GENESIS: CREATION AND THE FLOOD
Beautiful Scripture, but too slow for a family movie night.
Should You Watch It?
GENESIS: CREATION AND THE FLOOD offers a faithful, narrated presentation of the first nine chapters of Genesis. Its images of nature are beautiful, and the film celebrates God’s Creation, dependence on God, obedience, love for others, and care for one another.
The problem is its pace. The movie is slow, monotonous, and dramatically unimaginative. It spends significant time on beautiful images, and it could have been half its length while making the same point. The English dubbing also does not match the actors’ lip movements properly.
Your family can watch this without significant content concerns, but the home setting is the better choice. Wait for home if you want to explore this biblical story together.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESAs an Israeli tribe travels through the wilderness, an elderly man tells the community the story of God’s creation of the heavens and the earth. He continues with the stories of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and Noah’s Ark.
The film presents these biblical accounts through Scripture-based narration and images of nature. Along the way, it contrasts the wilderness with a city whose people are absorbed in celebration and material possessions.
Is It Any Good?
Two stars means this film has worthwhile material but limited dramatic power. Its most effective quality is its collection of beautiful images, especially landscapes and scenes that celebrate God’s Creation. The biblical voiceover also brings the first nine chapters of Genesis directly to the screen.
But GENESIS is incredibly drawn out, slow, monotonous, and boring. It focuses so heavily on beautiful images that the presentation is not particularly riveting. The Italian production is dubbed into English, and the actors’ lip movements do not match the voiceovers properly.
The Worldview
The film presents a strong Biblical and Christian worldview through accurate Scriptural text from the first nine chapters of Genesis. It portrays God as Creator and emphasizes humanity’s need for companions, wisdom, obedience, and one another. It also presents nature and loving relationships as places where God’s goodness can be experienced.
The film contrasts people living in the wilderness with city dwellers absorbed in material possessions and temporary pleasures. It also briefly shows the dangers of a Romantic worldview. The biblical account includes humanity’s failure, judgment through the Flood, and the opportunity for life to begin anew.
GENESIS points viewers toward dependence on God and on one another for wisdom and survival. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong Biblical and Christian worldview supported by accurate scriptural text of the first nine chapters of Genesis, shows brief images of the dangers of a Romantic worldview; no foul language; a boy is seen throwing rocks at some wild pigs (although none are injured), a boy representing Cain bashes another boy with a rock (although no other details are seen), a man on a raft is hit by a strong wind, a corpse is placed within the center of a rock circle and honored by its people; no sexual content; no nudity other than a brief image of a baby’s birth, although no genitals are seen; no alcohol; no smoking or drug use; and, high class partying and dancing is seen, both in an ancient Israeli city and in clips flashing forward to the present day, although it’s shown in a negative light.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The film presents God as Creator and the natural world as a witness to His glory. Where do you see reminders of God’s creative power?
Genesis 1:1 · Psalm 19:1GENESIS emphasizes that people need one another for wisdom and survival. How can your family practice care and responsibility toward one another this week?
Galatians 6:2 · Philippians 2:4The story of Cain and Abel shows how people can turn against one another. What helps us respond to anger before it harms someone else?
Genesis 4:6–7 · James 1:19–20The film contrasts a wilderness community with people absorbed in material possessions. What does Scripture teach about enjoying God’s gifts without making possessions our master?
Matthew 6:19–21 · 1 Timothy 6:17–19The Final Word
GENESIS: CREATION AND THE FLOOD is visually pleasing and rooted in Scripture, with few content concerns. But its slow, monotonous presentation is better suited to thoughtful viewing at home than family movie night at the theater. Our answer is WAIT FOR HOME.
