Top 7 faith-inspired films of 2023

By Jeannie Ortega Law, Christian Post Reporter Saturday, December 23, 2023

'Divine Influencer'

“Divine Influencer” was the No. 1 film on the Great American Pure Flix streaming service this year upon its release. The Shari Rigby-directed film stars Lara Silva ("The Chosen”), who plays a young influencer who goes from riches to rags in film.

Rigby started creating the movie in 2015 after working with the outreach facility The Dream Center in Los Angeles.

"As we started to really work through this script and the story in general, we started to realize that one, for such a time as this, and two, this is something that we should be tackling more often so we can actually talk about how, as Christians, we can influence the culture for Christ. So it's an important topic,” Rigby told The Christian Post in a recent interview.

“Divine Influencer” follows “an entitled influencer [who] is humbled by losing everything. She begins working at a homeless shelter so that she has a place to live. With God’s help, she discovers her true purpose comes from serving others,” the film’s synopsis reads.

Silva revealed that the movie was something she needed in her own walk with God. "I think that it was something that God knew I needed. With filming 'The Chosen,' it's totally different than 'Divine Influencer,'” Silva told CP. "I just learned so much about my own faith, who I am, and what serving really means. It's just been so fun.”

The movie features moments where the cast laughs, cries and dances. Both Rigby and Silva celebrated their time together on set. In the three weeks of filming, they recall becoming “like a family.”

Alongside Silva, “Divine Influencer” features Jason Burkey (“The Walking Dead”), Jesse Metcalfe (“John Tucker Must Die”) and Micah Lynn Hanson (“Like Arrows”).