Guns & Moses: The Movie for Our Moment

Original publication link: https://jewishlink.news/guns-moses-the-movie-for-our-moment/

Guns & Moses is here to remind you what a truly original, genuinely gripping thriller feels like. Made without reliance on focus groups, nudity, or profanity, this film commands your attention with nothing more than a masterfully crafted whodunit.

My journey with the movie began back in early 2022. I never planned to be in the movie biz. But then I read Sal and Nina Litvak’s script for “Guns & Moses.” Even back then, when antisemitism and conspiracy theories were simmering at a lower heat, I knew telling this story was necessary. It dared to challenge audiences without resorting to simplistic nonsense. And it was just plain entertaining.

The Litvaks conceived of this film after the 2019 Poway synagogue shooting. But then, as the movie was deep in post-production, October 7, 2023, happened. The unspeakable horror in Israel, followed by a global surge of Jew-hatred, made “Guns & Moses” less a reflection of a growing danger and more a chilling mirror of an agonizing present. Suddenly, the film’s core message – that the Jewish community cannot solely rely on others for protection – wasn’t just a theme; it was a desperate, urgent truth.

This urgency fuels one of the film’s most potent and timely themes: self-reliance. Enter Rabbi Mo Zaltzman (played brilliantly by Mark Feuerstein). He’s a beloved rabbi, the kind of guy who prefers The Good Book any day to a Glock. But when his flock is threatened, he reluctantly, yet resolutely, answers the call.

What truly elevates this film, however, is its audacious approach to antisemitism. It’s not just about confrontation; it’s about radical empathy, or chesed. Rabbi Mo’s quest to unmask the true enemy leads him to Clay Henry Gibbons (Jackson Dunne), a troubled neo-Nazi teen. And against all common sense, Mo empathizes with Clay. In that brave, unexpected act, Clay’s ingrained hatred begins to dissolve, replaced by the living, breathing Rabbi Mo, who shatters the hateful caricature Clay had nursed.

Guns & Moses is, at its heart, a cracking mystery thriller. The plot kicks off with a bang (literally!) at a gala, where solar farm entrepreneur Alan Rosner (Dermot Mulroney) is murdered. The cops, led by Mayor Donovan Kirk (Neal McDonough), quickly pin it on Clay Gibbons, the local white nationalist troublemaker, and declare the case closed.

But Rabbi Mo, with his moral compass pointing true north, isn’t buying it. With no one else willing to dig deeper, the amiable rabbi steps way, way out of his comfort zone to become an unlikely detective. As the body count mysteriously rises, Mo is forced to learn how to wield a gun to battle a shadowy, manipulative adversary.

The suspect list grows: Alan’s enigmatic Israeli wife, Liat (Mercedes Mason); his hard-drinking brother, Jeff (Michael B. Silver); and a disgraced ecologist, Sid Barofsky (Paulo Costanzo). And don’t miss Christopher Lloyd delivering a poignant performance as a Holocaust survivor.

I won’t give any spoilers, but there is one scene not to miss: an epic cat-and-mouse chase that unfolds within a vast field of parabolic mirrors at a thermal solar energy plant. Those old enough to have seen “North by Northwest” will appreciate the nod.

In a time when American Jews are unfairly caricatured on too many social media feeds, on Grok, and even in mainstream media, Rabbi Mo, with his signature black fedora and long coat, emerges as an unlikely hero. He’s old-school on the outside but brimming with profound inner contradictions: intuitive and cheerful, yet forced by circumstances to become a skeptical, shunned detective. He’s a man who dreads pulling a trigger but also fears he won’t when necessary. Mo embodies the powerful idea that each of us can rise to the occasion when it matters most. Sharp-eyed viewers might even notice that Mo’s attire, his hat, and the siddurim (prayer books) on his bookshelf subtly nod to the Chabad movement, adding another layer to Mo’s authenticity.

From my very first read, I knew “Guns & Moses” simply had to be made. What I didn’t realize was the sheer, mind-boggling amount of work involved. I was mostly an observer, doing very little in the grand scheme of things, but let me tell you, it takes a village—or at least a few dedicated people working like a village—to produce something this good. The magic? The team believed in this film so much that they went above and beyond, not just when duty called, but whenever they saw an opportunity to make it even better. Every actor involved was a true mensch, and the movie itself was crafted with the values of Rabbi Mo at its heart. I don’t think many other Shabbat-observant movies have ever been shot in the United States.

So, go see “Guns & Moses.” And try to figure out who did it before Rabbi Mo does. There are enough clues if you watch closely.

Scott A. Shay is the author of Conspiracy U: A Case Study (Wicked Son, 2021) and In Good Faith: Questioning Religion and Atheism (Post Hill Press, 2017).. He made his debut as an Executive Producer in “Guns & Moses” under the nom de guerre of Shmuel Shajewitz.