James D. Watkins’ short film Soul Decision: Re-Edit wastes no time putting one man’s entire life on trial, and none of the evidence looks good for him. Here’s how that case unfolds.
Somewhere between heaven and hell, one man is at a crisis point in his life, and his very soul is at stake. He’s carrying a past he can’t outrun, and at this juncture, every choice he makes either buries him deeper or finally sets him free. But he isn’t fighting this alone. Angels and demons are watching his every move.
The demons want him to stay exactly where he is, convinced the sin is too great and the guilt too heavy to ever set down — as far as they’re concerned, he’s already lost. The angels see something else: a shot at forgiveness, if he can just get past the condemned man he used to be. Neither side backs down, and the pull between them turns into a full tug-of-war for his soul.
“Somewhere between heaven and hell, one man is at a crisis point in his life, and his very soul is at stake.”
As a Christian of many decades, I found Soul Decision: Re-Edit interesting for what it isn’t. It’s not about the everyday struggle of living, but about the spiritual battle happening “behind the scenes,” where angels and demons are fighting over his soul. At its core, it’s simple: demons condemn, angels forgive. Filmmaker Watkins says, “The concept and premise is about that constant and unseen battle between good and pure evil over mortals’ spiritual souls… Mortals make their own decisions, and they alone take sole responsibility and will face the consequences of those decisions.”
Visually, it feels like a painting, mixing video footage of the heavens and old angelic art with dark, destructive images of death. It all signifies that tug-of-war between good and evil our protagonist has to fight through. On the other hand, it’s a very low-budget film; the sets are almost nonexistent, and the acting is not the greatest, akin to all the micro-budget Christian films of my youth. But in the end, I appreciate the reminder that this is not a battle of “flesh and blood” but a very spiritual battle, where no matter how deep the hole is, God can still pull you out.
Watkins’ Soul Decision: Re-Edit is rough around the edges, but the message underneath is important. Then again, this is not the subject matter Hollywood throws its money behind.
For screening information, visit the Soul Decision: Re-Edit official website.
"…no matter how deep the hole is, God can still pull you out."
