The Gospel of Dating

The Gospel of Dating, written and directed by Khiray Richards, is a new feature-length comedy about a church which requires further funding and exposure following a period of economic lapse during Covid lockdown. The church’s bishop (played by Michael Orlando Peters) eventually agrees to help produce a church- based dating show which would involve his Christian community. We then follow a series of individuals as they search for love, and experience some amusing, often ridiculous hijinks involving the production of the show. This is a niche, flawed but not unentertaining dramedy – ostensibly aimed at a religious audience.

I’ve never seen a Christian sex-comedy, and I doubt you have either, dear reader – but many hilarious moments in this film come very close to that territory (my favourite moment in the whole runtime is a riotous vibrator joke). What I’m trying to get at is that this piece is not so staunchly traditional, and in fact explores some engaging modern relationship dynamics.

In terms of the picture’s construction, The Gospel of Dating is a technical success. The audio and soundtrack are an example of this project’s refinement. The on-location sound is properly captured; the foley is carefully done; and the music is implemented to create an appropriately humorous sensibility. The cinematography, while not outstanding, offers a pleasing use of focus – complemented by a cinematic, high-quality colour-grade. You could argue that there is an overuse of Steadicam in this movie, and not enough clear, static wide shots, or even especially striking closeups. The reason being is that the constant use of Steadicam means that the visual aspects of depth and composition feel intangible and non-committal.

I like the fact that our protagonist of the bishop must learn a few important lessons about acceptance and social modernity; however, this may rub many up the wrong way, as it did for this critic at first. There’s one truly horrific scene in which condescendingly sinister music plays and the bishop hatefully says the phrase “pronoun people”. Even if the film eventually confronts this prejudice – arguing that “salvation doesn’t have a label” – and even discusses the contradictions of “traditional value”, it takes its time to do so and comes across as condescending.

Nevertheless, for better or worse, what this scenario offers is an accurate portrayal of America’s dire political climate. Especially in relation to the depiction of the TV executive whose malignant motives aim to maintain a conservative, regressive image whilst still making wider-reaching profit. There’s also an element of capital ‘R’ Realism here in that it is inherently fascinating to make a movie focusing on the financial struggles of institutions – even when the overall feel of the piece is frequently one of absurdism. At its core, The Gospel of Dating is getting at something economically relevant.

For non-Christians like myself, a film such as this is not something one would commonly seek out for casual viewing purposes. Yet the movie’s offering of a clean aesthetic, a comforting and consistent tone, as well as plenty of genuine laughs means that this picture may provide entertainment beyond its target-audience.