🎬 I Can Only Imagine 2 – Movie Review

Director: (Sequel continuation from the original creative team)Genre: Faith-based drama / Inspirational biopicRating: PGRun Time: Approx. 2 hours

⭐ Overall Impression

I Can Only Imagine 2 builds on the emotional resonance of the original 2018 film by moving beyond the creation of the iconic song and focusing on what comes after redemption: endurance, responsibility, and legacy.

🎥 What the Film Does Well

I was hesitant to see this one but:

1️⃣ Expands the Story Beyond the Hit Song

Where the first film centered on forgiveness and the backstory of MercyMe frontman Bart Millard, this sequel leans into the complexities of life after success. It explores family strain, touring fatigue, faith under pressure, and the cost of staying authentic in a commercial industry.

The shift in narrative focus gives the sequel more maturity — it’s less about one defining moment and more about sustained character growth.

2️⃣ Emotional Authenticity

The emotional beats land strongest when the story slows down. The film understands that faith-based storytelling works best when it feels human rather than preachy. Scenes involving family dynamics and personal doubt are where the script carries the most weight.

3️⃣ Audience Target Clarity

This film knows exactly who it is for:

• Faith-driven audiences

• Families

• Viewers who appreciated the first film

• Church and community group screenings

It stays firmly within that lane and delivers what its audience expects: hope, redemption, perseverance.

Now for the bad news:

🎭 Where It Struggles

⚖️ Predictability

Narratively, the sequel follows a familiar arc. Conflict, doubt, setback, spiritual recalibration. It rarely surprises you structurally.

🎵 Musical Integration

While the soundtrack supports the story, the emotional punch of the original’s titular song is hard to replicate. The sequel doesn’t quite achieve a musical moment as culturally impactful as the first film did.

📖 Depth vs. Safe Choices

The movie occasionally pulls back from exploring darker internal conflicts as deeply as it could. A slightly grittier layer might have elevated it beyond genre expectations.

🎞 Cinematic Craft

• Clean cinematography

• Strong production value for a faith-centered film

• Solid pacing, though slightly long in the second act

• Performances are heartfelt, particularly in quiet dialogue scenes

It feels polished and sincere — not edgy cinema, but competently executed.

🏆 Final Rating

⭐ 3.5 out of 5 stars

It’s not groundbreaking filmmaking, but it successfully delivers inspiration, emotional catharsis, and an uplifting message — and it will resonate strongly with its intended audience.

I would recommend seeing Wuthering Heights or family see The Goat.

Until next week,