Habit (2021 film)

Habit
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Janell Shirtcliff
Screenplay by	Libby Mintz Janell Shirtcliff
Produced by	Donovan Leitch Libby Mintz Michael Suppes Bella Thorne
Starring	Bella Thorne Gavin Rossdale Libby Mintz Andreja Pejić Ione Skye Jamie Hince Alison Mosshart Paris Jackson Josie Ho
Cinematography	Rain Li
Edited by	Brandon French
Music by	Paige Stark Luke Paquin
Production companies	Voltage Pictures Grindstone Entertainment Group Elevated Films 852 Films Cloudlight Martingale Pictures
Distributed by	Lionsgate
Release date	August 20, 2021 (2021-08-20)
Running time	81 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

Habit is a 2021 American comedy thriller film directed by Janell Shirtcliff in her feature directorial debut, from a screenplay by Shirtcliff and Libby Mintz. It stars Bella Thorne, Gavin Rossdale, Libby Mintz, Andreja Pejić, Ione Skye, Jamie Hince, Alison Mosshart, Paris Jackson, and Josie Ho.

The film was released in select theaters and through video on demand in the United States on August 20, 2021, by Lionsgate.^[1]

Premise

A Los Angeles girl goes on the run with her friends. The group hide out while dressed as nuns when they run afoul of a drug lord.

Cast

• Josie Ho^[2] as Queenie
• Bella Thorne^[3] as Mads
• Paris Jackson^[2][4] as Jesus
• Hana Mae Lee^[4] as Jewel
• Gavin Rossdale^[3] as Eric
• Caroline D'Amore^[4] as L'Amour
• Andreja Pejić^[2] as Addy
• Larissa Andrade^[4] as Alicia
• Libby Mintz^[2] as Evie
• Jamie Hince^[3] as Tuff
• Ada Mogilevsky^[4] as Hailey
• Damon Lawner^[4] as Father Damon
• Michael Suppes^[4] as Tomas
• Alison Mosshart^[3] as Veda
• Soko^[3]
• Bria Vinaite^[5]

Production

Bella Thorne, Gavin Rossdale, Jamie Hince, Soko, and Alison Mosshart joined the cast of the film in early 2020, with Janell Shirtcliff directing from a screenplay by Suki Kaiser from a story by Shirtcliff and Libby Mintz, with Thorne serving as an executive producer.^[6][3] By April 2020, Josie Ho, Paris Jackson, Andreja Pejic, Bria Vinaite, and Libby Mintz had joined the cast of the film.^[2][5]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 6% of 16 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.2/10.^[7]

Controversy

The film attracted controversy by the Christian right for the supposedly blasphemous and sacrilegious themes of depicting Jesus as lesbian before its release. As of June 30, 2020, more than 260,000 people had signed a petition in order to block the film. Detractors labelled the film as "Christianophobic garbage" as well as claiming that it aims to "ridicule people of faith". The New York Post compared the controversy to that of the 2019 Brazilian satirical film The First Temptation of Christ, which depicted Jesus as gay and resulted in a ban overturned by the Supreme Federal Court.^[8] However, there is no indication of promotional materials that portray Jesus as a lesbian.^[4]

References

1. Sneider, Jeff (July 13, 2021). "'Habit' Trailer Finds Bella Thorne Posing as a Nun With a Gun Opposite Gavin Rossdale". Collider. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
2. Cordero, Rosy (April 14, 2020). "Paris Jackson is playing Jesus in the upcoming indie film Habit". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
3. Collinson, Gary (March 17, 2020). "Bella Thorne is a gun-toting nun in first image from Habit". Flickering Myth. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
4. Moreau, Jordan (July 4, 2020). "'Blasphemous' Film 'Habit' Starring Paris Jackson as Jesus Sparks Petition to Block Release". Variety. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
5. Munzenreider, Kyle (April 15, 2020). "Paris Jackson Will Play Jesus in a Film, So That's Something to Look Forward To". W. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
6. N'Duka, Amanda (March 3, 2020). "Bella Thorne Leads 'Habit' Movie From 'Mudbound' Producer". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
7. "Habit". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
8. Cost, Ben (June 30, 2020). "Petition looks to halt film 'Habit' starring Paris Jackson as Jesus". New York Post. Retrieved May 18, 2021.

External links

• Habit at IMDb