The year is 1732. John Wesley, an irritatingly self-righteous instructor at Oxford is offered the chance to go to the new colony of Georgia, where he hopes to preach to the Indians. John struggles with his failure and fears and is finally experiences the peace he longed for: "I felt my heart strangely warmed." Wesley begins to preach about his experience of saving faith, but is turned out of most churches in London. Despite opposition, mob violence that seeks to break up their meetings, Wesley and his "Methodies" establish social ministries to the poor that transformed the face of England. Today, almost 75 million people worldwide trace their spiritual heritage back to John Wesley.
Acting
Burgess Jenkins makes self-righteousness weirdly sympathetic.
Production
Shoestring budget that still nails 18th-century grime.
Writing
Refuses to sanitize Wesley's actual difficult personality.
Director
John Jackman
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot entirely in North Carolina standing in for England, which explains why everyone looks slightly confused about the weather.
The 'strangely warmed' line is the actual phrase Wesley used in his journal — the film treats it as climax when many viewers might miss that it's become foundational language for 75 million Methodists.
US
