The third entry in the “Quiet Place” franchise once again contrasts savage alien brutality with surprising human tenderness. “Cabrini” isn’t an easy film. But for families looking for a faith-based biographical drama, the story of Francesca Saverio Cabrini is inspiring. Luke Combs shows the world what imperfect, but faithful fatherhood should look like on his newest album, “Fathers & Sons.”
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Read on to get Plugged In on what’s beyond the movie titles and trailers for faith-filled and family-first reviews from Focus on the Family’s Plugged In.
A Quite Place: Day One – In Theaters
You may be wondering, “Man, just how good is this pizza from Patsy’s? There’s no way it could be worth getting killed by noise-hating aliens.”
Well, that’s probably true. But if you’ve seen the previous “Quiet Place” films, then you know there’s more to it than that. And like those other films, “Day One” has a heartfelt tale to tell.
Sam has all but given up on life. She sees Patsy’s pizza as a dying wish—one last hurrah before death claims her. But Eric changes that. He initially follows her out of shellshock. However, his unwavering persistence and desire to help shows Sam that there’s another way. She doesn’t have to die in misery. She doesn’t have to just survive. She can thrive even in her circumstances and truly live once more.
Of course, to get to that nice, sweet story, viewers will have to subject themselves to the horror part as well.
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The creatures that attack Earth are terrifying. We don’t really see them kill anyone onscreen, but many jump scares show folks getting yanked offscreen to their doom. (One poor fellow becomes the victim of his fellow man after he nearly alerts the creatures to a theater full of survivors.) And the blood and bodies that are left behind leave no doubt regarding their fate.
Language is also a problem, especially when Sam reads a poem early in the film that includes the s-word multiple times.
Those content concerns may make this film a nonstarter for many families—certainly nothing you would want younger kiddos to watch. But for more mature audiences, A “Quiet Place: Day One” may be a navigable tale about camaraderie and hope.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
Cabrini – Now Available to Rent
To say that Mother Cabrini was kind, brave, loving, caring and just would not be enough. In fact, I’m not really sure how to describe a woman who believed in God’s purpose for her life so strongly that she was willing to risk everything—even her own life—to see it through.
“Cabrini” is a powerful story that teaches us what it means to pursue justice in the face of extreme persecution. The odds were against this determined nun from the start. She was Catholic, Italian and a woman. She didn’t have funding or influence. And yet, her faith that God would provide—that God bring her Empire of Hope to fruition—never failed.
Compelled by her faith and ideals, Mother Cabrini fought for the impoverished immigrant. She protected the sick and the dying. She loved her children. Because even though she didn’t give birth to them, she took it as an ordinance from God to give them the love of a mother.
And through it all, she also demonstrated what women are capable of. She wouldn’t let anyone tell her no, because she knew that God had told her yes. And she certainly wasn’t going to let sexism, racism, or anything else stand in her God’s way.
“Cabrini” isn’t the easiest film to watch. The perils we witness onscreen, the hardships people face, the hatred carried out by those bent on preserving their own fabrication of the “American Dream” are all heavy topics. Some light language pops up on occasion, too.
But for families looking for a faith-based biographical drama, the story of Francesca Saverio Cabrini, aka Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, is pretty inspiring.
Read the rest of the review here. Watch the trailer here.
Album Review: Fathers & Sons by Luke Combs
If this album revealed anything about Mr. Combs’s personal life, it’s that he’s a family man. His eldest son was born in 2022 and his second son in 2023, so he has a lot of fatherhood left. But his goals are clear… and they’re good ones for any father-child relationship.
Combs, nor his dad, are the perfect example of a father. While he tries his best, “that ‘S’ on his chest” will start to fade and there will always be mistakes that could’ve been avoided. After all, there is only one perfect father.
Combs does, however, paint the picture of a faithful father: one who sacrifices for his sons, plants Godly seeds and is humble to take the example of his own father to heart and action.
Read the rest of the review here.
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Plugged In is a Focus on the Family publication designed to shine a light on the world of popular entertainment while giving families the essential tools they need to understand, navigate, and impact the culture in which they live. Through our reviews, articles and discussions, we hope to spark intellectual thought, spiritual growth and a desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”
Reviews written by Caleb Gottry and Emily Tsaio.
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