As the year winds down, we often find ourselves thinking about the stories that linger. Not just the ones that made us laugh or kept us guessing, but the ones that profoundly moved us — asking who we’re becoming and what we’ll carry forward, even as they invited us to challenge our preconceptions.

This week, we’re reflecting on stories formed in that tension. Films where belief and doubt coexist, where faith isn’t treated as a punchline or a prop, but as something shaped by experience, choice, and time. They remind us that growth rarely happens all at once. More often, it comes through reflection, honest questions, and the willingness to see differently.

As we move into 2026, we look forward to continuing to celebrate genre storytelling that takes the human condition seriously in light of our Creator. And we’re excited to keep inviting our community of filmmakers, fans, and supporters to help imagine what meaningful stories could look like next.

Filmmaker Rian Johnson’s latest Knives Out mystery pushes his lead character Benoit Blanc into unfamiliar territory, where clever detective work brushes up against questions of belief, motive, and moral cost. Beneath the twists and razor-sharp dialogue, the film wrestles with greed and sacrifice, certainty and doubt. It’s a reminder that great mysteries don’t just reveal who did it, but what we trust when the answers aren’t easy to grasp.

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Based on a true story that gripped the nation, Captive finds grace in an unthinkable moment. When Ashley Smith (played by Kate Mara) is taken hostage, an unexpected turn toward faith opens space for empathy, purpose, and restraint. It’s a tense, intimate thriller that asks what happens when courage looks less like force and more like compassion… and how presence can change the ending.

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For much of his career, Rian Johnson has been known for sharp mysteries and moral puzzles that reward close attention. But his latest film, Wake Up Dead Man, reflects something more personal beneath its familiar genre frame.

In a recent interview with Relevant Magazine, Johnson spoke openly about growing up immersed in the Christian faith, followed by a season of skepticism in adulthood. Rather than rejecting belief outright, he described a quieter reckoning shaped more by curiosity than certainty. That tension informed how he approached writing a Christian character this time. Not as an idea to argue with, but as a person to understand.

What stands out isn't that Johnson resolves faith neatly on screen. It's that he treats it with enough respect to let it breathe. He listens before explaining. He allows belief and doubt to coexist without turning either into a joke or a caricature.

That approach feels especially timely. Genre films have long offered a space to wrestle with big questions. When storytellers engage them with humility and care, they can reveal something deeper than just what's on the surface. They invite us to consider belief not merely as an answer handed down, but as something that’s shaped over time.

The results are in… and it’s a tie! Half of you voted for One that lifts my spirit and One that points me towards Christ in last week’s poll: What kind of story feels most meaningful to you this Christmas?

Currently fundraising on Wefunder, Paul is an ambitious action–sci-fi movie that asks what conversion might look like in a digital age. When a modern skeptic suddenly has the entire Bible downloaded into his mind, belief is no longer theoretical. It’s immediate, disruptive, and impossible to ignore.

Created by a Gen Z filmmaker with a clear heart for reaching young adults, the film uses genre storytelling to meet viewers where they are, blending high-concept thrills with spiritual reckoning. It’s a reminder that stories of transformation still matter, especially when they’re told in a language the next generation understands.

Stories like Paul remind us why it’s worth supporting bold, redemptive genre films, and why investing in the next generation of filmmakers is so important as we look toward 2026.

_{*Plumb News is not affiliated with “Paul” or Wefunder and does not receive compensation for featuring it. We’re highlighting it because we believe stories like this deserve support.}

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” - Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

Faith can often be mistaken for certainty. But Scripture describes it differently. Faith isn’t about having all the answers. It’s choosing to trust when parts of the picture are still unclear.

Most of us live somewhere between belief and doubt. We weigh what we know. We wrestle with unanswered questions. We move forward without guarantees. Faith doesn’t shame us for that. It meets us right there.

Hebrews calls faith “assurance” in what we cannot yet see. Not a rejection of reality, but a commitment within it. A willingness to keep walking even when clarity comes slowly, or not at all.

That kind of faith shows up in ordinary places. In artists who keep creating before anyone notices. In people who choose mercy when cynicism would be easier. In anyone who keeps going, not because they’re certain, but because hope still feels worth holding onto.

As this year draws to a close, maybe faith isn’t asking for bold declarations or perfect confidence. Perhaps it’s inviting honesty, attention, and the courage to take one small step forward — trusting that God is already present there.

Until next time,

THE PLUMB NEWS TEAM