Light of the World: A Biblical Worldview Movie Review for Families

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Hello friends! On today's podcast, we're diving into the movie Light of the World. As I've shared on previous Foundation Worldview podcasts, I will never encourage you to take your children to see a certain movie simply because that's a matter of conscience. However, I hope this podcast will be helpful as you decide whether or not to take your children to see it. And if you do decide to go, I hope this content will offer valuable talking points for your family.

First, I want to walk through the elements of the movie I found really positive and beneficial. Then I'll discuss some aspects that could have been done better or might be concerning. Finally, I'll offer follow-up talking points if you choose to take your children to see this film.

The Positive Elements

Excellent Animation and Pacing

Overall, I thought the movie was very well done for children. The animation was beautifully crafted in a style that reminded me of The Emperor's New Groove. I really appreciate how different animation studios are returning to 2D cartoons rather than 3D.

What impressed me most was how they shot the entire movie in a style that wasn't designed to shorten attention spans or trigger unnecessary dopamine hits. There weren't constant flashes or quick scene changes. Instead, everything was done thoughtfully and slowly in a way that's beneficial for children's developing minds.

Powerful Visual Storytelling

The movie is called Light of the World, focusing on Jesus being the light of the world, and they masterfully played with themes of light versus darkness in their animation style. I actually didn't notice this on my own, but when I saw the movie with friends, one of them pointed out how Jesus is always in the light when he's speaking, while the Pharisees are always in shadows when they're speaking to him. This visual element brilliantly helps kids understand the theme of light versus darkness.

Relatable Perspective Through John

This movie is written from the perspective of the Apostle John, presented as a boy around 12 years old. While it's probably not likely that the apostle was this young in real life—though he could have been a teenager—I thought this choice was wise for drawing kids into the story. Everything is seen through John's eyes, making him very relatable for the primary target audience.

A friend mentioned after the movie that it was a little strange that John never aged throughout the film, which spans the three years of Jesus's ministry. But I think they kept him as a child to maintain that relatability factor.

Age-Appropriate Handling of Difficult Scenes

Some of the challenging scenes were handled remarkably well. For example, you see Jesus casting demons out of Mary Magdalene and understand what's happening, but it's presented appropriately for children.

The scenes of Jesus's trial and crucifixion were actually longer than I anticipated for a children's movie, and they were deeply emotional. I found myself crying as they portrayed the difficulty, pain, and sorrow of what Jesus endured. However, they were still well-crafted for kids.

For instance, when Jesus is brought before the Sanhedrin for questioning and gets slapped, they show only shadows on the wall—you understand what's happening without seeing the actual violence. Similarly, when Jesus is about to be nailed to the cross, you see him on the ground and the soldiers raising their hammers, but then John turns his head, blocking the view so you don't actually see the nails being driven in.

If you have younger children or kids who are particularly sensitive to media, you might want to wait until they're older or less sensitive, because these scenes are quite emotional.

Clear Gospel Presentation

This was the movie's greatest strength. The gospel was clearly woven throughout from the very opening scene, where Salome (James and John's mother) tells them the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. She opens the movie with the story of the fall and humanity's need for a Messiah, establishing clearly that we need redemption.

The message was made very clear for kids. At the Passover meal, as Jesus breaks bread and passes the cup, he says, "For ages you have offered lambs as temporary payments to God for your sin. Now I offer my body, my blood."

There's a powerful scene in the Garden of Gethsemane before Jesus's arrest when he's talking with John. Jesus asks, "John, what was the worst thing that happened in the garden?" referring to the Garden of Eden. John responds, "We disobeyed God and darkness came into the world."

Jesus replies, "No, John. You disobeyed God, and darkness came into your hearts. The only way to fix things is for someone to die in your place. This is how the darkness is defeated. My death is not the end—it is the beginning. I am choosing this."

This exchange made it crystal clear that sin isn't just something "out there" corrupting the world, but that we have a sin nature. We're born in a corrupted state and therefore need Jesus as our substitute.

Practical Gospel Follow-Up

At the movie's end, they included a QR code with text saying something like, "If you would like to learn more about following Jesus, scan the QR code." When I scanned it, it took me to a website with a short gospel presentation video and either 10 or 12 follow-up beginning discipleship lessons. I thought this was excellent—connecting the story viewers just experienced with the gospel and personal decision-making.

Areas for Improvement

Obviously, when you're watching an hour-and-a-half movie about the gospels, some artistic liberties are necessary. However, some of the choices I wish had been handled differently.

Imbalanced Focus

Some scenes focusing on character development that isn't included in Scripture were given extended time, while scenes directly from Scripture were glossed over in highlight reels. For example, during one sequence with background music, you see the Sermon on the Mount, the feeding of the 5,000, and Jesus's nighttime meeting with Nicodemus flash by quickly.

While I was glad they included these biblical events, I was disappointed they spent more time on non-scriptural content than on these crucial gospel moments.

Word Choice: "Darkness" vs. "Sin"

Because the movie is called Light of the World and focuses on light versus darkness themes, they use the word "darkness" much more frequently than "sin." While they do use "sin"—Jesus tells the paralytic man his sins are forgiven—this emphasis doesn't align with Scripture's language.

I looked this up when I got home: in the Gospel of John, the word "sin" appears 28 times while "darkness" appears only five times. Using "darkness" more frequently helped highlight the light-versus-darkness theme, but I would have preferred they stick closer to Scripture's terminology.

Insufficient Focus on the Resurrection

What I found most disappointing was the limited time devoted to the resurrection. You see Jesus's disciples in boats on the Sea of Galilee, then Jesus on the shore calling to them—which was a good scene. However, they showed the empty tomb for maybe two seconds without really discussing it. You just see Mary Magdalene peeking in and noticing the grave linens.

This felt rushed and confusing, which was disappointing because the resurrection is the most important part of the story. As the Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15, if Christ has not been raised, we are still in our sins and our faith is futile. I really wish they had devoted more time to explaining and focusing on the resurrection.

My Overall Recommendation

Despite these concerns, I think the movie was very well done. While I never recommend specific movies for families—that's a matter of conscience—if you regularly take your children to theater movies, I think this is an excellent investment of time and money.

If you do go, the sooner you see it after release, the more of your ticket price goes to the movie studio, and the louder your dollars speak in saying, "Yes, we want more films like this!"

I don't think Light of the World had quite the same buildup as The The King of Kings movie that came out earlier this year, but I believe the quality of storyline and clarity of the gospel make this movie a much wiser investment. If someone asked me whether their kids should watch The King of Kings or Light of the World, I would hands-down recommend Light of the World.

When I left the theater after King of Kings, I thought, "I think they did well with some parts, but I'm not sure the director actually understood the gospel." When I left Light of the World, I thought, "I wish they had changed a few things, but I'm pretty certain the director understands and clearly presented the gospel." See our The King of Kings movie review here.

Follow-Up Conversations

If you choose to take your children to see this movie, here are some conversation starters for your drive home:

Initial Reactions

Start by asking: "What did you think about this? What did you like? What didn't you like?" Get their honest thoughts about what they enjoyed and didn't enjoy.

When I went with friends, we had a three-year-old with us. At the end, we asked what she thought and she said, "That was the goodest movie I ever saw!" It was precious hearing her perspective.

Main Message Discussion

Ask what they thought the main point of the movie was. You want to hear their takeaways—what did they walk away with?

Then discuss how the movie's called Light of the World and explore the light-versus-darkness theme. Talk about scenes that were really dark or where people were in shadows, and scenes that were bright where Jesus showed he came to bring light to the world.

Deeper Gospel Connection

Take the conversation deeper by discussing how Jesus is the light of the world because he came to rescue us from our sin. Ask where they saw this clearly presented in the movie—where was it made obvious that Jesus came to rescue us from our sin?

Scripture-Based Follow-Up Activities

Once you're home, take your kids directly to Scripture. I'll offer two options—you can do both or choose one:

Option 1: John Chapter 1 Study

Open to the Gospel of John, chapter 1, and read verses 1-18 together:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, 'This was he of whom I said, "He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me."') From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known."

After reading, ask: "What truths about Jesus are revealed in this passage?" You could discuss these truths together, or print out these verses and have your child highlight or underline different truths about Jesus.

This passage reveals so many truths: Jesus is the Word of God, he is God, he was with God in the beginning, he created all things, he's the life, he's the true light, he gives the right to become God's children to everyone who believes in his name, he became flesh and dwelt among us, grace and truth come from him, he is the Son at the Father's side.

Talk about how we always want to go back to Scripture when we view or hear something about Jesus, asking: "What does Scripture reveal about this? Did what I just heard align with Scripture or contradict it?" Discuss which of these truths were clearly presented in the movie.

Option 2: Gospel Study

Choose one of the four Gospels and read through it together as a family over one or two weeks. As you read, discuss which parts of the movie were taken directly from Scripture and which parts the director added.

After finishing the Gospel, talk about what you saw in the movie that wasn't in Scripture versus what you read directly in the Gospel text.

Training Critical Thinking

This type of evaluation training—having kids compare what they've seen or heard against Scripture—teaches them to hold everything up to the lens of God's Word. This is exactly what our Biblical Worldview curriculum (for ages 4-8) and Comparative Worldview curriculum (for ages 8-11) are designed to do at Foundation Worldview.

These curricula specifically train children to think critically and biblically so that by the end of their studies, they're prepared to independently evaluate the messages they encounter.

Conclusion and Call to Action

Light of the World offers families an excellent opportunity to discuss the gospel and practice biblical discernment together. While not perfect, it clearly presents Jesus as our substitute for sin and provides numerous conversation starters for deeper spiritual discussions.

Ready to equip your children with the tools they need to think critically and biblically about everything they encounter? Join thousands of families who are already using Foundation Worldview's curricula to train their children in biblical discernment. Subscribe to our email list to receive regular insights on helping kids evaluate ideas through a biblical lens, or explore our age-appropriate worldview curricula designed to prepare your children to independently discern truth from error.

Don't let this opportunity pass by—your children are encountering worldview messages every day. Equip them with the biblical thinking skills they need to navigate our complex world with confidence and wisdom.

My prayer for you as we close is the same as always: that no matter the situation in which you and the children God has placed in your care find yourselves, you would trust that God is working all things together for your good by using all things to conform you more into the image of His Son.

I'll see you next time!