A Thank You to Our Readers

An update on our recent paywall decision and our path forward to publishing

When we started 100 Movies Every Catholic Should See, we did so out of a desire to share our love of film with our fellow Catholics. Cinema is truly a universal art form, something one can connect with just about anyone over. Our passion has been to highlight those films that exemplify certain universal truths about our faith and to offer our thoughts on why they are worthwhile. Navigating the current landscape of film can certainly be tricky, with many films ranging from not worthwhile to downright dangerous. Our initial list of 100 Movies Every Catholic Should See was intended to provide an ideal starting point for those looking to really dive into this incredible art form, highlighting movies we thought best articulated elements of the True, the Good, and the Beautiful. We have been truly edified by the enthusiasm with which the list was embraced by our community of readers, the discussions it has provoked, and the many suggestions we have received about what to include in subsequent lists.

The other week, we made the decision to place that initial list behind the paywall with the intention of providing a way to support us in raising funds for what has always been our goal with this publication, to one day publish it as a book. Over the past week, we’ve heard from many of you about our announcement. We are truly edified to hear so many of you point out the value and appeal this list has had to thousands of readers, from non-Catholics, for whom this list could be a true evangelization opportunity, to many of our Catholic readers who have found it useful in discerning the quality of entertainment they are bringing into their homes. This has always been our goal, and it is something that should be accessible to all.

We have therefore made the decision to remove the paywall from that initial list so that you can continue to benefit from it, share it with your friends, and hopefully engage in fruitful conversation with Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Our audience has grown thanks to all of you. This is a mission that we take seriously, and we are truly grateful for your continued support.

We welcome all of you to this Substack and believe much of it should be free, while offering an additional tier of posts to our paid subscribers, including deep dives, weekly discoveries, exclusive interviews, and insider reports from film festivals. With our publication goal in mind, we will continue to seek opportunities to raise funds so that we can pursue an independent book deal in the near term. For those of you so inclined, we are most grateful for your consideration in becoming a paid subscriber of this publication. We understand that recurring subscriptions are not always feasible, and we would ask that you consider supporting us on a one time basis by purchasing the book once it is published. We are also working on standing up a website where one time contributions will be possible. We are eternally grateful to the many of you who already support us, and to all of you who regularly read, comment on, and share our posts. This effort would not be possible without your continued support, and we cannot wait to see what the future holds in this area of evangelization.

God bless,

Joe, Sam and Cameron.