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Playing God (2021)

Name: Playing God
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Released: 2021-08-06
Duration: 95 min
Rating: 6
Cast: Luke Benward, Hannah Kasulka, Michael McKean, Alan Tudyk, Jude Demorest

Playing God (2021), directed by Scott Brignac, starring Luke Benward and Hannah Kasulka.

08/06/2021 BR Comedy and Drama 1h 35m

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In con we trust.

Synopsis

A brother and sister con-artist duo find themselves scamming a grieving billionaire by convincing him they can introduce him to God, face-to-face.

Scott BrignacDirector, Writer

About the film

Playing God is a 2021 American film written and directed by Scott Brignac and starring Luke Benward, Michael McKean, Alan Tudyk, and Hannah Kasulka. It was released in theaters and on-demand on August 6, 2021.

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Premise

Playing God follows "Rachel and Micah, a brother and sister con-artist duo who find themselves scamming a grieving billionaire, Ben, by convincing him they can introduce him to God, face-to-face. They recruit their longtime mentor, Frank, to 'play' God as the three of them attempt the biggest con of their lives."

Cast

Luke Benward as Micah

Michael McKean as Frank

Alan Tudyk as Ben

Hannah Kasulka as Rachel

Jude Demorest as June

Marc Menchaca as Vaughan

Raoul Canoli as Jesus

Production

On May 14, 2018, it was announced that Scott Brignac was writing and directing a new film entitled Playing God to be produced by Aaron Benward and Russell Grove. Alongside the film's initial announcement, it was confirmed that Luke Benward, Michael McKean, Alan Tudyk, Hannah Kasulka, Jude Demorest, and Marc Menchaca had joined the film's main cast. Principal photography for the film had reportedly begun by May 2018 in Houston, Texas.

Critical reception

Some reviewers allege a disparity between Brignac's apparent intentions and the substance of the film's plot. For instance, Glenn Kenny on RogerEbert.com, writes, "The movie’s ending...suggests that what Brignac was after has not too much to do with what ended up on screen: a parable of forgiveness with genuine theological heft." In that vein, Michael Shindler in The American Conservative compares the film unfavorably to A Serious Man, Winter Light, and Nostalgia, describing it as an instance of "pseudo-religious filmmaking" akin to God's Not Dead, and writes, "In the world as it is, inexplicable tragedy exists: helpless fawns burn in wildfires, babies die excruciating deaths from horrific diseases, plagues wipe out millions, and so on. But in Brignac’s world evil is a cardboard plot device."

References

Text from Playing God (2021 film) on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playing_God_(2021_film)

Trivia

It premiered on August 6, 2021, a Friday.
It runs 1h35 — a typical feature length.
As of September 20, 2026, it is available in Brazil by subscription on Amazon Prime Video, Diamond Films Amazon Channel.
This film's quiz has 11 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.

Production

LanguagesSpanish, English
StatusReleased

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Crew

Scott Brignac Director
Scott Brignac Writer

Questions about this film

What is Playing God about?

Playing God: A brother and sister con-artist duo find themselves scamming a grieving billionaire by convincing him they can introduce him to God, face-to-face.

Who directed Playing God?

Playing God was directed by Scott Brignac in 2021.

Who stars in Playing God?

The cast of Playing God includes Luke Benward, Hannah Kasulka, Michael McKean, Alan Tudyk and Jude Demorest.

How long is Playing God?

Playing God runs for 95 minutes, or 1h35.

Where can I watch Playing God?

Playing God is available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads and Diamond Films Amazon Channel. Availability changes often: the list on this page is the most recent we received.