I Can Only Imagine 2

The song by Bart Millard's band has become an unexpected success; the halls are full, the audience is devoted and the career is settled. Outside the spotlight it is different. What remains from his past, above all what happened with his father, is straining his relationship with his own son. A musician newly joined to the band, Tim, grows close to him on tour and brings out a burden of his own. Brent McCorkle directs. J. Michael Finley plays Bart Millard again, with Milo Ventimiglia and Sophie Skelton in the cast. It is the sequel to I Can Only Imagine from 2018. The first film was made on a small budget and was an unexpected commercial success in America, counted among the examples of faith based work finding a place in mainstream cinema. The subject is forgiveness. The first film was about a reckoning with a father; this one is about the same matter repeating a generation later. It is openly a faith based film and does not hide its audience; prayer and church scenes are used directly. The musical sections are the strongest part and the concert scenes carry the impression of live recording. Who it is for: viewers who follow American faith based film and musical biography. Who it is not for: the emotional emphasis is very high, the narrative is predictable, and the context is missing for anyone who did not see the first film.