I live in a world where you can tell biblical stories in unique ways. This is what unfolds with Jacob, a 10-minute modern day re-telling of the biblical story of Jacob. In the film, a hitman pursues his latest target with unexpected results. Jacob is vividly portrayed by Zach Lazar Hoffman. Hoffman captures a quiet soulfulness with Jacob, whose journey will be familiar despite the unique storytelling. Dave Hoffman also impresses as a character known only as "The Man." By the end of this journey, you'll understand what has unfolded and this will be even more true if you know the biblical story of Jacob. 

Lensing by Davey Hutchison is impressive throughout and I was particularly taken by the film's original score. 

While there will be those biblical purists who scoff at telling biblical stories in such a way, this is utter hogwash. The Bible itself is filled to the brim with similarly complex, dramatic, traumatic, and even offensive stories. From those stories, we grow as human beings and learn how to better engage with God, our world, and each other. Such is the case with this short but winning film from D. Erik Parks. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic