Let me editorialize for a bit: on Film Cred, I have written seven entirely different pieces mentioning the pandemic. Some of these pieces are more directly about the effects quarantine has had on myself or others. Some are about films surprise-released during quarantine, much to the joy of fans. And sometimes, I just have to mention it, it’s because it’s taken over how I think about everything, or because it’s the only way I have to contextualize new films. Much of this is subconscious; the pandemic has nothing to do with Sofia Coppola’s On the Rocks, nor does it matter to Anthony and Joe Russo’s Cherry. But the words “pandemic” and “quarantine” are mentioned in more than half of my work for the site, like an obsession I can’t help but sprinkle into every conversation.
Scenes from an Empty Church, directed by Onur Tukel and written by Tukel and Andrew Shemin, is a pandemic drama, specifically a COVID-19 drama. Its premise is simple: Father Andrew (Kevin Corrigan) and Father James (Thomas Jay Ryan) had to shut down their church in accordance with New York City’s lockdown laws, but become motivated to open the church in a limited capacity, bringing back that human interaction they’ve missed. Father Andrew’s friend Paul (Max Casella) becomes a frequent visitor despite his atheism, and the three have revelations and discussions about life, religion, and that clapping ritual people were doing for a while to greet healthcare workers on their way home from work.
To be blunt: Turkel’s film will probably not work for everyone, at least not in the current moment. The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, as vaccines are hoarded in imperialist nations and the Delta variant is ravaging the unvaccinated population of the world. The wound is still present, barely scabbed over, and no bandaids have even come close to hiding the problem, much less fixing it. Watching media set during the pandemic is nothing short of exhausting, this constant reminder of our current state of hell. However, Turkel’s film keeps itself grounded and focused on the specific loss of human connection we’ve experienced during this time, making it much easier to digest than other pandemic-set media.
Corrigan, Casella, and Ryan all have a unique chemistry with each other. Despite their characters all being relatively different, Father Andrew as the quiet optimist, Paul as the outgoing realist, and Father James as the cynical pessimist, the three men play up their similarities as well as their differences. No one actor outshines another, and no one character feels out of place. Each character is also well-developed, with all three getting their chances to shine and grow. Father Andrew is the narrator, yes, but he never feels more important than his companions. Their chemistry and balance give the film a natural feel and relaxed tone overall. Without this specific trio, the film might fall flat.
Of course, nothing is perfect. Sometimes the dialogue rings forced, like one such exchange about the end of the day clap for healthcare workers in which Paul and Father James air out their annoyance with the ritual while Father Andrew sees it as a wonderful example of our shared humanity. Again, the wound of COVID-19 is too fresh, making any such exchange directly related to the pandemic incite more anxiety than comfort. Turkel’s camera is more television than film; one sequence in the last act of the film is just outlandish enough that it feels out of place; and, yet again, the film frames itself as though viewing COVID-19 through hindsight rather than as our present reality. Expect more pandemic films in the future.
Scenes from an Empty Church is more a series of vignettes than a straight narrative film. In many ways, this works to its benefit. Some sequences, such as probably the most haunting baptism you’ll ever witness, shine in showing the film’s overall view that humanity is too complex to ever completely know, but in this lifetime we should understand whatever we can. Other sequences, however, mirror the pandemic experience so closely it becomes a bit hard to watch. Films should make you uncomfortable, they should challenge your worldview as well as represent the richness of humankind and this space we live in. In a few years, Scenes from an Empty Church will be less uncomfortable but more enjoyable. Currently, it’s almost an easy watch, almost relaxing, almost an enjoyable work of pandemic-based art.
