I have nothing against faith-based movies at all, and actually, I am a fan of many of them, especially the ones that Angel Studios has put out over the years. However, I have to say, A Great Awakening was very hard to sit through as it felt like I was being constantly preached to. I liked the idea of the movie, and I felt that it started off pretty well, but it felt like I was getting hit with the same message over and over again.
Where to Watch A Great Awakening
A Great Awakening was released on April 3, 2026. You can expect it to become available for streaming on Hulu.
The Movie Review
Production Background: Sight & Sound Theatres
This is not made by Angel Studios. Sight & Sound Theatres were the ones who produced this, and they are more known for their stage shows that tell bible stories. But, they have gotten into the movie business, and A Great Awakening is their second feature, coming after 2022’s I Heard the Bells, a Christmas themed movie that I still have not taken the time to watch, so I cannot, as of writing this review, speak of how that movie is.
Preachiness vs. Storytelling Balance
But, I do want to say that while there are certainly some Angel Studios movies that are more on the preachy side of things. Angel Studios tends to be able to walk the fine line of getting a message across while still telling a good story. With A Great Awakening, it is more like the message is really shoved into the face of the viewer at the expense of the story, if that makes sense.
Premise: Ben Franklin & George Whitefield
The story is about the friendship between Ben Franklin and a priest/preacher/holy man, or however you want to refer to him, George Whitefield. I will admit, I was 100 percent ignorant of George Whitefield before I saw this movie, and being from the UK, I only knew a tiny bit about Ben Franklin. I was coming into this as blind as can be, so the story really needed to hook me, and sadly, it did not.
Plot & Historical Narrative
We start with Ben Franklin at the Constitutional Convention. Ben has a flashback to the time he met George Whitefield, and the movie then takes us through his spiritual awakening and the boom of the Great Awakening religious movement. Most of what I know about this came from the movie and the little bit of a deep dive I did after watching it.
Overly Direct Message & Lack of Substance
The movie really hits you over the head with needing to have Jesus as your savior; it is super on the nose and not subtle in the slightest with the message it is trying to get across. Truth be told, I have no issue with this message. I know more than a few people whose lives have become much happier after getting this kind of spiritual awakening. But, I do feel the movie could have had a bit more substance to its story than just constantly having what felt like sermons being presented to me.
Acting Performances & Final Verdict
To be fair, the performances of Jonathan Blair as George Whitefield and John Paul Sneed as Ben Franklin are great. I have no issues there at all; they just feel very one-dimensional thanks to the script they were working with. While I have certainly seen way worse movies than this one, I never in a million years could see myself watching this again, but I would be willing to give another movie made by Sight & Sound Theatres a try.
