Faith-based cinema is a weird beast. Most of the time, these movies preach to the choir, literally, and don't really care what secular critics think. But then you have a project like the Let There Be Light 2017 movie. It didn't just appear out of thin air; it was a massive family affair for Kevin Sorbo, who directed and starred in it alongside his wife, Sam Sorbo, who also co-wrote the script.
It’s a story about a famous atheist who has a near-death experience. Classic trope? Sure. But the way it handled the transition from "godless celebrity" to "believer" felt different to people who actually follow the genre.
Movies like this usually get buried by the big studios. Yet, this one managed to claw its way into the top ten during its opening weekend back in October 2017. It was an indie success story that relied heavily on grassroots marketing and the star power of the Hercules actor himself. Honestly, the film’s existence says more about the cultural divide in America than it does about the actual craft of filmmaking. People weren't just buying a ticket for a movie; they were buying a statement of faith.
The Plot That Divided the Critics
The story centers on Dr. Sol Harkens. He’s basically the world’s most annoying atheist. He makes a living mocking religious people, fueled by the grief of losing his young son to cancer. It’s a heavy setup. After a car accident leaves him clinically dead for four minutes, he sees a vision of his late son. When he wakes up, his worldview is shattered.
Critics weren't kind. The Los Angeles Times and other major outlets essentially called it heavy-handed. And yeah, it is. But for the audience it was made for, that "heavy-handedness" felt like clarity. You've got Sean Hannity—yes, the Fox News host—serving as an executive producer and even making a cameo. That alone tells you who this movie was talking to. It wasn't trying to win an Oscar; it was trying to offer hope to a specific demographic that feels sidelined by Hollywood.
Why Kevin Sorbo Took the Reins
Kevin Sorbo has been very vocal about his experiences in the industry. He’s claimed multiple times that his conservative and Christian views made him "blacklisted" in mainstream circles. Whether you believe that or not, it drove him to create his own lane. In the Let There Be Light 2017 movie, he isn't just acting. He’s directing his kids, Braeden and Shane, and working with his wife.
It’s personal.
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The chemistry between Sol and his ex-wife (played by Sam Sorbo) works because it's real. You can feel the history there. That’s probably the film's strongest asset. It moves away from the cardboard-cutout families you often see in low-budget religious films and gives us something that feels a bit more lived-in, even if the dialogue occasionally leans into the melodramatic.
The Impact of Christian Cinema in 2017
2017 was a bit of a turning point for "God-slot" movies. We saw The Shack and The Case for Christ also hit theaters. But Let There Be Light felt more political. Maybe it was the Hannity connection, or maybe it was just the timing of the cultural zeitgeist.
The film didn't have a $100 million marketing budget. It didn't have Super Bowl ads. It had word-of-mouth. Churches bought out entire theaters. People on Facebook shared the trailer like it was a manifesto. It eventually grossed over $7 million domestically. For a film that opened in only a few hundred theaters, that’s actually pretty impressive. It proved that there’s a massive, underserved audience that is hungry for stories that don’t treat their beliefs like a punchline or an ancient myth.
Realism vs. Message
The struggle with the Let There Be Light 2017 movie is the balance between being a "movie" and being a "sermon." Sol Harkens’ transition is fast. In real life, an atheist of his stature would probably spend years in therapy or scientific denial before embracing a divine vision. In the movie? It happens in a few scenes.
Is that a flaw?
From a narrative perspective, maybe. But if you’re a believer watching this, you see it as a "Paul on the road to Damascus" moment. It’s meant to be sudden. It’s meant to be a supernatural jolt. The movie doesn't care about the slow burn of intellectual deconstruction; it wants the emotional payoff of the prodigal son returning home.
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Technical Details and Behind-the-Scenes
The production was relatively small. It was shot in Alabama, which has become a bit of a hub for these types of films due to tax incentives and a welcoming atmosphere. The soundtrack even featured a song by Dionne Warwick. That’s a name you don’t expect to see on a small-budget faith film, but it added a layer of legitimacy to the production values.
Dan Gordon, who co-wrote the script with Sam Sorbo, has a real pedigree. He worked on The Hurricane and Wyatt Earp. You can see his influence in the structure. Even if you don't like the message, the pacing is tighter than your average church-basement production. It looks like a real movie because it was made by people who actually know how to use a camera and light a scene.
Understanding the "Let There Be Light" App
One of the weirder, more interesting parts of the movie's legacy is the "Let There Be Light" app mentioned in the film. In the story, it’s a global movement where people use their phones to literally shine light into the world. It was a bit of a meta-marketing move. They wanted the audience to feel like they could participate in the film’s message in the real world.
It’s a bit kitschy, sure. But it shows how the creators understood their audience’s desire for community. They weren't just selling a DVD; they were selling a feeling of belonging to something bigger than a movie theater.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Film
People often assume these movies are purely for "old people." But the data from 2017 showed a surprising amount of family engagement. Parents were looking for something they didn't have to pre-screen for "objectionable content."
The Let There Be Light 2017 movie isn't perfect. It’s glossy, it’s sentimental, and it definitely has an agenda. But calling it "propaganda" misses the point. Every movie has a worldview. This one just happens to wear its heart—and its cross—on its sleeve. It tackles the very real pain of losing a child, which is a universal human experience, regardless of whether you agree with the theological resolution the movie offers.
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Actionable Takeaways for Movie Night
If you're thinking about revisiting this film or watching it for the first time, keep a few things in mind to get the most out of it:
Watch it as a character study. Instead of focusing on the religious debate, look at Sol’s grief. Kevin Sorbo gives one of his better performances here, portraying a man who uses anger as a shield against a broken heart.
Contrast it with "God’s Not Dead." While both films feature an "angry atheist" archetype, Let There Be Light focuses more on the family dynamic and the internal emotional state rather than a college-campus debate. It’s a softer, more domestic approach to the genre.
Look at the production quality. Notice the lighting and the Alabama locations. For a film with a limited budget, it manages to look quite professional, which helped it stand out in a year crowded with faith-based content.
Check the soundtrack. The music plays a huge role in the emotional beats of the film. It's designed to pull at your heartstrings, so just lean into it.
The Let There Be Light 2017 movie serves as a fascinating time capsule of a specific moment in American film history. It was a time when faith-based creators realized they didn't need Hollywood's permission to make a hit. They just needed a camera, a message, and a loyal audience ready to hit the "on" switch. Whether you find it inspiring or just another example of "preaching to the choir," its success is a undeniable fact of the 2017 box office landscape.