Soul on Fire (2025) Affirm/Drama RT: 111 minutes Rated PG (thematic content including burn injuries, some peril and suggestive material) Director: Sean McNamara Screenplay: Gregory Poirier Music: Mark Isham Cinematography: Robert Hayes Release date: October 10, 2025 (US) Cast: Joel Courtney, John Corbett, Stephanie Szostak, Masey McLain, DeVon Franklin, William H. Macy, James McCracken, Iyad Hajjaj, Natalie Buck, Lucy Panozzo, Mikey Cestone, Stella Bratcher, Piper Jones, Enya Flack, Spencer Davis Milford, Jasmine Fondrisi, Amanda Pulcini.
Rating: ***
The good news about the new inspirational faith-based drama Soul on Fire is that it’s NOT an Angel Studios film. That means the end credits don’t come with a QR code soliciting donations from audience members so moved by what they just saw, they’d feel guilty not giving something back. It’s a shameless maneuver if you ask me.
My feelings about Soul on Fire can be described by a simple two-word phrase: it’s complicated. It’s not particularly well made. The acting isn’t all that good. The narrative fumbles and stumbles a lot along the way. There is some wonky CGI. But I was nevertheless moved by it. In my life, I’ve seen countless BOATS movies like Soul on Fire. It’s no different from the others. Yet I still found myself drawn in by the story of John O’Leary, a boy who overcame serious adversity and inspired all those around him to never give up and live life to the fullest.
It happened in 1987. 9YO Jack O’Leary (McCracken as a boy) saw some older boys playing with fire and gasoline. He decided to try it himself. In doing so, he burned down the family home and sustained third-degree burns on 100% of his body. The doctor at the hospital gives him a 1% chance of survival. Jack’s worried father Denny (Corbett, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 1-3) tells his son, “I love you and there’s nothing you can do about it.” His tough mother Susan (Szostak, A Million Little Things) asks him if he wants to live or die. When he chooses the former, she orders him to “take the hand of God and fight like you’ve never fought before.” The boy defies the odds and survives.
Recovery is going to be long and painful for John. He has scars all over his body. His fingers are damaged beyond repair and have to be amputated. He has to learn to talk and walk again. None of it is easy and his dedicated nurse Roy (Franklin, Jesus Revolution) refuses to let John give up. Eventually, he returns home to begin living as normal a life as possible.
We see all this via flashback when adult John (Courtney, Super 8) is asked to address a Girl Scout troop. One of them asks the visibly nervous John what he’d do if he could go back and change things. It causes him to reflect on his life from the accident to his college days where he met the woman who would later become his wife, Beth (McLain, I’m Not Ashamed). A heavy drinker, he nearly loses his chance at love due to his low self-esteem. Of course, she sets him straight, telling him point blank to never underestimate her.
Soul on Fire also depicts John’s friendship with Jack Buck (Macy, Boogie Nights), the longtime announcer for the St. Louis Cardinals. A local celebrity, he takes an interest in John after hearing about his ordeal at a fancy gala. He visits him often in the hospital promising that they will celebrate with a John O’Leary Day at Busch Stadium. Jack helps him a lot during his recovery even devising a scheme to make the boy learn to write again.
The lion’s share of dramatic conflict in Soul on Fire comes not from John’s physical recovery, but his spiritual one. Throughout his life, he struggles with self-doubt and feeling like he’s not worthy of the second chance at life he’s been given. It isn’t until he starts doing public speaking engagements that he starts to understand God’s ultimate plan for him.
Soul on Fire is directed by Sean McNamara, the filmmaker who gave us Soul Surfer, the story of surfer Bethany Hamilton who kept going even after a shark bit off her arm. He’s also gave us last year’s super one-sided biopic Reagan. His latest work isn’t exactly a model of fine filmmaking. Working from a paint-by-numbers screenplay by Gregory Poirier (National Treasure: Book of Secrets), it hits all the expected beats but not in the order you would expect. It jumps back and forth between timelines, a choice that interferes with its emotional momentum. It still has an impact, but it’s not as powerful as one would like.
The acting, like I said, isn’t especially good. Courtney is a likable guy and he imbues John with that same quality, but he’s less than convincing in times of emotional turmoil. His mental and spiritual struggle never feels real. Corbett is not at all believable as the loving, supportive father. He comes off as goofy a lot of the time. McLain is good as the girl who keeps John in the friend zone until she doesn’t. Macy is also good despite some not so convincing makeup. His white hair looks unnatural to the point of distraction.
Although Soul on Fire isn’t an effects-driven movie, McNamara incorporates CGI that looks fake to the point of distraction. The house fire is obviously digital as is a car accident on an icy road. This is pure laziness on the filmmaker’s part.
Despite its many flaws, I like Soul on Fire. It’s never boring. It doesn’t get too preachy even though it doesn’t shy away from expressing its faith. It’s a decent movie that should appeal to religious families and the after-church crowd.
