Rabbi Goes Rogue: ‘Guns & Moses’ Pits Faith Versus Hate in Indie Thriller
Apparently divine intervention ran out of ammo, so the protagonist in ‘Guns & Moses’ opts for a full-metal jacket. The new indie thriller, directed by Sarah Levy and scripted by Jonathan Mills, stars David Cohen as Rabbi Akiva Gordon—a former Mossad operative-turned-man-of-the-cloth—who decides that sandal-wearing peacemaking isn’t cutting it when neo-Nazis are on the loose. This one’s got everything: existential crises, uncomfortably timed punch lines, and more PTSD flashbacks than you can shake a prayer book at.
Levy’s vision premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival (per Variety’s screening notes) and was described by People Magazine as “a morally tangled action ride,” which is ironic since moral clarity is about the only thing still standing after the first gunfight. Cinematographer Lina Wong bathes ruined barns and moonlit highways in grainy, neon-soaked dread—ideal for anyone who thinks rural Pennsylvania could use a makeover via projectile ordinance. The film’s score by Ben Folds sneaks in jaunty piano riffs right before bullets start flying, a choice so tone-deaf it almost feels intentionally cruel.
We first meet Gordon delivering a passionate sermon on peace—until he sees a report of Aryan Brotherhood recruitment posters plastered across his synagogue’s walls. Cue the costume change: prayer shawl swapped for Kevlar vest, yarmulke pressed beneath a baseball cap. Over the next forty-five minutes (yes, the clock ticks painfully slow on indie budgets), Gordon’s weapons training kicks back in. He interviews witnesses at a dive bar, interrogates a skinhead at gunpoint, and exchanges one-liners that land with the subtlety of a brick. “You really believe your hate is worth the paperwork?” he asks at one point, as if clergy never handled administrative tasks.
Critics at The Hollywood Reporter point out that the film occasionally stumbles under the weight of its own themes—vengeance, faith, and forgiveness do a three-way tug-of-war for narrative supremacy. But the real stunt casting is Rachel Weiss as a rogue journalist who reluctantly tags along—because nothing says “hard-hitting investigation” like chasing a vigilante rabbi through manicured fields. Their chemistry is about as believable as Gordon’s ethical monologue after blowing a bad guy’s kneecaps off, but hey, indie audiences are here for the awkward tension, not character growth.
With a planned digital release in September 2024 and limited theaters lined up, ‘Guns & Moses’ throws down the gauntlet: how do you reconcile the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” with a personal vendetta against hate groups? Spoiler alert: you don’t reconcile it, you just film the existential meltdown. Well, there you have it. Humanity at its finest—now with more bullets. Tune in next time for more bad decisions and questionable life choices.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Tribeca Film Festival official notes
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
