The Shack (2017)

"The Shack" is a powerful and thought-provoking Christian drama film that was released in 2017. Directed by Stuart Hazeldine and written by John Fusco, Andrew Lanham, and Destin Daniel Cretton, the film is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by William P. Young.

The film stars the talented Sam Worthington as Mackenzie "Mack" Phillips, a man who has suffered through a traumatic childhood and the loss of his daughter. Octavia Spencer plays the role of "Papa," a manifestation of God, who helps Mack through his journey of healing and understanding. Graham Greene, Radha Mitchell, Alice Braga, Sumire Matsubara, Aviv Alush, and Tim McGraw round out the talented cast.

The story follows Mack as he struggles to come to terms with the loss of his daughter and the guilt that he feels over his past. Just as he is on the brink of giving up, he receives an invitation to the shack where his daughter's body was found, signed "Papa." Believing that this is an opportunity to confront the serial killer responsible for his daughter's death, Mack sets out to the shack, but finds it empty. However, he is soon met by three strangers who introduce themselves as God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

Throughout his stay with the three strangers, Mack begins to understand his life from a broader perspective and starts to heal from the trauma of his past. He helps Jesus build a wooden box for his daughter's body and the Holy Spirit prepare a spot in her garden for a burial. He even has the chance to visit his daughter in heaven and reconcile with his father, who had passed away.

MOVIE REVIEW: Mackenzie "Mack" Phillips had a difficult childhood, marked by physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his alcoholic father. Despite this trauma, he was able to build a happy life as an adult with his wife, Nan, and their three children, Kate, Josh, and Missy. However, this all changed when Missy went missing during a camping trip, and the police later found her torn dress and blood in a cabin in the woods. The loss of their daughter, and the subsequent guilt felt by Kate, caused Mack's faith to falter.

But just as winter was setting in, Mack received an unexpected invitation to meet at the shack where Missy's body was found. The message was signed "Papa" (Missy's nickname for God), and Mack hoped that it was an opportunity for him to confront the serial killer responsible for his daughter's death. When he arrived at the shack, he found it empty, and was on the brink of suicide when a mysterious figure appeared, leading him to a nearby house where he met three strangers.

As they spent time together, the strangers revealed that they were God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. They had come to help Mack understand his life from a broader perspective, and to heal him and his family from the trauma of Missy's death. Together, Mack and Jesus built a wooden box, and the Holy Spirit prepared a spot in her garden for a burial. Mack was able to visit Missy in heaven, and even saw his father, who had passed away and apologized for his abuse.

In the end, Mack was able to forgive his father, and understand that Missy's death was not a punishment for his actions as a child. His faith restored, he set out to return home to his family, but on the way, he was involved in a car accident, and woke up in a hospital. His friend told him that he never reached the shack, and that the events that occurred there may have only been a dream. Nevertheless, Mack shared his experience with his family, and they were able to find closure and move forward. The story ends with Mack returning to church with his family, leaving the reader to decide whether the events at the shack were real or not.