3 things Christians should know about 'Minions & Monsters'

The latest Minions adventure, “Minions & Monsters” arrived in theaters last week as the third standalone adventure in the Despicable Me universe. While it opened at No. 1 domestically over the July 4 weekend, it posted the franchise’s lowest opening ever.

While it’s not clear why “Minions & Monsters” hasn’t lived up to box office expectations, some families are skipping it entirely due to concerns over occult themes that have gone viral on social media since the movie’s debut.

Here are three key factors Christians should consider.

1. ‘Minions’ mixes Hollywood nostalgia, supernatural elements

Set in 1927, the Illumination/Universal film follows two creative Minions, James and Henry, who fall in love with silent movies during Hollywood’s early days. After losing stardom with the arrival of “talkies,” they steal a "book of spells" from a former evil sorcerer employer and use witchcraft to summon monsters for their own film. 

A key scene in the movie involves the Minions reading from the Necronomicon, a fictional forbidden book from H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos, to “summon” the tentacled creature Cthulhu. 

But when the incantation goes wrong, they get a small, green demon named Goomi who was imprisoned inside the magical spellbook before being “released” to wreak havoc.

2. Parents warn about ‘satanic agenda’

Across social media, a number of Christian influencers and parents have voiced concerns about the incantation scene, including the True Christian subreddit, where one user pleaded with parents not to take their children. 

"I couldn't believe how overt it was," the user wrote. "Usually films have subliminal message[s] or hint at dark things, but this was some of the most overtly dark things I've seen in a kids film." 

Another Christian influencer with the handle “Holy House Wife” warned about what she called a “demonic” subplot despite “Minions & Monsters” being marketed as a family film.

“It’s packaged as comedy. It’s colorful. It’s goofy. It’s Minions,” she wrote. “But this is exactly how children’s entertainment keeps shifting. Something that used to be clearly dark, strange or occult-adjacent is now softened with jokes, cute characters and ‘family fun’ marketing.”

3. Commercial disappointment despite PG rating?

While “Minions & Monsters” earned a safe PG rating for its language, violence and “rude/macabre humor,” the Despicable Me franchise has successfully marketed similar themed movies in recent years to the tune of $5.6 billion in box office earnings.

But with its frequent references to the supernatural, “Minions & Monsters” has been a disappointment by comparison, netting a franchise-low $36.4 million three-day opening, according to Deadline. 

That number pales in comparison with 2022’s “Rise of Gru” which earned $123 million in its debut, and 2024’s “Despicable Me 4” with its own $122 million debut.