Unplanned

Unplanned is one of the most controversial faith films in recent memory, and it knows it. Ashley Bratcher plays Abby Johnson with a complexity that the subject matter demands — she's not portrayed as a villain during her Planned Parenthood years, but as someone who genuinely believed she was helping women. That nuance is the film's greatest strength. The ultrasound scene that triggers her conversion is depicted with clinical precision and is genuinely difficult to watch regardless of your position on the issue. The film was rated R for content (which the filmmakers contested), given a Twitter suspension it didn't ask for (which generated massive free publicity), and became a box office surprise at $21 million. The supporting performances are mixed — some pro-life activists are portrayed with more dimension than others. The Planned Parenthood representation will satisfy pro-life audiences and frustrate pro-choice ones, which was probably inevitable. Directors Chuck Konzelman and Cary Solomon don't pretend to be neutral. As advocacy filmmaking, it's effective. As cinema, it's uneven but has moments of genuine power.