Submission by a staff writer

I sat down to watch Universe Designed with a few preconceived notions of my own.

I’m a firm biblical believer, but I’ve seen enough faith-based documentaries to predict their usual flow: adamant claims and familiar talking points, with a degree of certainty that feels reminiscent of Sunday service. I wasn’t sure how much this one would really ask of me beyond agreement.

What surprised me almost immediately was how unhurried this brand new, 86-minute-long documentary felt.

The film opens by sitting with the sheer fact of the universe. Not rushing to explain it or wrap it in language, but letting its scale and complexity land first. I felt myself slowing down as I watched. The questions it raises aren’t new, but they’re presented without defensiveness or pressure. Why is there anything at all? Why does the universe operate the way it does? Why does life exist under such precise conditions?

As the film unfolds, it becomes clear that this isn’t a project trying to pit science against faith or smooth over the tension between them. It treats science seriously. It assumes the viewer is capable of following real ideas without being spoon-fed or talked down to. That alone sets it apart.

What I appreciated most was how methodical it was. The arguments aren’t dumped all at once. They’re built carefully, one idea leading to the next. The film spends time on beginnings, on fine-tuning, on the origin of life, and on the limits of explanations that rely entirely on chance or unguided processes. I never felt rushed toward a conclusion. I felt like I was being asked to consider whether the explanations we’ve grown comfortable with actually answer the questions they claim to solve.

The people guiding the conversation bring a calm authority that comes from experience, not posturing. Scientists, philosophers, historians, and apologists speak plainly, often about difficult concepts, and do so in a way that feels grounded rather than rehearsed. There’s no sense of trying to win points. The tone is closer to “look at this with me” than “let me prove you wrong.”

That tone matters, especially knowing the director’s own story. This isn’t coming from someone who always believed and just learned better arguments later. You can feel that the questions being asked were once personal and unresolved. Doubt isn’t treated like something to be embarrassed about. It’s treated like a doorway. That made the film easier to trust.

What I also respected is that Universe Designed doesn’t stop at vague conclusions about intelligence or design. It moves intentionally into Christianity itself. Scripture is addressed directly. Jesus isn’t softened into a symbol. The resurrection isn’t treated like a footnote. The film is clear about what it’s pointing toward, and it doesn’t pretend otherwise.

There were moments that left me quiet. Not emotionally pushed, but reflective. The film doesn’t avoid suffering or the brokenness of the world, and it doesn’t pretend those realities disappear once belief enters the picture. It acknowledges the weight people carry and doesn’t offer quick answers where none exist. That honesty stayed with me.

There is brief historical footage depicting real-world violence, which could be difficult for sensitive viewers or younger audiences. It serves a purpose in the film’s larger point, but it’s worth knowing going in.

By the time it ended, I didn’t feel like I’d just watched an argument. I felt like I’d been invited into a way of looking at the world that takes both evidence and belief seriously. The film doesn’t ask you to shut down your questions. It insists they matter.

If you’ve ever felt like faith required you to compartmentalize, to love God but quietly ignore certain questions, this film challenges that idea. It suggests that curiosity isn’t dangerous, and that the universe itself keeps pointing beyond itself whether we like it or not.

I’d recommend Universe Designed to anyone who wants a thoughtful, grounded exploration of the biblical worldview, especially for those who care about science and don’t want to pretend those interests sit outside their faith.

It’s not loud. It doesn’t rush. It stays with you. And long after it’s over, it leaves you looking at the universe with a little more weight and a little more wonder than before.