“FAITH OVERCOMES FEAR”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
ON FIRE tells the story of a family trapped by a devastating forest fire that threatens to take their lives. Dave, his pregnant wife, Sarah, their son, Clay, and Dave’s father quickly prepare to evacuate their home. However, the fire spreads so quickly that they’re separated and at risk of perishing in the fire. Can Dave find his family and save them from the inferno? Will their faith and perseverance help them all survive?
ON FIRE is a thrilling, fast-paced movie. It has strong performances and a compelling story that will keep viewers totally engaged. Viewers will feel like they’re trapped in the fire. ON FIRE also has some subtle but solid Christian elements like a cross hanging on a wall, prayer and a
mention of faith. The movie stresses strong moral themes like hope and family. In the end, faith overcomes fear in an inspiring tale of heroism and sacrifice. Sadly, ON FIRE is marred by at least 26 obscenities and profanities. It also has some intense action sequences and vivid injuries from the fire. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises strong and extreme caution.
CONTENT:
(BB, CC, PP, LLL, VV, A, D)
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:
Strong moral worldview with some solid Christian elements like an image of a cross, mention of prayer, and mother tells her son to have faith, plus Pro-American values where movie honors first responders
Foul Language:
At least 26 obscenities and profanities, including one “f” word, about 10 “s” words, several “d” words, several “h” and “a” words, and several OMG profanities
Violence:
Woman catches fire and half of her body is burned (this scene is not excessively bloody, but it’s very intense, and the woman ends up dying as a result of her burns), a women is presumed to have died, after a car crash, an elderly man dies, a man breaks his ankle after falling down a hill, and various other states of peril and intense sequences of running away from fire
Sex:
No sex
Nudity:
No nudity Alcohol Use/Abuse: Man drinks a beer in a few scenes
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:
Man’s father isn’t supposed to be smoking but is secretly, woman bribes her father-in-law with a pack of cigarettes, and woman tries to give an injured neighbor Percocet®, but she’s unable to swallow the pain meds; and,
Miscellaneous Immorality:
Nothing else objectionable.
MORE DETAIL:
ON FIRE is an incredible story about a family trapped by a wild forest fire with little hope for escape. ON FIRE is a thrilling, fast-paced movie with some subtle but solid Christian, moral content stressing family, sacrifice, faith, and prayer, but the movie has intense and scary action sequences and at least 26 obscenities and profanities.
Dave lives with his pregnant wife, Sarah, their teenage son, Clay, and Dave’s elderly father. They both work and have barely enough money to support Dave’s father and themselves.
After practice one day, Dave and Clay notice that there is smoke coming from the ridge of a neighboring town. Dave is sure that the fire will not be able to pass the valley that separates the two towns and is unworried.
However, in just a few hours, their home is covered in smoke. Dave drives to a hardware store to buy equipment to fireproof his house and tells Sarah and Clay to be ready to evacuate. Unfortunately, the fire engulfs their town quicker than the authorities can anticipate, and everyone is ordered to evacuate immediately. Separated from his family with no cell service, Dave works out a way to get to his family.
Meanwhile, Sarah and Clay try to get Dave’s father to come with them in the car. Although he is stubborn, he agrees when he is offered a pack of cigarettes. While driving, the ash and smoke make visibility impossible, and they nearly hit a deer. Forced to swerve from the main road, Sarah crashes, knocking her unconscious.
While Dave finds his wife, child, and father, the night is about to go from bad to worse. Will Dave and his family be able to work together and escape the fire?
ON FIRE is a thrilling movie, with great performances from the leading cast. It does a great job making viewers feel like they’re stuck in the fire with Dave and his family. The story is compelling and intense, but it also has some Christian elements. For example, in Dave’s house there is a cross on the wall. While fleeing the fire, Sarah suggests that they pray. In a later scene, she prays that God would guide them through the night.
By the end of the movie, faith overcomes their fear. It doesn’t avoid the tragedy of the fire, but it provides Dave, Sarah and Clay with the faith and determination to help one another survive. The movie has some strong themes of sacrifice, the importance of family, and the strength of love in a marriage. It also honors and respects first responders.
Sadly, these uplifting redemptive and moral elements are marred by at least 26 obscenities and profanities, including one “f” word. ON FIRE also has an intense scene where a neighbor catches fire and is burned badly. The peril and intensity is constant and is elevated by Sarah being pregnant with their daughter.
That said, ON FIRE is an uplifting, intense, moral movie about faith and perseverance for mature audiences.
