Writing recently in the online magazine Tablet, Jacob Savage made the argument that our movie critics have reached a new low. Because the majority of them are liberals, they will not criticize a film that goes against “the narrative” of progressivism. The Hollywood trade paper Variety even apologized when a critic had the guts to pan the feminist movie Promising Young Woman.

Savage is right, but there is also a larger issue at play. Critics have abandoned God. That’s why their analysis is so stale.

Now, I want to be clear here. I don’t think that every critic needs to be a Christian, and that every review needs to cite Scripture. I am saying that the arts, including film, are expressions of our most powerful dreams, fears and desires, and as such are best interpreted in terms of our relationship to the sacred and to God.