Jesus Is King (film)

Jesus Is King is a 2019 American experimental[3] concert short film by Kanye West and directed by Nick Knight, featuring West's gospel-rap group, Sunday Service. The film accompanied the release of Jesus Is King, West's ninth studio album released after a series of delays on October 25, 2019.[4][5][6]

Jesus Is King
Theatrical release poster
Directed byNick Knight
Produced byKanye West
Starring
Music byKanye West
Sunday Service
Release date
  • October 25, 2019 (2019-10-25)
Running time
38 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1,108,241[1][2]

Production

On September 29, 2019, it was announced that IMAX and Kanye West were collaborating to release a Sunday Service Choir concert film that had been filmed in the summer of 2019 at the Roden Crater in Painted Desert, Arizona.[5][4]

Kanye West indicated that the purpose of the film was Christian evangelism, not entertainment: "We're here to spread the gospel. I'm not here for your entertainment. I'm an evangelist, so my music, my films, every conversation, every room I go in, we're here to save souls, save you from eternal damnation. I use art to make believers."[7][8]

Release

A short preview of the film was shown at three listening parties for West's then-upcoming ninth studio album, Jesus Is King, on September 27, 2019 in Detroit, September 28, 2019 in Chicago, and September 29, 2019 in New York.[9][10]

On October 17, 2019, a trailer for the film was released with a soundtrack of a gospel rendition of West's 808s & Heartbreak single, "Say You Will". British fashion photographer, Nick Knight was also named director of the film.[11]

The film was released in IMAX theaters on October 25, 2019.[4] In June 2020, West teased a digital release of the film through Apple.[12]

Track listing

Track listing adapted from the film's credit roll.[13]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Selah" (IMAX Version)
 
2."Say You Will"
 
3."O Fortuna" (from Carmina Burana)Carl Orff 
4."Ultralight Beam"
 
5."Perfect Praise"Brenda Joyce Moore 
6."When I Think of His Goodness"
 
7."More Abundantly"
  • Sonja G. Whitmore
 
8."Everything We Need"
 
9."Count Your Blessings"
 
10."Alleluia"
  • Jerry Sinclair
 
11."Street Lights"
 
12."Use This Gospel" (IMAX Version)
 
13."Every Knee Shall Bow" (IMAX Version)
  • Claude Léveillée
  • Angel Lopez
  • Brian Miller
  • Vindver
  • West
 

Most songs featured in this film can originally be found on Kanye West's ninth studio album Jesus Is King and from the Jesus is Born album by Kanye's Sunday Service Choir.

Reception

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, Jesus Is King received an average score of 61, based on four reviews.[14]

In a review for NME, critic Luke Morgan Britton wrote, "Kanye's sublime but flawed visual journey stops short of enlightenment," adding that "despite its aesthetic brilliance, it fails to reach its potential and ends up lost in a struggle of what it wants to be ... A live concert film? A high-gloss advert? A desktop screensaver-ready nature doc? Or simply a vehicle to enable the spouting of scripture? Instead, it's a jarring mixture of all of the above."[15]

References
  1. "Jesus Is King (2019)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  2. "Jesus Is King (2019)". The Numbers. IMDb. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  3. Willmore, Alison. "The Jesus Is King Movie Is for Kanye Completists Only". Vulture. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  4. Haring, Bruce (September 29, 2019). "Kanye West Will Unveil New IMAX Film, 'Jesus Is King', Celebrating His Sunday Service". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  5. Aswad, Jem (September 29, 2019). "Kanye West's 'Jesus Is King' Documentary Film Coming Next Month". Variety. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  6. Bloom, Madison (September 29, 2019). "Kanye West Announces New Jesus Is King Documentary". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  7. Drury, Sharareh. "Kanye West Aims to "Save Souls" in 'Jesus Is King' Trailer". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  8. Avila, Pamela (19 October 2019). "Go Behind the Scenes of Kanye West's Jesus Is King Film". E!. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  9. Kreps, Daniel (September 29, 2019). "Kanye West Announces 'Jesus Is King' IMAX Documentary". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  10. Hughes, Hilary (September 29, 2019). "Kanye West to Release 'Jesus Is King' IMAX Film". Billboard. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  11. Yoo, Noah (October 18, 2019). "Kanye Shares Trailer for New Jesus Is King IMAX Movie". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  12. @kanyewest (26 Jun 2020). "YZY GAP BEGINS MOWALOLA JOINS AS YZY GAP DESIGN DIRECTOR KSG CARTOON MURAKAMI CUDI JESUS IS KING FILM ON APPLE JAMES TURRELL YZY SPLY DOC NICK KNIGHT FOAM RUNNER RELEASE MADE IN USA JESUS IS KING DR. DRE VERSION WASH US IN THE BLOOD VIDEO ARTHUR JAFA #WESTDAYEVER" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  13. "Jesus Is King credits". Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  14. "Jesus Is King Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  15. "Jesus Is King NME review". NME. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
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