This movie was commonly shown in churches in the 1970's, and frightened many non-believers so badly that some of them did begin to consider their own spiritual condition and come to salvation. I was one of those people, having seen the film in a Pentecostal church with my then best friend back in high school in 1974. I was raised in a Methodist church that seldom spoke of salvation and never spoke of the rapture, so the entire concept presented in the film was new to me at the time.Thus, I guess you could say this film did some good in the fact that some were brought to Christ either as a direct or indirect result of watching it. However, it does tend to rock already saved ones into a sense of complacency in relation to the doctrine of the rapture of all Christians prior to the great tribulation, when a careful study of the Bible shows that this is not the case. In that sense, the film does a disservice.As other reviewers have mentioned, the acting is B-rated, but that is not really the point of the movie. It was not trying to break box office records or win awards. I haven't seen this film in 41 years, but the memory that still stands out the most to me is that of the heroine of the film going to church on Sunday, trying to find something of the spiritual experience her new husband has found, and being treated instead to a very dead dull sermon. After the rapture, she goes to the church and finds the tormented preacher who has also been left behind lamenting - "Another one!". In other words, apparently large numbers of his parishioners as well as himself have never known Christ's salvation.From a psychological standpoint you have to ask yourself why this film is so frightening. Most people, especially Americans, have been taught their whole lives about the torments of hell that await those who die unredeemed, yet nothing seems to frighten people more than the idea of being left on earth by God to be hunted and persecuted by their fellow man. This is probably because most people have never seen an actual demon, but they have seen plenty of the evil man is capable of, and it is therefore more real to them.

I saw this on Classic Movies online and I was hooked. I had to buy this. The acting could use some help, but the message came through loud and clear, accept Jesus in your heart. Many of us go to church and don't listen or get a useless politically correct version of scripture. This is dangerous and the movie shows that. I am going to watch all the sequels to this. This movie is too important. Judging by some of the comments, it is probably best for parents to view this with younger children, but it is too important for parents to disregard it altogether. Get a copy and judge for yourself, but you will find this movie to be an essential part of your collection. I am going to give a copy to a lady at our church who does a ministry in the prison.

Why is it that so many people find this film scary and inappropriate for children to watch, claiming that it has a negative impact on their young developing minds, Yet these same people will allow the same children to watch gory horror movies such as Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween and Friday the 13th which by far are more impressionable on the young developing minds than "A Thief in the Night". They also allow them to play video games that teach them its okay to drive around and run over people for points and to kill and this doesn't have a negative impact on that same mind? Talk about your double standard...your very own comments tell us the true state of your hearts.This movie script as well as its sister movies are well thought out Biblically and follow closely along the event spoken of in the Bible. They tell a truth that is closer today than it ever was in the 70's. As for the "cheesy acting" as your call it, I think you will find the same quality in any and all low budget films of that day...and, one must also remember that those in these films were probably not trained actors but people who knew the Lord and were willing to be used for the good of His Kingdom.Perhaps instead of worrying about the quality of these movies you should be worried about the wellbeing of your Eternal soul (the objective of these movies) because like it or not according to 2 Peter 3:10 the Lord will return as "A thief in the night"

I remember watching these movies when I was a kid, and it was on a Saturday night at the Baptist Church. Of course it's campy and out dated, the acting sucks and looks like they spent all over $27 making it. But at the time I think it did what the producers were hoping. It got people thinking and talking about what the days before and after the Rapture of the Church would be like and what could be done to reach the lost. Not everybody who watches these movies even think twice about Christ. They just look at them as a campy budget flick. I have these all on DVD now and watch them every now and then, and I don't look at them as gloom and doom and depressing like some of you apparently do. They're just movies. I remember being a kid and watching them and they didn't scare the hell out of me. But I did wonder how close we were to the Rapture. Now, a bit older and a bit more ancient than I was way back when, I still enjoy the movies. But that's all they are. Movies. Take them for what they are. And if it bothers you that someone tried evangelizing through them, don't watch 'em.