When actor and director Brett Varvel first pitched a film in 2015 about seven Christians who smuggle the Bible to underground churches in a future dystopian United States, it was hard for investors to commit.
“There was a lot of pushback from people who we would talk to about financing because they got hung up on whether or not the storyline would ever become a reality,” Mr. Varvel recently told The Epoch Times.
“Disciples in the Moonlight,” written by Josh Strychalski, depicts a future era when Bibles have been confiscated except for those that are doctored and government-approved.
“It was really hard for people to wrap their brains around the plot,” Mr. Varvel said. “You fast forward to now, and it’s much easier to get into the story because things like what’s depicted in the movie are happening all over the world and even in parts of the United States.”
Filming took place in Indiana, where Mr. Varvel and Mr. Strychalski were raised.
Mr. Strychalski is cast as Jake Thornton.
“This is a movie that’s not simply for believers only,” Mr. Varvel said. “People from all walks of life can enjoy it. It definitely does have a strong message for those people of faith to wake up and to rise up with action.”
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, similar circumstances emerged in California when Santa Clara Superior Court ordered some $217,000 in fines and sanctions against Calvary Chapel San Jose pastors who continued to hold worship services despite health orders that restricted church services, required masks, and social distancing.
Calvary Chapel San Jose subsequently sued Santa Clara County in the Northern District of California federal court, seeking damages for violations of constitutional rights and religious liberties.
“When you start talking about religious freedom, Christians and people of faith have to be willing to stand up and hold people accountable even if that means it’s uncomfortable,” Mr. Varvel said.
“Disciples in the Moonlight” is one of a slew of faith-based films and TV shows produced and released by production companies in recent years.
Others include “His Only Son,” “Journey to Bethlehem,” “The Chosen,” “Birthright: Outlaw,” “Legacy Peak,” and “Testament: The Story of Moses.”
But “Disciples in the Moonlight” is different because it’s gritty, according to Mr. Varvel.
“There’s not many faith-based films that are action and suspense, so from a genre perspective, it definitely has a very different feel because of its scope and thrill,” he said.
Mr. Varvel attributes the rising number of faith-based films like “Disciples in the Moonlight” to audiences seeking hope.
“It’s been a very strategic thing for decades where films have been captivating the minds of the generations to think and speak a certain way, and it has gotten very dark,” he said.
“You see it in the way people behave in our society. What’s so inviting about faith-based entertainment is that it brings hope instead of darkness,” he added.
“Disciples in the Moonlight” speaks to protecting religious freedoms at all costs. In the movie, missing persons are on the rise, and arrests happen when believers are unwilling to turn in their Bibles; the Department of Homeland Security is surveilling Christian citizens.
“It’s very much the precursor to full-blown persecution,” Mr. Varvel said in an interview with The Epoch Times. “In our version of the story, the government has banned the Holy Bible and printed a new version where they’ve taken out what they would call offensive language or hate speech and what they deem a terrorist threat.”
Although he is a devout Christian, Mr. Varvel doesn’t limit himself to faith-based films.
In 2021, he co-starred in “American Underdog” with Dennis Quaid and Anna Paquin about National Football League (NFL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner.
Mr. Varvel portrays Nate Smith in “Disciples in the Moonlight,” a naive character with the drive and the conviction to get the real Bible out to people who need it.
“He’s faced with dangerous circumstances, and he’s forced to choose between what is easy and what is right,” Mr. Varvel said.
One of those dangerous circumstances is being pursued by a ruthless federal agent, played by Jason Coviello.
Todd Terry plays another main character named Jim Edwards. Mr. Terry is known for a recurring role in the AMC-TV show “Breaking Bad,” an American crime drama, and its sister series “Better Call Saul.”
“He is a character a lot of people will gravitate to because he asks himself hard questions throughout the movie, and he has to deal with a lot of issues my character Nate doesn’t have,” Mr. Varvel said. “The beautiful thing about an ensemble cast is that movie-goers have specific characters they can attach to that more align with how they think and act.”
