is used like a magic eraser, meant to wipe away any spiritual concern. It trivializes the content, no matter how dark, and implies that Christians who raise objections are being judgmental or extreme.
Why Do We Shrug It Off?
Why do people feel the need to downplay entertainment? Several reasons:
Cultural Pressure:
Our culture worships entertainment. Movies dominate conversations, memes, and social life. To question them feels like questioning the air people breathe. No one wants to be the “killjoy.” In fact, people often measure relevance by whether you’ve seen the latest blockbuster or binged the trending series. To step outside of that current is to risk being labeled “out of touch” or “too religious.” The pressure to conform is subtle, but it’s powerful — and silence feels easier than standing apart.
Personal Attachment:
Movies make us feel nostalgic, inspired, or connected. People don’t want to admit that the stories they love may also be spiritually harmful. Childhood favorites often carry emotional weight, making it painful to critique them. A film’s soundtrack, characters, or quotes can weave into our personal memories, causing us to protect the story even if its underlying message conflicts with Scripture. This attachment blinds us to danger because it doesn’t “feel wrong.”
Deception at Work:
Satan doesn’t need to convince us to worship him directly. All he needs is to get us to laugh at what God calls sin, to clap for what God calls evil, and to excuse what God warns against. This is deception in its most effective form — wrapping darkness in light and packaging rebellion as entertainment. Over time, hearts become dulled, not through open rebellion, but through steady compromise. What once would have shocked us now makes us smile, and what once seemed dangerous now feels normal.
The Casual Consumption of Sin
Here’s the problem: what we laugh at today, we will tolerate tomorrow. And what we tolerate tomorrow, we will embrace the day after that.
Hollywood knows this. By weaving in small doses of sorcery, sexual immorality, or rebellion, they train audiences to shrug. It’s not shocking anymore. It’s expected. Each generation pushes the boundary a little further, normalizing what the last one rejected. What was once considered offensive is now celebrated as progressive, and what was once taboo is now marketed to children. In this way, culture is discipled not through sudden revolutions, but through slow and steady compromise.
Consider the progression:
A witch in the background becomes the star of the story.What was once a minor, almost comical side character is now the hero of the narrative. In older films, witches were villains to be defeated. Now, they’re relatable protagonists — misunderstood, quirky, or even empowering role models for children. By reframing witchcraft as harmless or even admirable, Hollywood has transformed the occult into something to be celebrated rather than rejected.
A same-sex couple in a brief cameo becomes the center of the plot.It started with passing references, small enough that most viewers ignored them. But over time, what was subtle became explicit. Now, entire storylines revolve around same-sex couples, with their relationships portrayed as superior examples of love and acceptance. This is not accidental — it’s an intentional cultural shift, designed to normalize what Scripture calls sin by putting it front and center.
A violent scene that once would have made people sick now makes them cheer.Decades ago, explicit gore or brutality would have caused outrage. Today, audiences applaud it as “gritty realism” or “epic action.” Movies train viewers to detach from empathy, to see killing or cruelty as entertainment. This isn’t harmless; it erodes the God-given sensitivity of the conscience. What once shocked us now excites us — proof that hearts can be hardened through steady exposure.
A joke that once pushed boundaries becomes mainstream humor.What was once whispered or censored now dominates comedy. Crude jokes, sexual innuendos, and blasphemous punchlines are no longer edgy — they’re expected. Over time, humor trains us to laugh at things God takes seriously, lowering our defenses against sin.
A spiritual counterfeit moves from subtle reference to full-blown theology.Early films sprinkled in vague references to “the Force” or “fate,” but today entire franchises build their worldview on Eastern mysticism, New Age spirituality, or occult practices. Audiences absorb these messages as moral lessons, often without realizing that they directly contradict the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is not coincidence. It’s conditioning.
Real Examples from Hollywood’s Pulpit
Movies are not just stories — they’re sermons dressed in entertainment. Here are a few specific films that illustrate how Hollywood normalizes what Scripture warns against:
Doctor Strange: The central character’s powers come from sorcery, astral projection, and contact with dark spiritual realms. Millions cheer for him as a hero, even though the Bible condemns these exact practices (Deut. 18:10–12).
Star Wars Saga: The “Force” is not good vs. evil in biblical terms but yin-yang dualism: light and dark must remain in balance. This is Eastern mysticism disguised as sci-fi.
Hocus Pocus: Marketed as a family comedy, but it trains children to laugh while witches cast spells and invoke powers of darkness. Witchcraft is no longer feared — it’s funny.
Iron Man: Tony Stark merges man and machine, becoming his own savior. It’s the dream of transhumanism: humanity upgraded without God.
X-Men Series: A celebration of evolution as the path to salvation. The idea is clear: mankind can evolve into gods.
Shazam!: A child becomes a superhero by invoking pagan gods, presenting idolatry as the source of power.
Lightyear: Introduced a lesbian couple raising a child, sparking controversy. Even rapper Snoop Dogg said he was frustrated that his grandchild now asked questions about sexuality after what was supposed to be “just a fun movie.”
Barbie: Under the glitter, the film pushes role reversal and gender confusion, mocking traditional family structure and lifting up rebellion against design.
Elio: A sci-fi children’s film packed with pagan worship and diversity and inclusion themes that serve as a vehicle for identity confusion and progressive ideology.
Moana: The ocean itself is portrayed as a living deity, calling Moana into her destiny. Animism (spirit worship) is normalized for children through catchy songs.
Biblical Reality
The Bible never minimizes what we allow into our minds and hearts. From beginning to end, Scripture reminds us that what we feed our inner life will eventually shape our outer life. God knows that our eyes and ears are gateways — and that once something enters the mind, it can take root in the heart and bear fruit in our actions.
“Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals’” (1 Corinthians 15:33). Entertainment is company, and it disciples us more than we realize. When we spend hours in the company of Hollywood’s values, we shouldn’t be surprised when those values begin to influence how we think, speak, and live.
“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). The stories we meditate on become the framework for our thinking. Movies don’t simply pass through our minds like a breeze; they stay, echo, and replay, subtly shaping how we define love, justice, courage, or even identity.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world” (1 John 2:15). Movies are the world’s pulpit — and often, its altar. The world preaches its gospel through film, offering counterfeit versions of joy, salvation, and hope. What the Bible calls sin, movies often call freedom. What God says destroys, movies often glorify.
This is why Scripture urges us to guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) and to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Every scene we watch, every line of dialogue we laugh at, every story we absorb is doing something to us spiritually — either pulling us closer to Christ or slowly dulling our discernment.
So when someone says, “It’s just a movie,” Scripture responds: No. What you put before your eyes shapes who you become. Your eyes are not windows for entertainment — they are windows to the soul.
The Deeper Question
Instead of brushing it off with “It’s just a movie,” the question we should be asking is:
Does this movie glorify Christ or glorify sin?
Does it draw me closer to God or dull my sensitivity to His Spirit?
If my children absorb its message, will they be discipled in truth — or deceived by lies?
The excuse is shallow. The reality is eternal.
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