Faith film ‘Dot Conner’ brings ‘Spy Kids’-style fun with a bold Christian message 

Family movies that celebrate faith while handing youth a dose of adventure, detective work and Spy Kids-style fun are rare in theaters, but a new film hopes to change that.

Dot Conner: Webtective (PG) released in theaters over the weekend, taking moviegoers on an edge-of-your-seat mystery adventure with a sleuth-curious student, Dot, who is navigating her first week at school when she is pulled into a quest after her father goes missing. Suddenly, Dot must follow cryptic clues and confront shadowy villains as she and her friends try to save him.

It’s based on the popular faith-based streaming series of the same name and stars Gili Gould (1883) in the lead role.

The husband-and-wife filmmaker team of Andrew and Jae Huff are the creative force behind it. Themselves parents of faith, they want to help counter the antibiblical, secular messages that permeate today’s entertainment.

“We’re parents, and we have kids, and we have been struggling with a lot of the family entertainment that’s out there,” Andrew Huff told The Heartlander. “We just want quality family entertainment that aligns with our values.”

The film has the playful spirit of Spy Kids, the intrigue of Mission: Impossible, and the spunk of Lizzie McGuire – all while staying family-friendly.

The Huffs are no strangers to filmmaking, having produced titles such as the Peace of Christmas and the Situation Room under their Huff Media Productions company – all with the goal of telling what they call “eternal truths” to a worldwide audience. Their website affirms their mission, stating that “the truth of the Holy Scriptures permeates all of human experience, and any story is an opportunity to share that truth in a unique, Christ-honoring way.”

Jae Huff says the goal is to “beat back those forces of darkness that are invading our kids’ content.”

“It is planned, and it is green-lit from the people above,” she told The Heartlander, referencing immoral content. “They have an agenda for your kids.”

The Huffs say they want to use their gifts and talents to serve God’s Kingdom.

The film’s central character, Dot Conner, is a joy-filled, energetic teen who loves others and isn’t shy about her faith. That’s by design, Andrew said.

“We believe that being a Christian is actually life-giving and fun, and Scripture in particular is deep and meaningful and is the answer for [moviegoers]” he said.

In a world of artificial intelligence and surface-level friends on social media, he added, tweens and teens are hungry for what is authentic.

“We’re seeing such a hunger on the part of younger kids, teens and tweens in particular, for things that are true,” he said.

“There’s so much in our world that’s just fake, so we want them to walk away being like, ‘Hey, that was genuine. That was true.’”

Showings are limited and can be checked on the movie’s ticket page.