The 2018 Camp Fire in California was the most devastating wildfire of all time, destroying three towns, including Paradise, CA. That tragedy has inspired two movies that are both trending on different streaming platforms: The Lost Bus, which you can watch with an Apple TV subscription, and Faith In The Flames: The Nichole Jolly Story, available with a Netflix subscription. The two movies have some similarities, but the differences are much more obvious, and I definitely have one I like more than the other.
It’s Not Really Fair To Compare, But I’m Going To
Faith In The Flames and The Lost Bus are two very different movies. The former is a Lifetime movie with a fairly limited budget, starring This is Us star Chrissy Metz as the real-life nurse Nichole Jolly, who worked tirelessly during the fire, risking her own safety to make sure her patients were safe. The former is a big(ger) budget thriller starring Matthew McConaughey as a real-life bus driver named Kevin McKay who rescued a busload of school children during the horrible fire.
There are some similarities between the two films. Both feature parents who are having a difficult time connecting with their teenage sons (McConaughey's own son Levy stars as his son in the movie), for example. In both movies, our heroes are trapped on different roads during the fires. We all remember the video footage of people trying desperately to escape the flames around them, and in both movies, shots like that play heavily in the plots. In a bit of irony, Nichole, played by Metz, is trapped on Pearson Road, which Last of Us fans will recognize as the last name of her character on the hit NBC show.
The Differences Are Stark
The Lost Bus has some absolutely incredible sequences, with special effects that have earned it an Academy Award nomination. The scenes of the fire are insane, and I’m still not sure how they did all of them, as it’s a mix of practical effects and CGI. Combined with director Paul Greengrass’ typical fast cuts and handheld camera work, the movie is a true spectacle to watch.
On the other hand, Faith In The Flames is a much smaller movie. Though there are limited effects, it’s really more about hospital personnel, especially Nichole, and how they navigated the fire as it took out the town and their hospital. It’s far less flashy, as clearly reflected in the budget. While The Lost Bus is Hollywood at its flashiest, Faith In The Flames is very much a made-for-TV movie.
On a more practical level, Faith In The Flames follows someone I would consider a likely hero. A nurse with years on the job, putting her experience and training to work in the best possible ways. The Lost Bus’ McKay is an unlikely hero. McKay is a bit of a screwup who is trying to get his life together and finds himself in an impossible situation.
In the end, The Lost Bus, though hardly a perfect movie, is a better one, and I enjoyed it much more. It’s not one of the best movies of 2025, despite the Oscar nomination, but it is thrilling and very well made. So I have to give the edge to the Hollywood spectacle.
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