Contributor: Paul Asay

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

Even Great Animated Movies Can Make Bad Babysitters

In 2020, faith and spirituality was a huge part of many of its best animated movies. And not always in the best of ways.

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Two men walk in the woods.

Supernova

Supernova has many a problem, but its core strength is that it poignantly tells us something we already know: It’s hard to say goodbye.

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A young man and woman walk down a small-town street.

The Map of Tiny Perfect Things

in spite of some minor flaws, this film offers a surprising level of warmth and depth.

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Black Lightning

Sure, it has some charged characters and occasionally electric storytelling. But the content can be stormy indeed.

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Still image of a black man speaking in the movie "Judas and the Black Messiah."

Judas and the Black Messiah

Judas and the Black Messiah is, on one level, a historical drama. On another, it’s a movie very much of the moment.

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Dark Night of the Screen: How My Depression and My Job Meet

When we’re at a loss for words, entertainment helps us find the pictures—the communication tools we’re looking for.

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The Equalizer

Just as you would be with the Equalizer herself, this is a show to approach with caution.

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Watching (Out for) Those Super Bowl Commercials

It seems that, even during the Super Bowl, moms and dads can’t watch uncritically—or without an eye toward how the content is impacting their children.

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A man and a woman look at something she's pointing at.

Bliss

This film seems uncertain whether it most wants to give us a trippy fantasy or a gritty, hard morality tale.

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Two men with guns drawn walk through a dark, cold outside area.

Below Zero

Below Zero is a tense, bloody and wildly profane thriller that will undoubtedly keep many viewers on the edge of their seats.

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A man and a boy eat at a diner.

Palmer

If Palmer could’ve kept its nose cleaner, it this would’ve been a harder movie to review. As it is, we can easily suggest a hard pass.

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A police officer and a detective stand near a building and a crime scene.

The Little Things

The Little Things needed to pay better attention to some big things.

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The Plugged In Show, Episode 62: The Book Was Way Better Than the Movie!

Books and movies impact us differently. They scratch different sides of the brain. And each can move us, and change us, in different ways.

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The Next Three Days

John’s wife killed her boss, they say. And they put her away for doing it, too. What’s a loving husband to do? Break her out of prison, of course.

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What WandaVision Tells Us About Our Own Alternate Realities

WandaVision is more than an innocuous television distraction. You could read it as a commentary on television itself.

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