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A powerful, discerning review of I Can Only Imagine 2 praises its honesty, performances, and redemptive depth—proving Christian filmmaking can pursue excellence without emotional manipulation.

Having lived and breathed Christian retail for over a decade, I’ve seen the best of the good and the very worst of the bad.

Like Icarus, some filmmakers cut corners, underutilise resources, expect to reach great heights, then wonder why the end product flops.

It’s as though a few filmmakers see the Church universal as a captive audience.

The assumption seems to me to be that since we’re commanded to “love thy neighbour”, this means we’re commanded to love thy low-quality content as well.

It’s because of this presumptiveness that there are films I won’t even bother picking up.

After being repeatedly exposed to the difference between a solid effort and none at all, then told to accept both, there’s a need to start setting boundaries.

I’ve come to a point where I shy away from most projects that don’t seek to live out their full potential in Christ with all of their might.

This isn’t arrogance. This is discernment.

To quote J.C. Ryle,

“Our lives are a silent sermon which all can read.”

The world is eager to hear what the Church needs to tell them, and the world is always watching. They also vote with their dollar. Such is the language of Babylon.

For me, Ryle’s remarks perfectly sum up directors Andrew Erwin and Brent McCorkle’s new I Can Only Imagine sequel.

Full disclaimer, thanks to Sony and Lionsgate, I had the honour of checking out a pre-screening of the film.

As I indicated above, I consider a lot of what cinemas screen these days to be junk.

I Can Only Imagine 2 is not that.

Kingdom Story Company, which brought us the biopic The Jesus Revolution (2023) and the future Zachery Levi film, Sarah’s Oil, delivers.

This film passes muster.

Grief, Growth, and Sanctification

From quality casting to the believability of its actors, I Can Only Imagine 2 was a whole lot better than I imagined it was going to be.

For the reasons stated above, I was really apprehensive about watching the movie.

I’m not big on emotion-driven films because most of them come across as manipulative.

I also hadn’t seen the first movie.

On those two points alone, I was actually going to give this opportunity a miss.

That said, I’m honestly glad I didn’t.

While intense at times, I Can Only Imagine 2 does not milk emotion. It instead highlights what I would call holy moments.

Directors Erwin and McCorkle avoid force-feeding the audience trauma and choose instead to brilliantly walk their characters through that trauma.

Unlike others, they do this with and for, not in spite of, their audience.

What is on offer here is an honest, somewhat fast-paced, extremely healthy look behind the polished face of Christian Contemporary Music (CCM).

Based on the life experiences of Bart Millard (MercyMe’s frontman) and his son, I Can Only Imagine 2 has less to do with CCM as an industry and more to do with the lives of the real people who occupy that space.

We learn how sorrow can impact and complicate the creative process, and how throwing ourselves into work as therapy is ultimately a poor remedy.

Without giving the plot away, this film is about awakening to the fact that “God is not just in the fire, he is present in the storms of life” as well.

Important themes that make up the storyline’s backbone include parenting.

Such as learning how to love our adult children by being present without being overprotective.

This is illustrated by the film’s tension between a dad caring for his son and the son who wants independence, yet refuses to accept the responsibilities that go with it.

In this sense, I Can Only Imagine 2 is a coming-of-age story with an unexpected redemptive arc that speaks strongly to families.

Other strong themes encountered are brokenness, belonging, belief, being, and the real nature of band life.

Performances That Carry the Message

Near the centre of these is the origin story of the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul“. Also close to the centre, if not at the centre, is actor Milo Ventimiglia (Gilmore Girls), who plays Tim Timmons.

Timmons is the heart of this film, not his life-threatening illness.

Ventimiglia knows this and owns every inch of his part.

Timmons’ life isn’t just about a song. It is, to draw on J.C. Ryle’s words, a sermon with a sense of humour. Ventimiglia clearly understands this and handles it with care.

He delivers a strong performance, which, in my opinion, holds the film together.

The message is clear: through God’s gift of faith and human determination (what theologians call sanctification), we can learn to “hold grief and gratitude at the same time.”

A clear favourite for me was Country Music’s Trace Adkins, who plays veteran CCM band manager Scott Brickell.

The writers got the script right. Adkins’s presence lifts the film, which is ironic given his tough-as-nails attitude and exterior.

Shoutouts for the remaining cast members are all well-deserved. Particularly, Sammy Dell, John Michael Finley and Dennis Quaid.

I Can Only Imagine 2 doesn’t trick people into believing the gospel. It brings the gospel into conversation with grief.

We cast off the millstone of suffering and put on the joy of sanctification.

For his burden is easy, his yoke is light. (Matthew 11:25-30)

From me, I Can Only Imagine 2 is a 9 out of 10.

Make more films like it!

If you’re looking for a date night idea or something to do on the weekend, check this one out.