Light of the World

image for Light of the World

Short takes

Not suitable under 7; parental guidance to 10 (violence, scary scenes)

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This topic contains:

  • overall comments and recommendations
  • details of classification and consumer advice lines for Light of the World
  • a review of Light of the World completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 10 September 2025.

Overall comments and recommendations

Children under 7 Not suitable due to violence and scary scenes.
Children aged 7–10 Parental guidance recommended due to violence and scary scenes.
Children aged 11 and over Ok for this age group.

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.

Name of movie: Light of the World
Classification: PG
Consumer advice lines: Mild themes and animated violence
Length: 91 minutes

ACCM review

This review of the movie contains the following information:

A synopsis of the story

It's AD 30 and the people of Judaea suffer under the oppressive Roman Empire. Heavy taxes drain families of their livelihood, and those unable to pay are imprisoned. Yet hope remains, for prophecies tell of a coming Messiah who will save them all. John (voice of Benjamin Jacobson) and his older brother James (voice of Dylan Leonard) grow up hearing these stories from their mother, Salome (voice of Erin Mathews), while their father, Zebedee (voice of Dave Pettitt), urges caution, insisting they keep their heads down and take care of themselves.

However, when the tax collectors threaten to arrest Zebedee, John turns to his neighbour Andrew (voice of Vincent Tong) for help. While searching for Andrew, John meets a carpenter named Jesus (voice of Ian Hanlin), a man capable of miracles – turning water into wine, and healing the sick and dying. Convinced that Jesus is the Messiah they have been waiting for, John, James, Andrew and Peter (voice of Sam Darkoh) set off on a journey with Jesus and the other disciples. Together, they witness acts of divine power, profound teachings, and ultimately, the events that will change the course of history forever: the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

Themesinfo

Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.

Death; Oppression; Betrayal; Family conflict.

Use of violenceinfo

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.

There is some violence in this movie, including:

  • John accidentally smacks a soldier in the face with a net of fish, causing the soldier to chase after him.
  • James is knocked over and hurts his elbow, requiring a sling.
  • A character is chased by a hoard of bees after being handed the hive’s honeycomb.
  • John runs from soldiers brandishing swords, and jumps off a building to escape them.
  • We are informed that a close friend of Jesus was arrested and killed by the Romans.
  • Peter slices the ear off a soldier as he attempts to arrest Jesus. Jesus subsequently heals the man.
  • Reflected onto a wall, we see Jesus slapped by the Pharisees.
  • Jesus is presented to a crowd, beaten and bloody.
  • Jesus is whipped and has rotten fruit thrown at him as he carries a cross meant for his crucifixion.
  • Jesus wails in pain as his hands and feet are nailed to the cross. We witness Jesus hung on the cross, and his moment of death, which causes the entire city to shake.

Material that may scare or disturb children

Under fiveinfo

Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children under the age of five, including the following:

  • Children may be scared by a dark alleyway that John walks through. As he walks through, John is confronted with the scenes of homeless men and children, alongside a mother cradling her child.
  • Many of the Pharisees are depicted as cunning and evil, intentionally planning Jesus’ arrest and death to maintain the power of themselves and the Roman Empire.
  • A paralysed man is lowered through a roof so he may meet Jesus. He is shown with disfigured legs and feet, which may disturb or frighten young audiences. Jesus washes his feet and heals the man, compelling him to “get up and walk”.

Aged five to eightinfo

Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes and scary visual images, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children aged five to eight, including the following:

  • The disciples face a terrible storm while at sea. Jesus arrives to meet them, walking on water. Jesus beckons Peter towards him, but when his faith falters, he sinks into the water and begins to drown. He is saved by Jesus and wakes up at the shore.
  • We are informed that many innocent lambs have been previously sacrificed to atone for the sins of man.
  • Mary Magdalene is healed by Jesus, freeing her of the voices (presumably the seven demons) in her head.

Aged eight to thirteeninfo

Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, there are some scenes in this movie that could scare or disturb children aged eight to thirteen, including the following:

  • Jesus and the disciples grapple with Jesus’ prophesised death.

Thirteen and overinfo

Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.

  • Nothing further noted.

Product placement

  • None noted.

Sexual references

There are some sexual references in this movie, including:

  • Adam and Eve are shown in the Garden of Eden, though there is no realistic detail.

Nudity and sexual activity

There is some nudity and sexual activity in this movie, including:

  • Jesus and some other men are shown shirtless throughout the film.

Use of substances

There is some use of substances in this movie, including:

  • There are multiple instances of wine being consumed throughout the film, particularly at the Wedding at Cana.

Coarse language

  • None noted.

In a nutshell

Light of the World is a 2D, hand-drawn animation film produced by the Salvation Poem Project, and directed by John Schafer and Tom Bancroft. The film retells, and slightly reimagines, the story of Jesus Christ – primarily from the perspective of John the Apostle. Due to the violence and scary scenes, the film is unsuitable for children under 7, and parental guidance is recommended to 10.

The main messages from this movie are scriptural. The film highlights many key teachings of Jesus, including ‘loving your neighbour’ and having faith in the Lord. The film also shows us that even the smallest fish can make a big splash, as seen through John’s journey and experiences.

Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:

  • Religion/Christianity
  • Family
  • Forgiveness
  • Courage
  • Compassion.

This movie could also give parents the opportunity to discuss with their children attitudes and behaviours, and their real-life consequences, such as:

  • Betrayal and greed. These are exemplified through the actions of Judas, whose betrayal of Jesus highlights the consequences of disloyalty and selfish ambition; and the Pharisees, whose greed and desire for power lead them to crucify Jesus.