The existence of the Christian film sub genre, in many ways, has held many films touting that label back from widespread appeal. In an age where there are dozens of thinkpieces posted on the Internet daily, arguing against the existence of a higher power, much less the validity of Christianity, it can be hard to distribute a Christian film. Director Will Bakke has taken note of this with his two feature length documentaries, One Nation Under God and Beware of Christians, that explore being a Christian in the 21st century and the inevitable questioning of belief that comes along with that. With many festivals awards and selections to this credit, Bakke has now made a fictional dark comedy on the topic in Believe Me, which seems less like a Christian film and more like a film about Christianity or organized religion at large.

Even less typical of a Christian film is the supporting cast that includes some of your favorite character actors, including Nick Offerman and Christopher McDonald. Believe Me centers on a fake charity run by four broke college seniors desperate to pay their tuition. A la the spokesman for Big Tobacco in Thank You For Smoking, they develop a detailed system to manipulate people to get what they want. Disguised as a Christian charity, they make people feel like they’re making a difference in the world as opposed to doing the difference making themselves. Alex Russell, Miles Fisher, Sinqua Walls, and Max Adler play the four grifters of believers in what seems like a highly satirical dash through the underbelly of faith based fundraising.

Believe Me has secured a limited release and distribution through Headline Features and Gravitas Ventures on September 26th according to The Hollywood Reporter. See exactly what’s at hand here in the trailer that has a look similar to that of The Social Network.