The shack (Sam Worthington)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s seventeen years since I read the bestselling Christian novel ‘The Shack’, which caused some controversy in American evangelical circles. I recalled disliking the first section which was cliché-ridden and described a heart-breaking family tragedy. But it got better. The main part was unexpected,  inspiring, and moving in places. 

I wasn’t sure I wanted to see the film that was based on - or, at least, inspired by - the book, which was made in 2017. But my husband acquired the blu-ray, so we decided to watch it last night. 

The opening is quite disturbing; 13-year-old Mack (Carson Reaume) lives with a seriously abusive father who drinks too much and becomes violent. This is hidden behind an overly-religious front, demanding that children obey their parents, and expecting his wife to obey him. When Mack’s mother can’t take it any more, she leaves, and Mack takes matters into his own hands. 

I didn’t remember that at all from the book; perhaps it isn’t there. But it made a dramatic opening, and contrasted well with the next scenes, showing Mack as an adult (played by Sam Worthington), happily married to Nan (Radha Mitchell). They have three children: young teenage Josh (Gage Munroe), Kate (Megan Charpentier) who must be about nine, and Missy (Amelie Eve), who seems to be about four. Missy has a profound, child-like faith and calls God ‘Papa’. Mack isn’t too interested in God, presumably due to his difficult childhood. But he is clearly an excellent, loving husband and father. 

Mack takes the children away on a camping trip, and tragedy results: this was a significant, memorable event in the book, and although it happens in a different way in the film, his heartbreak and subsequent depression are not surprising.

Mack then receives an unusual letter, and drives to the mountains, to a shack in the snow… where, after initial anger, he is entertained by the Trinity: Octavia Spencer is wonderful as a female version of God the Father, Avraham Aviv Alush makes an excellent Jesus, and Sumire is a gentle, garden-loving Holy Spirit. They have some powerful discussions, not as lengthy or deep as in the book, but still quite moving and thought-provoking in places. They discuss the nature of forgiveness at length, as well as God’s omnipotence, and whether he ever abandons anyone.

It’s not intended to be a theological treatise, or even Biblically sound. It’s a story - and events towards the end imply that it might be even less ‘real’ than it appears. But it’s a good metaphor portraying the intimacy of the Trinity, a concept which is quite hard to grasp. It demonstrates how lack of forgiveness damages, most of all, the person who has been wronged, and it invites the viewer, without any preaching, to relax in the knowledge of God’s presence and love.

I thought this film was beautifully made, with realistic acting and some gorgeous scenery. It’s a two-hour film but I found myself gripped throughout. I found the strong American accents a bit difficult to understand in places, but it didn’t actually matter as the meanings were clear. The pace is good, and the chemistry between the actors is excellent.

The rating is 12, which I think is probably appropriate. There’s nothing remotely sexual in the film, and no bad language. The violence is not shown, for the most part, but there are some quite intense, frightening sequences. The tragedy part could be a bad trigger for anyone who has suffered recent bereavement, and the Christian message, while general and not pushy, could be annoying to people without faith. 

But, taking that into account, on the whole I would recommend this film for thoughtful teens and adults, if you’d like something rather different from most. 

Review copyright 2026 Sue's DVD Reviews