Best Religious Movies

As we head into Christmas, I thought it might be fun to list what I think are the best religious movies ever made. A couple of caveats: by “religious” I mean movies with overtly Jewish or Christian themes; by “best” I mean I liked them and found something truly notable in them. I include only movies I’ve seen! So here they are in chronological order:

Sergeant York (1941): This Academy Award winner tells the story of the decorated World War I hero (played by Gary Cooper) who started out as a pacifist because of his Christian beliefs.

Going My Way (1944): Another Academy Award winner, it tells the heart-warming story of a priest (played by Bing Crosby) who turns around a failing parish.

The Robe (1953): Overwrought and silly in places, it nonetheless has a splendid performance by Richard Burton as a Roman soldier who is traumatized by Jesus’ crucifixion.

Friendly Persuasion (1956): Gary Cooper lifts this Academy Award-winning gentle movie about a Quaker family at the outbreak of the Civil War.

Ben-Hur (1959): Deserving of its 11 Academy Awards, this epic film excels in its story of a man (played by Charlton Heston) who crosses paths with Jesus when his life is ruined and filled with hate. Best chariot race ever!

Spartacus (1960): More of a political movie than a religious one, it nonetheless belongs on this list. Based on the true story of an escaped gladiator (Kirk Douglas and an all-star cast) in search of freedom and dignity.

Jesus Christ Superstar (1973): It’s the music that’s great. A rock opera that insightfully depicts the last days of Jesus’ ministry.

Godspell (1973): Once again, it’s the music that is notable, rather than the movie itself. A vibrant and modern musical re-telling of the Gospel story.

Life of Brian (1979): In this Monty Python comedy, Brian–born at the same time as Jesus–is mistaken for the Messiah by fanatical followers. A critique of our culture and a satire on shallow faith, the movie strays into irreverence and poor taste at the end.

Chariots of Fire (1981): The surprising winner of Best Movie of the year, this true story about British athletes who ran in the 1924 Olympics explores the challenges of faith.

Babette’s Feast (1987): Is this a religious movie? You decide. The first Danish movie to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, it tells the story of two elderly spinsters whose lives are transformed by a French refugee cook.

Shadowlands (1993): The true story of C.S.Lewis (played by Anthony Hopkins) and his transformation by his wife (played by Debra Winger), and the crisis of faith he suffers when she dies of cancer.

The Apostle (1997): An insightful portrayal of a Pentecostal preacher (played by Robert Duvall) needing redemption.

Prince of Egypt (1998): A well-made animated movie about Moses and the Exodus, with some memorable songs.

Dogma (1999): An extremely foul-mouthed and bawdy comedy about two fallen angels (Matt Damon and Ben Affleck) who are exiled to Wisconsin but have a plan to get back into heaven. The movie is fresh and even serious about some of its theology.

Of Gods and Men (2010): The true story of a group of French Trappist monks who live peacefully with their Muslim neighbors, but who are kidnapped and killed during the Algerian Civil War.

Noah (2014): Director Aronofsky is careful not to add anything that directly contradicts the biblical account, and yet he brings new creative insight and poignancy to the strange and terrible tale of the Flood. A star-studded cast (Russell Crowe is excellent), but unfortunately lacking in ethnic diversity.

Silence (2016): Martin Scorsese’s hypnotic and realistic tale of 17th century Jesuit priests who struggle with the meaning of faith as they face torture in Japan.

What did I miss?