Movie Review – Polycarp

While reviewing movies for Kayleigh’s Reformers history lesson I came across this one. You can imagine my joy, after spending all last year and half this one reading and studying the Patristic Fathers. Polycarp was a man directly discipled by the Apostle John, who was eventually martyred for his faith. There’s a few things I look for, however, when reviewing movies for homeschooling. First, they have to have an accurate depiction of the Bible, no false Gospels. Secondly, they have to have limited amounts of violence or promiscuity. Lastly, they need to flow or she’ll just get bored.

Polycarp certainly contains a Biblical Gospel presentation, along with many, MANY, scriptural references. In fact, Polycarps character frequently uses Gods Word as a response to situations. There is absolutely no promiscuity, which actually tends to pop up in historical movies. Instead it is replete with family values, love for the brethren, Biblical teachings, and a boldness in the face of fear, rather than mushy romance and puppy love. It flows really well, and has excellent acting. There’s only one problem, this is a tale of martyrs. I think I’ll wait a couple years before playing this for Kayleigh, she’s very sensitive to death and frequently falls apart in the consideration of losing one of her parents.

Due to the intense, yet none bloody, scenes of martyrdom, I’d recommend this movie for pre-teens and up. Especially for any of you out there that love to learn about the churches history. In this movie we find historical characters such as Irenaeus and Justin Martyr, along side Polycarp of course. The 2015 movie is set in Smyrna during the second century. It follows a young girl who is rescued from slavery by Christians, which is why I would recommend it to pre-teens as well as youth groups. It will also bless adults, as it’s not based on one single age group, but a family of believers instead. I found this movie on Amazon free with our Prime subscription. However, the official website is Here where you can see a recommendation from a well known evangelist, Ray Comfort. I hope this movie blesses you as much as it blessed me. Let me know if you get a chance to watch it. As