Don Verdean (Sam Rockwell) is a freelance Biblical archeologist who has made claims of great discoveries. He has fallen on hard times, particularly because his finds have come into question. One congregation headed by Tony Lazarus (Danny McBride) and former escort wife (Leslie Bibb) agrees to fund Don to find artifacts. Don finds himself going from from an honest man finding questionable artifacts to a con artist.

The film has some quirky characters that were not fully developed to their potential. There is a serious issue of fake artifacts, but the film doesn't seem to address that. In one moment it appears to be taking a swipe at Christian denominations who believe forged artifacts are real, yet we are introduced to Carol (Amy Ryan) an honest person who epitomizes the good in people.

I kept waiting for the big laugh, but it never happened. I liked the idea, the script was weak.

Guide: No f-words, sex, or nudity.

Having lived in an area that has experienced religious artifact fraud that led to murders I have a special appreciation for this film. It was tactfully sarcastic, so gentle in the telling but got its point across. It would offend no one but you understand. Almost like the most beloved American writer would have handled it a hundred and thirty some years ago. Mark Twain didn't care too much for religion either.

This film is like a slow burning fuse. The first two thirds are mildly funny and if you saw it in a theater it would have caused you to make a few polite chuckles. But the last third, I was laughing so hard I was crying. Like a good joke, you have to set it up to make the punch line work.

I saw it by myself, but hours after I saw it I would remember parts of it and start laughing all over again. My wife kept asking, "What are you laughing about?"

Don Verdean wants to be a wacky satire on religion but falls short as it is not funny nor sharp enough despite some nice understated performances from the leads.

Sam Rockwell is biblical archaeologist Don Verdean who with the aid of his Israeli contact Boaz (Jemaine Clement) has illegally excavated supposedly rare religious artefacts from dubious sources.

However Verdean is on hard times, his congregation has become smaller and it has become harder to shift his books which his assistant Carol Jensen (Amy Ryan) has noticed.

Pastor Tony Lazarus (Danny McBride) with his former hooker wife has also seen attendance at his church fall from a rival former satanist now a born again Christian pastor Denis Fontaine (Will Forte.) He contacts Verdean with a promise of funding in order to find more relics in the Holy Land.

Verdean and Boaz cut corners and finds a big pillar of salt that is supposed to be Lot's wife and then Goliath's skull which Fontaine becomes suspicious about. Then a Chinese billionaire contacts them to find the holy grail.

Rockwell gives a restrained performance, we sense he is a small time con man making a dishonest living from the gullible. It is only when Boaz gets greedy that Verdean finds himself coming up with more and more lies which become increasingly elaborate.

However the film moved along nicely, it had heart but the satire was way off base.