Remember when you ditched cable and satellite, hoping streaming would save you a bundle?
It sounded great in theory.
But then they raised their rates. Then you added two more services, tempted by their low
introductory offers. And then you subscribed to another one — just for the kids. Before long, your
monthly streaming bill started looking a lot like the cable bill you thought you’d escaped.
The craziest part? You may have had a solid streaming service all along — and never used it.
RELATED: Check out more on film, faith and culture from Michael Foust.
Meanwhile… subscribe to The Alabama Baptist today!
Amazon Prime boasts 220 million customers worldwide and 180 million in the United States alone — most of whom likely joined for the fast shipping and online deals, unaware it also includes several valuable perks at no extra cost.
The most notable bonus is Prime Video, an impressive streaming service in the same league as
Netflix but without the price tag.
The best part? It is quickly becoming a go-to for faith-based and family media, with high-end
series found nowhere else.
It’s the home of “House of David,” the Wonder Project series that launched this year with an
ambitious storyline about the biblical King David. Season 1 followed his younger life, including
the slaying of Goliath.
It’s the home of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” the multi-season series that is a
prequel to the J.R.R. Tolkien novels and delves into the forging of the rings and the epic battles
that shaped Middle-earth.
It’s also the exclusive streaming home of the biblical hit series “The Chosen,” which follows the
life of Jesus and the disciples and has quickly become the most popular faith-based project in
modern entertainment history.
‘Vastly underserved’ audience
Tracy Blackwell, senior creative executive at Amazon, said earlier this year that the faith-based
community is a “vastly underserved” audience that the company wanted to attract. Blackwell
herself is a Christian.
“They wanted to give them premium, elevated content — quality faith content,” she said of
Amazon’s desire.
Prime Video houses other faith-based titles, too, such as “His Only Son,” “The Pilgrim’s Progress”
and “On a Wing and a Prayer.”
Families of younger children have multiple options: “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” “Paw Patrol:
The Mighty Movie” and “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” for example.
Prime Video also boasts a robust lineup aimed at older children and adults, including “Twisters,”
“Godzilla” and “Thirteen Lives.” (Clearplay and VidAngel often offer filters for Prime Video titles
with questionable content.)
Of course, no streaming service offers everything. But if you’re a family of faith, there’s a good
chance you’ll find a few titles you’ll love on Prime Video.
And there’s more
Also worth watching this month:
The King of Kings (Angel) — The story of Jesus is retold in this charming animated film that
follows Charles Dickens as he recounts the gospel to his young son, Walter. It’s available on the
platforms of Angel Studios.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Prime Video) — The world’s fastest hedgehog teams up with Tails and
Knuckles to fight a new enemy. This PG-rated live-action film includes mild language, although
Clearplay and VidAngel offer filters.
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (Netflix) — A lovable dog with dreams of becoming a
samurai is charged with defending a village of cats. It’s an animated PG spoof film with a bit of
potty humor and pushing-the-envelope moments. (Check Clearplay for filters.)
Miracles from Heaven (Netflix) — A young girl with a rare disorder experiences a miracle after falling from a tree. She also claims to have visited heaven during her hospital stint. This faith-based film is rated PG and includes only minor language (two OMGs).
EDITOR’S NOTE — Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and entertainment for two decades. He is the husband to a wonderful wife (Julie) and the father of four school-aged children.
Share with others: