Now Showing: Exodus

 

Exodus

Genre: Drama

Director: Andrew Dominik

Writer: Holden Abbott

Cast: Brad Pitt, Zoe Saldana, Miles Caton, Carrie Coon, Alan Ruck, Patsy Ferran, Delroy Lindo

Plot: Reverend Elijah March (Brad Pitt) stands before the congregation of The Kingdom of New Light, a megachurch with millions of followers worldwide. He delivers a charismatic sermon for all of the followers, whether they be in person or online. As always an intermission takes place where the choir begins to sing, Elijah goes ‘backstage’ for a brief period. We see an uncomfortable closeup of his face as he is obviously grappling with something underneath his charismatic facade. He enters a door and immediately sits down. He lets out a yell, before swearing. He immediately reaches into his robe pocket and swigs from a flask. A knock at the door is heard as he must make his way back to stage. “Fuck it.” he says to himself, “Let’s give em a show.” Elijah walks back out onto stage, faster than before. The choir fades out, sweat beads on his forehead, he tosses his script aside. After a long silence he drops his act. He speaks more intensely than before, ranting and raving before telling everyone that for the past few months he has felt so distant from God. He eventually even states that he doesn’t think the big man actually exists at all, just a figment of all their imaginations. An obvious shift in the audience takes place, with him even receiving boos from the audience in attendance. He just laughs at the boos and flips everyone off walking off the stage.

A couple days later Elijah is approached by Caleb Reed (Miles Caton), an aid of Elijah’s raised by the church. Caleb informs Elijah who seems to be in a depressive state that this whole situation just got a whole lot worse. Elijah just moans how the fuck could this get worse. Caleb shows him an expose published by Naomi Rivera (Zoe Saldana) accusing Elijah of financial misconduct, emotional manipulation of all his followers and even an alleged inappropriate relationship with a young staffer. Elijah’s head is in his hands, “what the fuck!” He is perplexed, a relationship, where the hell did this come from, he seems to be spiraling with Caleb trying to calm him. Caleb also adds that the board wants to meet him. Elijah just laughs, of course they fucking do.

The church’s board, led by Elder Gibbons (Alan Ruck) begins the conversation by thanking Elijah for all his years of hard work. Elijah just tells him to get on with it. They pressure him to step down, not just because of his outburst during the sermon, but everything online too. Elijah smiles, stands and gives a sarcastic thank you with a bow.

Elijah returns home, his wife and former co-preacher Lydia March (Carrie Coon) is walking out the door and slaps him. Elijah just stands in his tracks with Lydia yelling at him. How could he do this? What was he thinking? Why would he not tell her? He stays silent. She gets in the car, rolls down the window and tells him that she is leaving, staying with her mother, until this shitshow stops.

Elijah scrolls through comments on the feed from the sermon. He has many people sticking up for him saying that he is asking for help, pleading for it, it’s not that he doesn’t believe it's that he needs to find a reason TO believe again. There are more comments however that believe he should never perform another sermon again. He sits perplexed.

Elijah tries to walk out of his home but is met by either crazed fans or paparazzi. He decides to get in his car and drive away - almost hitting someone on his drive.

Parking his car Elijah wanders the streets aimlessly. He approaches a luxury hotel but is immediately recognised and shamed by the hotel staff. He leaves as quickly as he arrived.

He visits Lydia at her mothers house. She agrees to speak to him out the front of the house. Elijah immediately begins to apologise. Lydia tells him that she’s not going to comfort him and refuses to lie for him anymore. She hints that she’s known of his “blindness to others’ suffering” for years and that she no longer wants to play part in it. He asks what this means, she tells him that she just needs a break - not only from him but from “it all”. He has no choice but to accept this leaving Lydia on the poarch.

Elijah decides to go to the one person in his inner circle that he hasn’t seemed to piss off all the way yet, Caleb. When he arrives at Caleb's house he sees Caleb sitting opposite Naomi Rivera, seemingly giving her some information. Elijah confronts Caleb, questioning him on what all of this is. He tells Elijah that he has been the whistleblower, the one leaking all of this information. Elijah says it all makes sense now, Caleb wants his spot, after everything that he’s done for him, bringing him closer than anyone has got before, why? Caleb just continues to bitterly reject him, “You were him, you were God to me until I realized that you didn’t even believe in Him anymore, you were nothing more than a lying, thieving hypocrite.” Caleb tells Elijah to leave his fucking house. Naomi watches on as this all unfolds, curious at the whole situation.

Elijah, feeling alone, sits at home looking at his phone once more, and one single message sticks out to him amongst all the negative and positive. From a man named Abe Dunham. “All I know is he saved my life when I needed him most, not many other people I can say that about.” Elijah takes a drink then decides he’s going to pay old Abe a visit.

Elijah arrives at Abe's front step. He makes sure he seems presentable before knocking on the door. Abe (Delroy Lindo) answers, shocked to see Elijah at his doorstep, however, he can see that Elijah is not the man he once watched online. He welcomes Elijah into his home without a second thought. When the two sit Abe asks what he can do for Elijah. Elijah tells him he just wants to talk. Abe says he can do that. Elijah asks him why he still supports him. Abe tells him that everyone goes through their rough patches, hell, he has been through more than anyone he knows, so it seems a little tough to him that no one is willing to allow the same thing to happen to Elijah. Elijah questions this - saying that he supposes it because everyone sees him as some godlike being. Abe laughs a little, before apologising. Elijah asks what’s so amusing. Abe tells him that the reason Elijah saved him from his addiction wasn’t because he was god-like. Elijah tries to backtrack saying he wasn’t calling himself that but Abe cuts him off. He was saved because Elijah was available and he believed every word he was saying because of how charismatic he was - he asks if Elijah really thinks it was anything else? This leaves Elijah thinking in silence. After a beat Abe offers Elijah to stay for dinner, but - seeing Abe’s family at the dinner table refuses and apologises leaving them to themselves.

Elijah in plain clothes and hoodie, sits in the back pew of a humble, non-denominational church. It’s nothing like the megachurch spectacle he led. The preacher is young, uncertain but passionate. There are only a dozen people attending. He speaks not with confidence but with authenticity. Elijah watches as people sing, laugh, cry—he sees faith unmanufactured. After the service, an old woman approaches him. She doesn’t recognize him but says, “You looked like you needed to be here.” Elijah thanks her, tears up slightly, and leaves without another word.

Naomi Rivera tracks Elijah down - arriving at his home not as a journalist but just out of curiosity. At first he refused her entry, claiming that she ruined his life. Although he just wants someone to talk to so lets her in. During subsequent conversation Elijah admits that he never believed he was divine, but he loved how it felt to be needed, adored even. “I confused love with worship. And then I confused worship with the truth.” Naomi continues speaking with him, challenging him - if he didn’t believe why did he keep the illusion alive? He has no answer for her, not one.

The board led by Gibbons have a conversation about Elijah. The board plans to replace him permanently and begin an immediate rebrand of the church. As everyone else leaves the meeting Gibbons begins reshaping the doctrine into something more marketable

Naomi sits down with Marla (Patsy Ferran), a jittery but principled ex-staffer of The Kingdom of New Light. Marla tells Naomi that Gibbons used Elijah’s name to move funds into offshore accounts. She tried raising red flags, but was silenced. Marla gives Naomi documents that confirm Elijah was never looped in on some of the financial decisions. Naomi realizes Elijah was both manipulator and manipulated. Naomi sits in her car after, overwhelmed. She finally whispers, “They really ate him alive.”

Naomi sits at her home computer, astonished at what she’s uncovered. She leaks the internal memos showing the church had been financially exploiting followers far beyond Elijah’s knowledge, all linking back to Gibbons.

A public debate soon erupts between all followers of The Kingdom of New Light. Some followers want Elijah back. Others are relieved he is gone. But all agree that Elder Gibbons needs to go.

Seeing the news Elijah decides to hold one final public address. He films this address in a field where he once baptized thousands - his address is raw, a confessional. He strips away his myth that many believed. “I am not your shepherd, I do not and shall not guide you. I was simply your mirror.” He names his failures, he admits to financial misconduct, losing his money due to gambling and his reliance on alcohol. He mentions his manipulation of people and condemns the corrupt structure behind him. He states that he is giving up the platform, the money, the title, all of it to just simply live a better, less burdened life. Before his confessional is over he apologises to everyone, especially his wife Lydia and his friend Caleb. Finishing his confessional he lets out a cry knowing that what he once was is now gone.

Gibbons is soon indicted for embezzlement. He was caught trying to leave the country after the news broke.

Caleb, after a quick visit with Elijah, decides to start a grassroot movement focused on spiritual healing - without the hierarchy, he develops a small following within the first month.

Lydia speaks with Elijah but ultimately leaves him, not out of anger but liberation. She starts leading a women’s circle focused on healing from spiritual abuse.

Elijah moves into a monastery, not to hide - but to learn how to once again get closer to God. Naomi visits him months later. The two sit in silence. There’s peace. When Naomi leaves Elijah walks to the monastery garden and sits silently, planting a sapling.