Hedonistic heathens dodge community service by working at a Christian summer camp in Chris Dowling's film, which takes an unusual approach for faith-based cinema, but probably isn't as funny as a secular version of this story could be.
By Guy Lodge
Plus IconGuy Lodge
Film Critic
@guylodge See All
Courtesy of Fathom Entertainment In a summer heavy on films we’ve seen before in some shape or form, “Bad Counselors” is nothing if not a novelty: a faith-based message movie masquerading as a frat-bro farce, complete with PG-13 yocks and an “American Pie” alum cameo. Well, “masquerading” is perhaps unfair. Chris Dowling’s film is earnest in its attempt to extract specifically Christian life lessons from a familiar tale of manchildren forced into growing up, and goes pretty light on the Bible-bashing relative to others in its cinematic church. Still, it can’t help feeling like something of a zucchini-bread movie: more wholesome than it looks, in the manner of sweet treats devised by parents to smuggle vegetable content into their children, but ultimately less fun too.
Related Stories
