Soul on Fire: A Movie to Watch with Your Family

Amanda Lauer reviews the inspiring film, Soul on Fire, a story that will inspire viewers from middle school to adults. See it in theaters October 10.

I had the honor of meeting St. Louis native and lifelong Catholic John O’Leary in 2012 when he gave a presentation on his life at a local event that I was covering for our diocesan newspaper. I’ve been following him through his weekly newsletter ever since.   

When O’Leary was 9 years old, he unwittingly started a fire in his family’s garage that not only nearly destroyed their family home but also almost killed him. With burns covering his entire body, there was less than a one percent chance that he would survive his first night in the hospital.   

His story is one of survival, love, tenacity, hope, and optimism. Premiering nationwide on October 10, 2025, the film Soul on Fire, based on O’Leary’s best-selling autobiography, On Fire, will bring O’Leary’s life story to the big screen and to countless viewers.  

View the Trailer:

While the movie, directed by fellow Catholic Sean McNamara, portrays some of the darkest moments in O’Leary’s life, the story is woven with light moments as it alternates between events in his life as a young adult and the moments leading up to the fire and its aftermath. The opening scene depicts O’Leary’s rocky debut as a public speaker, sharing his life story with a troop of spellbound Girl Scouts, who had a multitude of questions after his talk was done.   

The events on the fateful day of the fire were portrayed realistically, but were done in a way that won’t overly distress moviegoers. Children middle school-age and up should be able to handle the most dramatic moments in the film.  

A Miracle of Survival, Community, and Hope

For O’Leary to survive the fire and the months of therapy that directly followed is a miracle in itself, but another miracle was the amazing people who stepped into his life to assist in his recovery. Jack Buck, the radio announcer of O’Leary’s beloved St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, visited him the day after the fire. Even though the young O’Leary couldn’t open his eyes, he immediately recognized that iconic voice.

After the visit, he heard the older man weeping in the hallway and asking the nurse, “What more can I do?” a question O’Leary has mentioned in his speeches (of which he’s done thousands since that Girl Scout presentation years ago) and has stated is one that will change things in anyone’s life if they ask it.  

Hope was instilled in O’Leary the day he met Buck, who came to see him daily for the five months that he was hospitalized. Buck’s words kept him going through his torturous recovery. “Kid, you’re going to survive, and when you get out of here, we’re going to have John O’Leary Day at Busch Stadium.” In our interview, O’Leary told me he heard the voice of Jesus Christ through Jack Buck.  

Thriving Against the Odds 

Soul on Fire covers O’Leary’s life from the day of the fire, through his recovery, into his college years, including meeting his future wife when he was in college, his years after school when, against all odds, he went into the construction industry, and touches on his life now, where he shares the story of his survival with the hopes of inspiring other people no matter what crosses they bear.  

Top to bottom, the movie is well done. The pacing is spot on, there’s a great balance between the serious moments and the lighthearted moments, and the 1 hour and 51 minutes of film time flies by. There’s a strong cast of actors. The young man who portrays the 9-year-old O’Leary, James McCracken, is particularly charming. Joel Courtney, who plays the role of O’Leary as an adult, nailed the part. Anyone who has seen O’Leary share his testimony will see his endearing personality and mannerisms in Courtney’s portrayal. The rest of the cast, including highly accredited actors familiar to most everyone in the audience, did incredible jobs in their roles as well.   

Grateful for the miracle of his survival and shaped by his life’s struggles, O’Leary’s mission is to better the world, and he has inspired millions to do the extraordinary. “In this moment, the world needs hope more than ever,” said O’Leary. “A reminder that every life matters, that every story counts, and that their best is yet to come.”  

If you’re looking for a great movie to watch with your family this fall, Soul on Fire is the one to catch. This is a story that will ignite conversations and encourage everyone who watches it to live an inspired life. They don’t get much better than this.   

Soul On Fire is rated PG for thematic content including burn injuries, some peril and suggestive material. The movie opens in theaters Friday, October 10, 2025. For more information and tickets, visit SoulOnFireMovie.com.

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Copyright 2025 Amanda Lauer
Images: copyright 2025 Affirm Films, all rights reserved.