I’m a Christian and that defines my worldview and ethics. And I love art. Like Keats, I believe that good art is both beautiful and useful: Beethoven’s symphonies inspire awe, Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov explores themes of suffering, faith, and free will, It’s a Wonderful Life inspires hope and encourages selflessness, Shakespeare’s plays blend humor with profound insight. These are all as good as they are beautiful. But if Christianity is truth and truth is beauty, can you have beauty without truth?
One of the wrinkles of Christianity is that Christian ideas are baked into western thought. Much of what appears to be anti-Christian is just a mis-ordering of or mis-placed emphasis on Christian ideas. Woke? That’s myopic focus on one part of original sin without grace. Porn? A self-absorbed misappropriation of God’s gift of sex. Bad things don’t make a bad or evil movie. CS Lewis told us that storytelling should awaken us to higher truths, even when it reflects the brokenness of the world.
You could divide the world into two camps: good and bad. Bad can in turn be disordered or bad can be non-Christian. Framed this way, what is the least Christian movie? Would such a movie be filled with violence, sex and debauchery: The Wolf of Wall Street, Game of Thrones? Would it be a dark, satanic: The Exorcist, Heathers, Rosemary’s Baby?
To get a sense of what is non-Christian, examine the world before the gospels. The roman world gave us virtue and honor, but nothing like equality before the law, the concept that the last shall be first, or the dignity of all souls. Aristotle supported slavery, unwanted infants (eg. girls or disabled children) were routinely left to die, Athenian democracy excluded women entirely. Most of all, avenging an insult or wrong was a moral duty. Roman society prized virtus (manly courage) and honor over forgiveness or humility.
So a non-christian movie isn’t anymore filled with bad things than good. The real question is what ethics and what ideas guide them? A common theme is that non-Christian ideas deny the equal value and immortality of the soul.
The movie Me Before You presents itself as a romantic drama about love and loss. The movie is filled with beautiful people in beautiful places with sunny skies. But the message is pitch black dark and hopeless. Beneath the beauty is a worldview that undermines the sanctity of life and the transformative power of suffering. It’s a distinctively non-christian movie.
St. Augustine teaches us that every human being is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). This truth establishes the intrinsic value of all human life, regardless of physical condition or ability. In Me Before You, Will Traynor’s choice of assisted suicide implies that his life as a quadriplegic is less valuable than his life before the accident. This perspective contradicts the Christian belief that human worth is not determined by physical abilities or financial circumstances but by our relationship to God.
Augustine would remind us that despair arises when we lose sight of our Creator. Rather than seeking solace in love, community, or faith, Will’s decision reflects a self-centered despair—a refusal to trust that God can bring purpose and meaning even in suffering.
Thomas Aquinas famously argued that God allows suffering to bring about a greater good. In Will’s case, his condition could have been an opportunity to grow in humility, patience, and reliance on others—a path that can lead to sanctification. Louisa’s care for Will could have been a testament to sacrificial love, mirroring Christ’s self-giving love on the cross.
Instead, the film chooses to glorify Will’s autonomy supported by his riches and spontaneity, portraying his decision as noble and selfless. This was set against the backdrop of patrick, the loyal and disciplined long time boyfriend. Aquinas would see this as a failure to recognize the redemptive power of suffering, which, when embraced with faith, can lead to spiritual growth and even joy (Romans 5:3-5).
Søren Kierkegaard describes love as a commitment rooted in selflessness and sacrifice. True love does not seek its own way but rather the good of the other (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). In Me Before You, Will’s decision to end his life is framed as an act of love for Louisa, freeing her to live a life unburdened by his condition and with a pile of cash.
Kierkegaard would argue that true love requires embracing the other person, even in their brokenness. By rejecting life, Will also rejects the possibility of a deeper, sacrificial relationship with Louisa—one that could have transformed both of their lives.
Nothing defines unchristian more than nihilism and materialism. C.S. Lewis reminds us that this life is not all there is. In The Problem of Pain, he writes that God “whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Pain and suffering, while difficult, are often avenues through which God draws us closer to Himself.
Me Before You rejects this eternal perspective, focusing instead on immediate relief from suffering through assisted suicide. The Christian faith offers a vision of life beyond the grave, where every tear will be wiped away (Revelation 21:4).
Movies are there to make money, but they have the chance to make us better. Me Before You had the potential to tell a powerful story about resilience, faith, and the transformative power of love, love that transcends class divisions and embraces suffering as a means to demonstrate and receive love. Instead, it glorifies despair and autonomy at the expense of hope and community. From the perspectives of Augustine, Aquinas, Kierkegaard, and Lewis, the film’s message is not just misguided—it is profoundly un-Christian.
True love, dignity, and hope are found not in rejecting life but in embracing it, even with all its challenges. As Christians, we are called to uphold the sanctity of life, support those who are suffering, and trust in the redemptive power of God’s plan. Me Before You gets it wrong, but its flaws remind us of the beauty and value of a worldview centered on Christ.
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