Draft:Christian cinema

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Christian cinema - also called spiritual movies, faith movies, biblical movies or Christsploitation - is a movie genre and subset of religious cinema[note 1], being movies that either have its story inspired by some Christian biblical texts, present moral themes or Christian messages, and are produced primarily for a Christian audience.[note 2]

A fair number of these have been made by major Hollywood studios (particularly when biblical epics were profitable in 1950s and 1960s), though ultimately most of them are shat out by a decentralized network of independent film companies, collectively known as the Christian film industry. They more or less treated as a "frontier" of Christian media and their culture wars, and while there are some serious Christian films - that are critically well-received and even considered culturally important - most of them are simply white-hot trash.

History[edit]

The beginnings[edit]

The paths of cinema and Christianity are believed to have first met circa 1646, when Athanasius Kircher began promoting a device called Magic lantern - which is a early form of a image projector. As you'd expect, it being abused was one of the earliest thing to happen, with individual priests (as well as freemasons) starting to use them to trick their naive followers that they wielded Godly powers of manipulating light. They were also used by missionaries traveling in Africa around 1800s, with them using the magic lanterns to demonstrate the gospel to the African people.[1][2]

Vie et Passion du Christ (Life and Passion of the Christ), a French movie that was released in ten different incarnations between 1897 and 1914, is considered the first major narrative film (or films rather) to have a Christian theme. As with the magic lantern exploits, this thing was conceived as church propaganda by presenting biblical stories to mass audiences for educational and spiritual purposes. Its release paved the way for other religious films and the development of Christian cinema, as it was one of the first films to be shown in a commercial context and had a significant impact in film history.[3]

1910s and 1920s (A time of innovation)[edit]

1910s would see the first feature-length Christian-themed movies, with some of the earliest being 1911's L'Inferno and 1912's From the Manger to the Cross. Another notable film, though not solely a Christian movie, was D.W. Griffith's 1916 epic anothology film "Intolerance" (ironic considering what Griffith's best known film is), which intercuts four historical storylines, one of which depicts the events surrounding the crucifixion of Christ as a Judean story of religious intolerance, with the sequence considered a monumental achievement in early cinema.

In 1920s, the two notable Christian films were Cecil B. DeMille's epic The Ten Commandments (1923) and Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925), which established the Bible epic genre. Coincidentally, these two films would later be remade in the 1950s. Another influential film was Carl Theodor Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), a humanist drama focusing on the trial of Joan of Arc that became a classic for its artful use of close-ups and the lightning-in-a-bottle performance by Renée Jeanne Falconetti as title character.[4][5]

A less impressive yet somewhat well-known 1928 Christian-themed movie with a female protagonist was DeMille's The Godless Girl, which is a early progenitor of the wishful thinking-driven Christian films in which everything just aligns in favor of the Christians over atheists. While not completely trashed by the critics, it was a office disaster in the U.S. in 1928, failing to recoup its costs primarily due to its outdated silent film format, as at the time, sound films were becoming a thing. Nevertheless, it was pretty big in in the Soviet Union[note 3] and the Weimar Republic, with certain Adolf Hitler liking it so much that he sent a fan letter to its star, Lina Basquette.[6]

1930s and 1940s (Popularity increase)[edit]

The 1930s did not produce overtly "Christian" films in the modern sense, but The Sign of the Cross (1932; dir. Cecil B. DeMille) and Gabriel Over the White House (1933) were early influential films with religious or divine themes. The Sign of the Cross is notable for being one of the first films that lead to protest by Christian groups (including original novel writer's daughter, Dorothea Barrett) and tried to get the film cancelled, as it was a pre-code movie with explicit content (particularly Claudette Colbert's milk bath scene and a depiction of same-sex attraction).[7] Meanwhile, Gabriel Over the White House - co-produced by William Randolph Hearst - became controversial for its flirtation with fascism and Christian nationalism.[8][9] Another notable film was The Great Commandment (1939), a costume drama focused on a village life between Jerusalem and Jericho rather than a direct depiction of Jesus.

The volume of Christian-themed movies increased during the 1940s. Notable films from this time include Sergeant York (1941), One Foot in Heaven (1941), The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941), and Heaven Can Wait (1943). The increase in Christian movies in the 1940s stemmed from the growth of film as a popular medium, the emergence of Christian filmmakers and distributors, and the use of biblical stories as compelling narratives for audiences familiar with them. Pioneers like Irwin Moon and Carlos Baptista established studios for evangelism, while events like World War II made people more reflective and open to spiritual themes.

1950s and early 1960s (The Biblical epics)[edit]

The 1950s and 60s were when Christian cinema arguably peaked, in terms of success both critically and commercially. Hollywood would put out large budget epics such as Quo Vadis (1951), The Ten Commandments (1956), and the 11 time Academy Award winning Ben-Hur (1959). This was also at a time when Christian values of that era were tested in the backdrop of the Cold War.

TBA

Eventually, the biblical epic genre became oversaturated and audiences started to turn away from it. Although not the main cause of the decline, the stark under-performance of 1965's The Greatest Story Ever Told is often pointed to being when the genre fell out of moviegoers' favor. The film itself was a flop both with critics and at the box office, failing to find favor with audiences and suffering from mixed reviews. Critics found the film to be plodding, solemn, and filled with distracting, anachronistic celebrity cameos (like John Wayne as a Roman soldier), which broke the immersion. Additionally, swifting tastes had part in the decline, with moviegoers instead started to go with more experimental and artistically accomplished films that characterized the New Hollywood movement of the late 1960s and 1970s.

Late 60s and the 1970s (Niches and precursors)[edit]

Thanks to social upheaval of late 1960s, things were about the get strange. While the edgy, counter-cultural New Hollywood stuff was the "it thing" of the time, the rise of the Jesus Movement provided niche that some money-eyed frauds wished to milk for its money's worth. Additionally, due to the biblical epics fell out of favor with major studios - as they were no longer ready to sink exorbitant amounts of money on a genre that was no longer consistently profitable - this had the effect that the smaller, independent movie companies started to take over in proliferation of Christian movies.

What ensued was the beginning of the slowly-but-surely escalating deluge of low-budget trash, and although probably not the first one, a peculiar specimen indicating things to come was the 1971’s If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do? Directed by Ron Ormond and featuring producer/Southern Bapist preacher Estus Pirkle, Footmen is considered the grand-daddy of Christian exploitation (aka Christsploitation) cinema, introducing handful of tropes and other tricks that can be seen in 2010s and 2020s Christsploitation flicks. The Footmen, would serve as the first part in the "Pirkle-Ormond" trilogy, being followed by horror film Burning Hell (basically their vision what biblical hell is, though its hell on the viewer too) in 1974 and the much The Believer's Heaven (which is their vision of heaven) in 1977, with the third film going largely ignored.[10][11]

Indeed, it was through scares and horror that Christian-themed movies would thrive in the 1970s, with two peculiar films that would define the genre emerging in 1973; seen best in The Exorcist and its worst with A Thief in the Night.

The Exorcist was a seminal supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and based on the book by William Peter Blatty, who also wrote the screenplay for the film. At its most basic, its about the demonic possession of 12-year-old Regan MacNeil and her mother's desperate attempt to save her through an exorcism performed by two Catholic priests. The film is lauded for its masterful direction, powerful acting, and groundbreaking practical effects, which continue to be influential. It redefined horror films and elevated the genre itself to a respected art form, as well as paving the way for future award-winning horror movies. It also achieved massive financial success, becoming a highly profitable R-rated horror film and securing its place in cinematic history. It became a profound cultural touchstone, sparking public discourse on faith, science, and mental health.

Meanwhile A Thief in the Night was a independently-produced Christian horror film by director-producer Donald W. Thompson and writer Russell Doughten. Unlike The Exorcist, A Thief in the Night is influential for completely different and utterly sinister reasons. It depicts a skeptical young woman named Patty who is left behind during the Rapture after she refuses to convert to Christianity, unlike her born-again husband who disappears. She must then survive the ensuing Great Tribulation, navigating a world where the United Nations forms a global totalitarian government that forces the "mark of the beast" on those who reject Christ.

A Thief in the Night drastically changed the Christian film industry - being as if not more influential than If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do? - and became one of the 1970s' most widely distributed films.[12][13] It introduced many bad Chrisplotation tropes (refining what was previously introduced in Footmen) and is considered a trailblazer in the Christian apocalypse film genre, being credited as the main influence for the Left Behind series, and inspiring other copycat films with a similar rapture/globalist anti-Christ horror gimmick.[14] It was also controversial for its senseless scare tactics -- notably traumatizing many who were young during at time and leaving them with "rapture anxiety".[15][16] The film would get three more sequels in late 1970s and early 1980s, with the series getting shit-canned before three additional sequels could had been made.

Besides horror films - along with rock operas like Godspell (which Christians like) and Jesus Christ Superstar (which is divisive amongst Christians) - Christian movies mainly survived by TV movies and mini-series, with Franco Zeffirelli’s 1977 Jesus of Nazareth acclaimed as one of the best showings of the decade.

In 1974, the Christian Film Distributors Association (CFDA) was formed for the purpose of creating a more structured environment for the production and distribution of Christian films. In addition, the backlash towards 1970s malaise and the dour, uninspiring movie protagonists (that got associated with liberalism) of the time started to mount. Things started to change from the middle of the decade, with more "positive" movie characters – like Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa – began to be shown more religious, and movies like Superman 1978 were observed to contain Christ allegories.

1980s (Reaganism)[edit]

Although the Reagan revolution lead to Religious right taking over various aspects of American life in the 1980s, it appears they didn't quite take over the American film industry of the time. The early 80s were not kind to the independent Christian cinema, as not only did A Thief in the Night series prematurely end in it's fourth installment - The Prodigal Planet - in 1983 (there were three additional films were planned), but 1982 would see the release of the notorious Rock: It's Your Decision, which has gone down as one of the best known and much ridiculed example of Christian propaganda films.

Things were not going much better in Hollywood land, with there being only few major studio-made motion pictures with any kind of clear-cut Christian themes. This is further expounded by the fact that the best known "Christian" movie of the decade is arguably the 1988 Martin Scorsese movie The Last Temptation of Christ, which is considered sacrilegious and was (and still is) widely detested by Christians globally. The only other Christian-themed films of any note from the decade being Chariots of Fire, Agnes of God and The Mission.

But true to Reagan's more insidious undertakings, there was a hidden catch in regards to Christianity's furtive influence on American cinema at the time. While American TVs were spewing garish fluff of the Bakkers and like, the movies instead entertained with more subtle means of conveying Christian beliefs. Its presence was more psychological and expressed by the movie protagonists of the time, especially the machismo variety approved by Conservative moviegoers. The violent, squad automatic weapon-waving kill 'em all heroes like Stallone's John Rambo and whoever Charles Bronson was playing, were usually motivated by proverbial righteous anger towards perceived injustices and often unleashed Old Testament-grade destruction on enemies of America, be it aboard or home.

Apocryphally, the most Christian movie series of the 1980s were the Friday the 13th films. While on the surface these films seem like a Reaganite moral guardian’s worst nightmare, deep down these films speak the truth about the deranged bloodlust of the religious right of the time. Many viewers and critics interpret the Friday the 13th films as containing Christian allegories, particularly seeing the murderous villain protagonist Jason Voorhees as an agent of divine punishment for the "sinful" behavior of sexually active teens. The series often portrays the "good" characters who are abstinent and respectful as surviving, while those engaging in sex, drugs, or other "debauchery" are punished. This creates a kind of demented scare campaign that promotes abstinence, a "virtue-cemented moral high ground," and functions as a conservative morality fable with religious undertones.[17]

The 1980’s biggest contribution to Christian cinema is not the movies themselves, but rather the actors. Most of the future Christsploitation stars and other Christian celebrities either began their acting careers (David A.R. White, Kirk Cameron) or saw their careers peaking (Mel Gibson, Chuck Norris) during this decade.

1990s to early 2000s (End times hype and little else)[edit]

Christianity's influence in the 1990s was not what it was a decade prior, and it reflected not only movies, but pop culture in general. While gothic and demonic imagery were considered cool at the time, there weren't really any remarkable movies that thematically tried to get any kind of “spiritual” message across in the 1990s. Not only that, but due to major terrorist attacks by the likes of Jihadists (1993 WTC attack), Christian Identity followers and associates (Oklahoma bombing and the Centennial Olympic Park bombing) and other loons (Branch Davidians, Aum Shinrikyo, Heaven's Gate) – religious fanatics of all stripes were actually villain fodder for pop culture of the time.

Nevertheless, Christian Cinema saw limited yet impactful innovations in their bullshit during this decade. In particular, this was the time when various companies dedicated for pushing Christspolitation started to emerge. Firstly, the pre-established Trinity Broadcasting Network threw it's hat in the film-making ring around the turn of 1980s to 1990s, with release of China Cry. Off their heels, Cloud Ten Pictures would begin operations in 1994, initially producing schlockumentaries.

Presumably due to combination of premillennialist delusions and panic over the Y2K, the second half the 1990s would see a trend of Christian-themed end times films, with some of them not quite finishing in time and being released around early noughties. Cloud Ten answered with the Apocalypse series, while TBN made The Omega Code and its sequel. Cloud Ten would also produce the first film adaptations of Left Behind, which starred Kirk Cameron as their lead. Even Hollywood wanted a piece of the action, as evidenced by 1999 Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle End of Days.

Around 1999, ChristianCinema.com, Inc. was founded. Their first movie was 1999's The Moment After, though arguably their best known films are the insane time travel movie Time Changer and A Thief in the Night/Left Behind inspired Six: The Mark Unleashed.

2004 to 2013 (A rising tide, and Nollywood)[edit]

The time-frame between 2004 and 2013 would serve as a veritable prelude to the upcoming Chrisploitation wave of 2014. Major catalyst for the revived interest in spiritual cinema came in part thanks to Mel Gibson’s 2004 Hollywood-backed vanity project The Passion of the Christ, which gathered a lot of buzz (both good and bad) and brought Christian movies back on the talking table.

The following year, the infamous Pure Flix Entertainment (now going by Pinnacle Peak Pictures) would be founded in Arizona by actors David A. R. White and Russell Wolfe - amongst other money men. Pure Flix would be a major catalyst for the 2010's Christsploitation wave, though the company company's input was slow at first, before beginning the spam of Christian-themed movies from 2009 onward.

Also in 2005, The Chronicles of Narnia film series (based on Christian apologist C.S. Lewis' fantasy books) began with its first installment, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. While the Narnia films (nor the books) are not outright religious, its generally understood that lot of the writing and its themes come from a Christian mindset. Many Christian parents saw the Narnia movies as a "spiritually sound" family fantasy movie alternative to the Harry Potter movies that were very big at the time, with Christians viewing Harry Potter negatively due to its portrayal of magic and witchcraft. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was the 4th highest-grossing film of the year, though its sequels exhibited diminishing returns.

The rise of Christian film festivals, DVD distribution, and church-based screenings also helped these films - notably the crappy ones - find an audience beyond traditional cinemas. In 2006, Ted Baehr of Movieguide (Christian-slanted movie and TV show review site) claimed that nearly 50 Christian-themed movies were made that year, and that they had grossed some $39 million at the box-office. He also claimed that “major Hollywood studios have created marketing departments to target the growing demand for faith-based and family fare.“[18] The same year, motivated by the profits that The Passion of the Christ gathered, Rupert Murdoch’s media empire established the Fox Faith brand with an intent to release “dozen religious films annually”. It did not go well, as reportedly only two films were "middling successes" with rest of their theatrical films flopping, with the division closing in 2009.[19]

Also in 2006, Nigeria's film industry (a.k.a. "Nollywood") started to become a major player in Christsploitation. Many of their films were sold by the "Dove Studios" (run by Redeemed Christian Church of God megachurch), which was a leading distributor of such trash at the time. Christian films were and remain a significant part of Nollywood, with around 20% of Nigerian films in the industry being thematically Christian.[20]

One of the two notable Christian films from 2006 was the the biblical drama The Nativity Story which not only had a (unearned) world premiere at the Vatican, but is also infamous due to Keisha Castle-Hughes (who plays Virgin Mary) becoming pregnant at the age of 16 shortly after finishing filming for movie, drawing controversy due to the "life imitating art" nature of the situation. She became pregnant with her boyfriend's child and, after facing some backlash, defended her decision to have the baby and eventually gave birth in 2007.[21][22] The other was the sports drama Facing the Giants, which is considered the breakthrough film of Kendrick Brothers (Alex and Stephen), being a successful independent film made with a low budget and amateur actors from Sherwood Baptist Church. Though 2006 would also see films that were critical of Christianity, like the 2nd highest-grossing film of the year Da Vinci Code (while nice that it does, has its own set of bullshit) and the documentary Jesus Camp. Also the Omen remake was released on June 6, 2006.

2007 would be pretty quiet, but 2008 would see the release of Fireproof, which was another Kendrick brothers surprise hit, grossing over $33 million against a small budget and becoming the highest-grossing independent film of that year. Although film critics trashed it, its success was driven by a strong word-of-mouth marketing campaign within the evangelical Christian community, which resulted in massive audience engagement and a strong presence at the box office. 2008 would also see the release of a notorious creationist propaganda film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.

The time frame between from 2009 before 2014 would serve as the proverbial foreshock preceding the 2014 Christsplotation wave. In 2008, there were roughly 10 noteworthy Christian-themed movies released, with the number increasing to 25 in 2009. From this point on, it was quite normal to see 20-25 Christian-themed movies released a year -- with most of them being low-budget films released to die at the theater. This is partly due to PureFlix company's input, as they really started to crank out their Christsplotation fare in 2009, with most of them starring the company co-founder David A.R. White.

Another peculiar film from this time frame was the 2012 film Last Ounce of Courage, which is not known for the movie itself (its a total POS War on Christmas hissy fit) but rather a robocall campaign promoting it. The robocall marketing campaign violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), leading to a massive class-action lawsuit and a $32.4 million award to plaintiffs in 2017. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee was involved in promoting the 2012 film through this campaign, which involved millions of calls made under the guise of political surveys.[23]

2014 to 2020 (The Christploitation era)[edit]

Then came 2014 and shit started to get proper weird. As early as January of 2014, the year was being dubbed the "Year of the Bible Film", with commenters having noticed that there was a unprecedented deluge of Christian-themed movies about to hit theaters that year.[24][25] There was at least 25 Christian-themed movies released that year that were notable enough to get a entry at Wikipedia.

That year Hollywood released Darren Aronofsky's Noah, which while financially successful and got good reviews, got banned in many Islamic countries (plus China) and was criticized by Christians for its loose faithfulness to the Bible. Another sorta big thing was a new filmization of Left Behind starring Nic Cage and armed with a $16 million dollar budget, which was largest budget an independent Christian production to date. It gathered $27.4 million at the box-office, which, while making its budget back, it was not a full on financial success.[note 4]

However, neither of them would really be game-changer that would revolutionize the Christian cinema. Instead, Pure Flix’s "throw it at the wall and see what sticks" strategy finally bore fruit when God's Not Dead (released March 2014) became that year's big sleeper hit. Accompanied by likes of Son of God, Heaven Is For Real and documentary The Bible, the success of God’s Not Dead opened the floodgates for a wave of low budget faith-based cinema. While many of these movies were critically panned - with critics noting that many of these films were heavy-handed and preaching to the choir rather than offering nuanced storytelling - they proved popular with audiences and were highly profitable. This success led to increased interest and production of similar faith-based films. In 2015, The Guardian analyst Jacob Oller dubbed this fad as "Christsploitation".[26]

That year would also see the release of Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas, which swiftly became one of the worst movies in human history. Following its overwhelmingly negative critical reception and extremely low audience ratings - which led to the film's failure and numerous awards for its poor quality - Cameron became upset by this at social media, accusing atheists of carrying out a smear campaign against his movie. He defended the film by suggesting that the low review scores were a coordinated effort by atheists on Reddit to discredit it, a claim that was widely debated and largely dismissed by many observers.

Between 2015 and 2020, some 130 Christian-themed movies (consisting of live-action, animated and documentaries) would be made made, with nearly all of them being the low-budget theatrical trash variety. Most notable of the trash including the likes of Do You Believe?, Old Fashioned, War Room, The Trump Prophecy and Unplanned. Meanwhile, sequels for God's Not Dead would be released 2016 and 2018, with diminishing returns. The third one especially took a hit, as it was less hostile in its intent against the perceived enemies of Christianity.

Amidst the deluge of Christsploitation crap, there were some attempts by Hollywood and more artistic film talent to create something worth a damn. 2016 would see attempts by Hollywood to have a repeat of 2014. There more successful one came from Mel Gibson, who helmed Hacksaw Ridge - based on the story of Seventh-day Adventist Desmond Doss - that got decent reviews and was successful at box office, though it attracted controversy regarding Gibson's anti-Semitic antics of the past, as well as debates over the film's historical accuracy, the sensationalization of Desmond Doss's story, and the film's depiction of violence and religious themes. Less successful was the 2016 remake of Ben-Hur, which was declared dead on arrival by industry professionals, with there being zero interest in this unnecessary remake. Since it was filmed with a high budget and due to nobody seeing it, it lead to significant financial losses and being labelled as the biggest box office bomb of that year's summer, earning a place amongst the biggest box office bombs in history. Martin Scorsese helmed Silence was also released that year, and while it was a loved by critics, it didn't do much at the box office.

2018 would fare better, mainly by documentaries. Amazing Grace recounting Aretha Franklin's recording of her titular 1972 gospel album got rave reviews, while Wim Wenders made the impressive Pope Francis: A Man of His Word, focusing on the life and goals of Pope Francis. The last good Christian-themed movies from 2019 and 2020 would include A Hidden Life, The Two Popes and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.

2021 to present (Angel Studios and gradual mainstreaming)[edit]

The COVID-19 pandemic changed everything, including affecting how movies were consumed, and this too had an effect on Christian cinema. In particular, the low-budget Christsploitation movies took a hit, with the pandemic denting the momentum and the volume of releases it had from 2009 or 2014 onward. Indeed, the Christsploitation wave trailblazer God's Not Dead and the franchise it built had run its course, with God's Not Dead: We the People (2021) and God's Not Dead: In God We Trust (2024) getting ignored both critically and commercially. Even as of 2021, the makers of the aforementioned film series, PureFlix, had sold their rights to Sony, and beginning operation now under the name Pinnacle Peak Pictures. Although Christsploitation is still supposedly going strong, there’s been speculation about its decline.

Its also around this time when it appears that Christian film interests started to game review scores around the internet. If using a social cataloging application for films like IMDb and Letterboxd, the ratings for modern Christsploitation can become hard to discern. As while there is review bombing involved, there is also reverse review bombing (i.e. flooding with excessively positive reviews), with many of these films getting having an abnormal number of perfect scores at the aforementioned social cataloging sites. As such, one should instead consult trusted critics to see past through the zone flooded with shit.

Around 2021, Angel Studios (currently Angel Inc.) media company was founded in Utah, which emerged from the bankruptcy of VidAngel with the help of equity crowdfunding. It operates the over-the-top video on-demand service "Angel", and from 2022, have began distributing movies.

While the niche Christsploitation films appear to be on the decline, higher-budgeted Christian films instead have started to slowly become more mainstream in conservative circles in tangent with the right wing rise in the late 2010s and early 2020s. This was most evident in 2023, when two unexpected hits of the year were the Sound of Freedom and Jesus Revolution.

Reoccurring elements and common themes[edit]

Bourgeois lifestyles[edit]

This is a movie about people so well off, and so privileged, that they just -- have to feel victimized and persecuted about something, anything. They wanna feel that they are victims too. Even though they're not -- and they live pretty fucking solid lives.
—Brad "Cinema Snob" Jones talking about the movie "Last Ounce of Courage" (though this statement can be applied to most of Christsplotation films)[27]

If you pay attention to main characters in these movies - particularly those made by PureFlix - you can see that more often than not, the protagonists are doing quite well for themselves financially. (Wonder why.)

Even African-American Christians - in movies like 2015's War Room - are shown being very affluent, which is somewhat detached from reality, as not only is median Black household wealth is significantly lower (est. about 1/8th to 1/10th that of White households), African-Americans Christians usually rely on Churches and their communities for economic support, which in grand scheme of things doesn’t eliminate broader economic inequality.[28][29]

Liberals bullying "perfectly innocent people"[edit]

TBA

Dystopian globalist and/or commie oppression[edit]

Christian experience with dictatorship is kind of part of their history, considering Jesus lived in the 1st century during reigns on Augustus and Tiberius. During the height of the cinematic biblical epics in 1950s and early 1960s, Romans were usually the designated villains. But due to decline of the genre, amongst other things, Christian cinema found a new enemy, the one that was the #1 threat to the God-fearing American's way of life: Communism.

A notable early one to make a big plot out of it being 1971's If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do?, in which the film segues between baptist Estus Pirkle preaching sessions and a imagined communist regime that has taken over America and ruthlessly oppress Christians. In addition to communist tyrants, these films also tend to point fingers towards progressives and social liberals for their loose way of life infecting and disarming America's ability to be ready for this atheist commie dictatorship. Maybe the best known recent one using this theme is 2025 - The World enslaved by a Virus in which a global communist system with a one world government emerges after the 2020 Coronavirus outbreak, leading to the suppression of Christianity and a restriction of personal contacts.

And if its not communism, then its globalism. The anti-globalist strain arguably began with 1973 rapture-horror film A Thief in the Night, in which United Nations declares a task force "UNITE" to go over all the people in the world, putting the mark of the devil in the willing followers of UN, and those who have second doubts (and want to find Christ instead getting) killed. This theme would be plagiarized in Left Behind, with early noughts movie series featuring the anti-Christ, Nicolae Carpathia (played by Gordon Currie with a campy faux-Russian accent), who like in the original novels, is the Secretary-General of the United Nations (before he takes it over and converts it to some Global Supreme Potentate). Meanwhile, the villain of 1999's The Omega Code is ALSO the anti-Christ, but this time he is the head of European Union instead (played by Basil Exposition from Austin Powers.)

Fire fighters[edit]

Inexplicably, there are fair few Christsplotation movies in which its lead character is a fire fighter. With exception to possibly being some kind of a kink, their inclusion can be interpreted to symbolize the ideas of service, protection, self-sacrifice and sometimes even a metaphor for the difficult but noble calling of a Christian, making them a thematically relevant character.

Basketball[edit]

One funky trope that appears more than excepted is the good guy characters playing basketball, be it a short scene (Last Ounce of Courage) or entire movie built around it (Hoovey, Overcomer).

There is actually a method to madness here, as basketball's roots have Christian origins, in that it invented in 1891 by James Naismith, a YMCA instructor. The narrative structure of sports, particularly basketball, naturally lends itself to the usual Christian themes of struggle, sacrifice, ultimate triumph and such. As such, these conventions can be translated to movie tropes, showing characters overcoming challenges not just through their athletic skill but also through their faith and belief.

The usual suspects[edit]

For more information, see: Hollywood conservatives

If you pay attention to these movies enough, some common names tend to pop up. Besides select individuals, Christsploitation films commonly feature has has-been actors who, after falling off, hand found Christsploitation as their meal ticket, as well as actors who just can't say no if they get paid (Eric Roberts).

David A.R. White[edit]

One you will be seeing a lot, from 1989 onward, is David Andrew Roy "A.R." White. Born May 12, 1970 in Dodge City, Kansas, White is the son of a Mennonite pastor. He studied at Moody Bible InstituteWikipedia before deciding to move to California at the age of 19.

There he soon landed a minor role on the TV series Evening Shade, where he acted in 8 episodes of the show. He had various small roles in moderately big TV shows of the time. His first movie role was in a 1990 Geronimo film, with his him having a uncredited role as a army pilot in the 1995 movie Outbreak (which would see resurgence in early 2020s due to COVID-19 pandemic, and is also detested by Christian anti-vaxxers.)

His first Christian movie (that's worth Wikipedia entry at least) was the Jon Gunn-directed Christian thriller Mercy Streets. Subsequently he landed a major role in Chuck Norris Christian Horror flick Bells of Innocence. In 2005, he co-founded the Christian film production company Pure Flix Entertainment.

White has over 38 movie credits (plus 17 TV roles), with him also taking roles of director, producer and/or writer -- the only movie in which he does all four is 2010's "Holyman Undercover". White is also somewhat confrontational, usually wanting to speak with whoever has criticized him and wishing Christian goodwill in kind of passive-aggressive manner.

Kevin Sorbo[edit]

DISSAPOINTEEEED!!!
—Hercules (Kevin Sorbo), Hercules: The Legendary Journeys episode "Stranger in a Strange World" (or a fan finding out his toxic political beliefs)

Kevin Sorbo is quite common name in Christsploitation. Born September 24, 1958 in Mound, Minnesota, prior to doing crappy Christian movies, he was known for two big TV roles; Hercules in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995–1999) and as Captain Dylan Hunt in Andromeda (2000–2005).

TBA

Kirk Cameron[edit]

See the main article on this topic: Kirk Cameron

Ron Ormond[edit]

Ron Ormond was once a B movie director known for Mesa of Lost Women. After surviving a plane crash, Ormond converted to Christianity and would frequently collaborate with Mississippi pastor, Estus Pirkle.

Jon Gunn[edit]

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Harold Cronk[edit]

Harold Cronk (no, not the dimwitted lackey from Disney’s Emperor's Groove) is one of the main directors employed by Pure Flix. TBA

Erwin brothers (Andrew & Jon Erwin)[edit]

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Kendrick brothers (Alex & Stephen Kendrick)[edit]

See the main article on this topic: Alex Kendrick

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Downes Brothers (Bobby & Kevin Downes)[edit]

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Examples[edit]

While this is a dynamic list that may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness, it doesn't mean that each and every Christian movie ever made needs to be here. Try to have only the notable/notorious examples exhibited here.

The good[edit]

These are considered the films that have some artistic merit and academic recognition:

  • L'Inferno (1911): technical marvel for its time and a perfectly adequate filmization of the Inferno arc of The Divine Comedy.
  • Quo Vadis (1951): was nominated for multiple Academy Awards and is still critically well-received.
  • The Ten Commandments (1956):[note 5] Cecil B. DeMile's remake of his previous 1923 filmization starring Charlton Heston. Not only was it the most financially successful film of 1956 (and second-most in the entire decade), at $122.7 million at the box office and adjusting for inflation, it ranks as the eighth most successful film of all time. In 1999, the film was chosen for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress because it was considered culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.
  • Ben-Hur (1959): A remake of the 1925 film, William Wyler's biblical epic also stars Charlton Heston was the most expensive of its time. The film's technical prowess and daunting scale have helped it remain as a highly-regarded film to this day. This 3 and half hour biblical epic went on to win a record of eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, a feat that would only be matched decades later, by Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). In 2008, the American Film Institute listed it as the second greatest American epic film of all time, after Lawrence of Arabia (1962)[31]
  • King of Kings (1961)
  • The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964): This adaptation comes from acclaimed Italian filmmaker, Pier Paolo Pasolini, the same director for very raunchy movies such as The Canterbury Tales and The Decameron, as well as the controversial Salo: or the 120 days of Sodom.
  • The Exorcist (1973): Highly influential supernatural horror film. Considered Christian movie because it was written by a Catholic and based on a (supposedly) real event, features a Catholic priest as the protagonist, and explores themes of faith, spiritual battles, and sacrifice through a distinctly Catholic lens, despite the director's own agnostic views. The film depicts the power of faith to overcome evil, a central tenet of Christianity, and ends with a self-sacrificial act by the priest to save the possessed girl. Even though its director - William Friedkin - was an agnostic Jew, who was more interested in exploring themes of doubt and uncertainty than in creating a "commercial for the Catholic Church", the film's narrative and its depiction of Catholic exorcism remain central to its story. 

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The bad[edit]

These mostly consist of commercial junk that have major Hollywood studio backing, with usually have middling/mixed critical reception. Also includes ones that might have been considered good previously, but are now seen much less positively.

  • From the Manger to the Cross (1912): While a super-early filmization of the gospel/Jesus' story, it has not survived the test of time like some other 1910's films have.
  • The Godless Girl (1928): Cecil B. DeMille's drama and one of his noted failures. Its about a atheist girl and a religious boy who are sent to a reformatory after another girl dies in a clash between the two's groups.
  • The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965): The biblical epic is based on the life of Jesus, who gathered admirers and enemies around him, from his humble beginnings in Bethlehem to his resurrection. It's credited for being the film that broke the camel's back in regards to audience tolerance towards biblical epics, leading to the genre's quick death afterwards.
  • The Bible: In the Beginning... (1966):[note 6] by that produced by schlockmeister Dino De Laurentiis, it covers the first 22 chapters of Genesis. Let's just say that the book is better.
  • The Passion of the Christ (2004): Mel Gibson's Hollywood-grade torture porn about the final hours of Jesus Christ on earth, mainly known for its excess brutality, such as the whipping scenes and the crucifixion at the end. Although it was critically well-received and has win some half-important awards and gotten nominations at the Academic Awards, there's been some re-evaluations recently that question if it is really a good movie or a glorified vanity project.
  • The Nativity Story (2006): Subpar account of the Nativity of Jesus, more well known for the controversial real-life teen pregnancy of the actress who played Virgin Mary.
  • Ben-Hur (2016)
  • Sound of Freedom (2023): produced by a faith-centered studio, Angel Studios, while the film itself is a thriller focused on combating child trafficking and isn't overtly religious in its narrative, it appeals to a faith-based audience and was promoted with messages like "God's children are not for sale". It has been supported by conservative Christian communities and figures like Mel Gibson. It recieved mixed critical reception, but it was a box-office success, making $251 million with a $14.5 million budget.

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And the "this film is why I am an atheist."[edit]

And finally we come what is pretty much the meat and potatoes of Christian film industry. These films are mostly independent and made cheaply by studios a common moviegoer is likely unable to recognize. They usually star either David A. R. White, has-been actors who have "discovered Christianity" (often Kirk Cameron, Dean Cain and Kevin Sorbo), some noted Christian public speaker and pundits, the director themselves, or bunch of total nobodies. A lot of these are considered some of the absolute worst movies ever made. These include:

  • Gabriel Over the White House (1933): Proto-Trumpian schlock about a corrupt President that has a vision of the archangel Gabriel after a near-fatal car accident. The divine experience transforms him into a "benevolent but dictatorial leader" who uses any means necessary to end the Great Depression, solve social ills, and establish world peace. Since its release, the film has been controversially discussed as a possible advertisement for a totalitarian leadership, being released around the time when both Hitler and Mussolini were taking over their perspective countries.
  • If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do? (1971): Red scare exploitation horror directed by Ron Ormond featuring Southern Baptist minister Estus "will you come" Pirkle. Its considered the first in the Pirkle-Ormond trilogy. Despite supposedly advocating Christian values and condemning social degeneration, it has no qualms to show some absolutely deranged violence. Indeed, its director is an exploitation filmmaker and it shows, from instances of mass murder to a scene where a communist officer cuts off a child’s head and tosses it tumbling on the ground.
  • A Thief in the Night series (1972-1983): series of Evangelical horror films about people who don't get raptured away. As a result, United Nations forms a task-force called UNITE, to track down those who didn't receive the mark of the beast and detain them. Its main protagonist(s) choose Christ instead and try avoid UNITE's wrath. If it sounds familiar, you are not crazy, as Timothy LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins acknowledged series as Left Behind's inspiration.[14]
  • Burning Hell (1974): second film in the Pirkle-Ormond trilogy, its about Pirkle warning people about the reality of Hell, presenting it as a literal place of eternal torment for those who do not accept Jesus Christ as their savior. The narrative uses dramatic reenactments and graphic imagery to portray Hell, including depictions of biblical figures and various types of sinners suffering eternal punishment. Very much Old Testament-fear mongering, using biblical scripture and fire-and-brimstone preaching.
  • The Believer's Heaven (1977): third film in the Pirkle-Ormond trilogy, that, unlike its fearmongering predecessors, focuses on the rewards of salvation rather than punishment. It still features some exploitation violence, but not to degree the prior two in the trilogy do. Its mostly ignored because Christian moviegoers (and moviegoers in general) wanting blood. Also features Jack Hyles as one of the guest speakers along with Pirkle.
  • Rock: It's Your Decision (1982): Tragicomically miscalculated propaganda piece in which some stupid-ass self-centered teenage convert is throwing hissy-fits about his friends listening to the wrong kind of music -- SATANIC ROCK MUSIC.
  • The Omega Code (1999): independent apocalyptic thriller made with a church-based marketing campaign and financed by the Trinity Broadcasting Network. In it, a Rabbi in Jerusalem discovers a hidden code in the Torah that allows him to access predictions of future events. This upsets Media Mogul/European Union Chairman Stone Alexander who wants the code to take over the world, but popular author/motivational speaker Dr. Gillen Lane (played by the Starship Troopers guy) rises up to oppose the ambitions of this globalist anti-Christ. It was followed by a sequel/prequel Megiddo: The Omega Code 2 in 2001. The first film almost made twice its budget back, with the sequel bombing hard by making only $6 million of it's $20 million budget back.
  • Bless the Child (2000): Kim Basinger flop about her trying to rescue her child from a satanic cult. The film earned her a Razzie nomination and at 4% Rotten Tomatoes score, it's one of Top 100 worst rated movies on that site.[32] It presents the usual battle between good (Christianity) and evil (Satanism) and incorporates several Christian allegories, symbols, and Catholic elements, though it also blends some aspects of the New Age with its themes of spirituality and battling evil. 
  • Left Behind franchise: based on the apocalyptic Christian novel series by Timothy LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, this series has not only been adapted to movies once (a trilogy stemming from 2000-2005), but twice (2014 + 2023). The original trilogy had Kirk Cameron as protagonist Buck Williams, navigating the post-rapture world. It was later rebooted in 2014 with Nic Cage in the lead, followed by a crowd-funded sequel (campaign lasting between 2015-2017) that was released released 2023, being directed and starred Kevin Sorbo. It made some $4.2 million at the box-office.
  • Time Changer (2002): time travel movie about a scholar in 1890 writing a book about how "Christian morality can be taught without the authority of Jesus", with a wiser professor warning him to not publish it and introducing a time machine, with him taking the scholar to year 2000. There, the scholar will see how decadent society has become and makes the scholar rethink about publishing his book in the past.
  • Bells of Innocence (2003): horror-drama starring son-father actors Mike and Chuck Norris (plus David A.R. White, because of course). Its about Mike Norris' character, whose faith in God is hanging by a thread after his daughter was murdered. In order to carry out some kind of mission, he and some friends hand out Bibles on a plane to Mexico. The plane crashes and they end up in the wilderness, and it's not long before they discover that there's something strange about the place. It's only claim to infamy being that it's the worst reviewed Chuck Norris movie ever, along with his 2024's Agent Recon.
  • Six: The Mark Unleashed (2004): Trinity Broadcasting Network-distributed action-drama about post-rapture world in which the anti-Christ rules with the help of a satellite and "mark of the beast" chip implant technology. Three heroic political prisoners eventually encounter a mysterious stranger who holds the key to their escape and humanity's survival. The four allies must escape execution, outwit the authoritarian police and team up with the world's most wanted fugitive: the leader of the resistance.
  • The Ultimate Gift (2006): Fox Faith-produced sentimental and heavy-handed drama dud.
  • Fireproof (2008): indie Christian drama starring Kirk Cameron as Caleb, a firefighter who works hard to save lives. At home, Caleb and his wife's marriage is crumbling and they have decided to file for divorce. Caleb's father manages to convince him to try a method he calls "The Love Dare" for forty days that will get their marriage back on its feet. Made with $500,000, it made $33.5 million at the box-office.
  • Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008): Creationist propaganda film featuring Ben "Bueller... Bueller..." Stein that's presented as a documentary, promoting the claim that academia unfairly suppresses and excludes those who support intelligent design.
  • C Me Dance (2009): thriller about a 17-year old girl who wants to joint the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, but she then finds out that she has leukemia. Distraught, she starts rebelling towards her father and - GASP - God. This prompts her father to keep his daughter close to God, try to make her heart softer, and help her live out her dream before she passes away, all while the father struggles with the pain of losing her so young. God responds by giving her the power to bring people to Christ against their will.
  • Christmas with a Capital C (2011): vindictive War on Christmas movie, that not only has a rage-boner towards atheists, but also disdainful towards Judaism as well.
  • Jerusalem Countdown (2011; alternatively titled just "Countdown"): based on a 2006 John Hagee book of the same name, this Harold Cronk directed espionage thriller is about a FBI agent played by David A.R. White, who has to find some nuclear bombs that have been smuggled to America and stop them before they go off.
  • Last Ounce of Courage (2012): Christian persecution complex/War on Christmas film about a Christian superpatriot motorcyclist's community and their freedom of religion being under attack by "totally not ACLU" and da gobernment. Also notorious for its robocall campaign involving Mike Huckabee.[23]
  • I'm in Love with a Church Girl (2013): "based on true story" romance-drama about a wealthy drug dealer finding faith and redemption when God puts a Christian girl in his path. It got its ass torn by the critics, though it has its fair share of unintentionally funny scenes, such as the one angry monologue delivered in a church.
  • Revelation Road trilogy (2013-2014): trio of Mad Max-inspired post-apocalyptic movies starring David A.R. White.
  • God's Not Dead series (2014-2024): Credited for the 2010's Christsploitation wave, these films namely follow a Christian pastor named Rev. David "Dave" Hill (played by David A. R. White), who often challenged by straw atheists to show evidence to prove that God is real to support their beliefs. They were originally financially successful, but they've been on a steady decline with the 5th installment going largely ignored.
  • Old Fashioned (2014): crack-brained love story by PureFlix, between a screwy young woman and an demented Modesto Manifesto-believing carpenter guy (oh, subtle), who also happened to film and sell college girl gone wild videos. All this happening in a town where the only radio show is a one-trick pony misogynistic shock jock, who was the male protagonist's old friend. Any similarity between how characters in this movie and normal people romantically connect in real life is purely coincidental.
  • Persecuted (2014): If you are thinking this is about Christian persecution complex, then you are correct!
  • Saving Christmas (2014): Kirk Cameron stars as thinly-veiled version of himself where he explains his own Christian views on Christmas to his brother, that's supposed to be the audience surrogate. Due to getting wide enough distribution, it has been labelled one of the worst movies of all time, with Cameron not being happy about it on social media.
  • A Matter of Faith (2014): Movie about a young Christian girl is struggling with her faith during a biology lesson, and her dad tries to help her stay true to her beliefs.
  • The Principle (2014): documentary film that, while not a traditional Christian movie, explores themes of geocentrism and Christian creationism, including skepticism of the scientific consensus. It gained notoriety for promoting pseudoscientific arguments and for misleading some of the scientists interviewed, who later claimed they were tricked into appearing in the film to promote a hidden agenda. The film suggests a connection between science, faith, and a belief in Earth's central position in the universe.
  • Christian Mingle: The Movie (2014): romcom based on a eponymous dating app. Vince Mancini of Uproxx said it best when he described the film as an "unintentional parody of whiteness."
  • Do You Believe? (2015): "smug, self-satisfied mediocrity" that Evangelicals really loved for some reason. Lots of heavy-handed preaching, reliance on stereotypes, and ridiculous, over-the-top plot points, particularly a coincidental pileup of accidents that feels like a contrivance to bring events together.
  • War Room (2015): dramedy about a black couple whose marriage is failing. Thankfully, the wife's insane client, a black elderly woman who likes to use banal military jargon played by Karen Abercrombie, convinces her that prayer can save their relationship and by creating a prayer room in her dress closet, she hopes to "wage war" to maintain the unity of her family and stop her husband from cheating on her. The film's biggest narrative issue is that the husband is a dickbag that doesn't change as a person nor faces real repercussions for his actions to prompt this change. Instead, everybody around him has to do the heavy-lifting or gets the burnt of the husband's actions. Also there's bizarre, arguably racist, running gag about the wife's feet smelling bad. Then it ends in a bizarre tangent by the black elderly woman, who calls the audience to raise a generation of prayer warriors that won't surrender to Washington's atheist liberals. Regrettably, while the film was pretty roundly trashed by film critics, it was sleeper hit that became the most watched movie in USA during its second weekend of release. Ultimately it earned $74 million worldwide against a production budget of just $3 million. In 2024, it got a sequel/spin-off named The Forge, which sees Abercrombie's crazy old lady returning.
  • Audacity (2015): Christian message movie produced by Ray Comfort that's supposed to explore how "Christians can share their beliefs about homosexuality with gay individuals from a perspective of common sinfulness, rather than condemnation." The movie presents biblical views on sin and its consequences, encouraging Christians to share the Gospel and highlight that all people, regardless of their sexual orientation, are in need of a Savior. Its generally received negatively with Ray Comfort using lot of presuppositionalism about the LGBT people, as well as the whole thing coming off as Ray Comfort just patting himself in the back despite not actually properly addressing any real issues.
  • Faith of Our Fathers (2015): David A.R. White flick about two grown men who lost their fathers during the 'nam. One of the worst faith-based films, with criticisms directed towards a mediocre script, crap acting, and a heavy-handed message.
  • Let There Be Light (2017): Kevin Sorbo's vanity project, he liked that scene from God's Not Dead where the atheist gets hit by a car so much, he made a entire movie about the premise.
  • The Trump Prophecy (2018): based on some prophecy by a crank fire-fighter who apparently called Donald Trump's 2016 election win. The film presents Trump's election as a divine act of God and includes alleged prophecies about Trump, such as arresting corrupt officials and finding cures for cancer and Alzheimer's (yeah, about that). The film ends with interviews of conservative talking heads.
  • The Reliant (2019): action film about a 19-year-old girl struggling to care for her siblings after an economic collapse causes widespread rioting and social unrest. The story follows the family as they try to survive, facing debates about self-defense versus pacifism amidst the chaos. The movie explores themes of survivalism, self-defense, and Christian pacifism, as the protagonist grapples with the ethical questions of violence in a lawless world.
  • Unplanned (2019): often described as a Christian film because it is an anti-abortion drama based on the true story of a former Planned Parenthood director, Abby Johnson, and it features religious themes and a message of pro-life activism that appeals to a Christian audience.
  • Assassin 33 A.D. (2020): real bonkers Terminator clone in which student scientists at an university create time travel, but a wealthy tech mogul/Muslim extremist uses the technology to send killers back in time to assassinate Jesus and stop the rise of Christianity.
  • The Mind Polluters (2021): propaganda doc warning Christian parents that public schools are grooming their children.
  • 2025: The World Enslaved by a Virus (2021): dystopian thriller directed by Simon Wesely and starring his groomer brother Joshua[33], in which communism took over the world during COVID-19 pandemic, during which Christianity was outlawed. Now the oppressed heroes form a underground resistance by spreading the good word... Which is pretty much lot of sitting around involving people with very thick German accents. Needless to say it's the worst film to come out of Germany to not have either Leni Riefenstahl or Uwe Boll helming it. It's at the top 10 worst rated movies at Letterboxd and has a dire 1.0 score at IMDb - being rated even worse than Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas.

Plus films that are contentious if Christian film or not[edit]

These films come in two varieties. The first half consists of films that look Christian films but do not fully embrace Christian ideals/are rejected by Christians for not being Christian enough. The other half are movies which don't come off as Christian movies on the surface, but are observed to have Christian strong themes that make them like the film.

  • Jesus Christ Superstar (1973 + 1999 remake): filmatization of the Andrew Lloyd Webber rock-opera. Although it is about Jesus and the biblical events before his crucifixtion, it's despised by lot of Christians for playing down/lacking the spiritual angle, as well as for humanizing Judas.
  • Superman (1978): while not explicitly an Christian film, it is widely considered to contain significant Christian allegorical elements and functions as a secular analogue to the Jesus story. Themes like a father figure from "the heavens" (Jor-El) sending his son to save humanity, Superman's sacrifice and rebirth, and his embodiment of traditional moral values are frequently compared to the life of Jesus Christ. According to co-writer Tom Mankiewicz, the Christian allegories were intentional.[34] Some Christian organizations (such as Christianity Today and Plugged In) use the film as a basis for discussions about traditional moral values and faith, highlighting these parallels.
  • Friday the 13th film series: one of the biggest slasher franchises in the 1980s about a endlessly-resurrecting serial killer Jason Voorhees[note 7] going around and killing bunch of sex-addled and drug-using teenagers. While Jason is technically the villain, these films usually don't give a damn about the character's victims, with most of the movies instead constructed to make Jason's killing them look as impressive as possible. Additionally, most of these victims are guilty of what Saint Ronnie and the religious right considered moral failings in the 1980s, with the series is essentially just a massive murder fest of what 80s conservatives saw as degenerates, with characters who survive Jason often being more conservative in their morals.
  • The Last Temptation of Christ (1988): directed by Martin Scorsese and based on the 1955 novel Nikos Kazantzakis, it depicts the life of Jesus as a human being who, like all people, faces temptations such as fear, doubt, depression, reluctance, and lust. Christians at the time did not respond to it positively - especially in regards to Jesus being tempted by “the sin of the flesh” - trying to get it cancelled to oblivion.
  • End of Days (1999): Hollywood action-thriller starring Arnold Schwarzenegger that uses Christian themes and biblical prophecies about the end of the millennium as a backdrop for its story of Satan trying to procreate the Antichrist. It features positive Christian elements such as faith vs. force and a climactic church confrontation and overall theme of God providing strength to defeat evil. However, the Christian audiences apparently found its graphic sex, nudity, swearing, portrayal of biblical concepts and level of violence objectionable.
  • Noah (2014): an epic biblical drama directed by Darren Aronofsky, inspired by the Biblical story of Noah's Ark but with significant creative liberties taken. While it features elements of faith and biblical themes, the film does take a fantastical and interpretive approach, leading to some controversy and debate among religious groups about its accuracy and faithfulness to the original text. The general consensus among many Christian groups and commentators was negative, with strong warnings against the film's inaccuracies and thematic deviations. While a few individuals or groups found merit in it, the overwhelming sentiment from conservative Christian perspectives was that the film was not a trustworthy or appropriate depiction of the biblical Noah story.

Parodies and movies criticizing Christianity[edit]

Wonderful thing about freedom of speech is that you can criticize any other religion, ideology, or belief system -- including Christianity. As the religion as its dirt and other instances of stupid, it has generated movies that examine this dirt and stupidity.

Parodies[edit]

  • Life of Brian (1979): Monty Python comedy movie about a very naughty boy named Brian who happened to be born on the same day, as well as next door to, Jesus, and is thusly mistaken for a messianic figure. It satirizes religious conventions and it did not go down well with the fundamentalists.
  • Leap of Faith (1992): satirical comedy in which Steve Martin plays a religious shyster. Not the greatest comedy, but functional.
  • Dogma (1999): One of the better Kevin Smith films, it uses Catholic doctrine and Christian mythology as its subject matter to examine at themes of faith, heaven, and hell, and features elements like a "Buddy Christ" and a "doo-doo demon". Even though its creators apparently made it to just be a reverent film, it caused protests from religious groups who found it blasphemous.
  • Saved! (2004): a satirical comedy that parodies certain aspects of evangelical Christianity, particularly focusing on the hypocrisy, judgment, and intolerance found within some Christian communities and high schools. The film uses dark humor and exaggerated characters to highlight these issues. However, its ending was altered at last minute, with the original super-dark massacre getting replaced by a end message asking Christians to re-evaluate themselves.
  • The Book of Clarence (2023)

Plots with Bible-thumping villains[edit]

  • Elmer Gantry (1960)
  • Da Vinci Code (2006): while the film and its sequels use Christian imagery and locations, they it reinterpret the religion through a lens of conspiracy and a re-imagined history of Christianity, particularly focusing on the sacred feminine. It's ultimately critical of Christianity, though it has its own brand of BS involved, presenting fictional claims that contradict traditional Christian beliefs and history.

Documentaries[edit]

  • Jesus Camp (2006): movie about how Christianity indoctrinates children.
  • Religulous (2008): Bill Maher doc which examines the stupidity of Abrahamic religions, Christianity included.

Notes[edit]

  1. Because Christianity is not the only religion in the world nor only religion to have movies about it.
  2. Usually they are interdenominational, but some films may be targeted towards a specific denomination of Christianity.
  3. Albeit heavily edited, with the main character's conversion to Christianity being removed to instead make it a propaganda piece promoting atheism and highlighting American police brutality.
  4. A movie needs to make roughly 2.5 to 3 times its production budget at the box office to break even, because theaters keep a significant portion of the gross revenue and there are also large marketing and distribution costs involved.
  5. One may argue that this is best thought of as an "Abrahamic" movie, not exclusively a Christian one since Moses is a hero to Judaism and Islam as well. However, most people involved in the film, including Heston and DeMile, were devoted Christians, and the movie is marketed primaly to Christians, airing every year in the US at ABC since 1965 during Easter.[30]
  6. Just like The Ten Commandments, this movie tells a Abrahamic and pre-Christian story, but was also aimed at a Christian audience (and indeed, "Bible" refers to the anthology of books that Christians regard as holy scripture, while "Tanakh" is the Jewish word).
  7. At least when its not his Nancy Reagan-looking mother or some Jason-wannabe imposter.

References[edit]

  1. VERMEIR, KOEN. 2005. “The Magic of the Magic Lantern (1660–1700): On Analogical Demonstration and the Visualization of the Invisible.” The British Journal for the History of Science 38(2): 127–59. doi: 10.1017/S0007087405006709.
  2. Horne, Silvester C. (2006). David Livingstone. Kessinger Publishing. p. 76. ISBN 1-4254-9628-8.
  3. Shepherd, David (2016). The Silents of Jesus in the Cinema (1897-1927). Taylor & Francis. p. 3-9, 27. ISBN 9781317806738.
  4. Villarejo, Amy (2013). Film Studies: The Basics. Taylor & Francis. p. 40. ISBN 9781135011772.
  5. Dixon, Wheeler Winston (2015). Black and White Cinema: A Short History. Rutgers University Press. p. 48. ISBN 9780813572444.
  6. Talbot, Margaret (November, 2012). The Entertainer: Movies, Magic, and My Father's Twentieth Century. Penguin Publishing Group. ISBN 9781101597057. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. Pollard, Tom (2015). "6. The Evangelical Code". Sex and Violence: The Hollywood Censorship Wars. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781317252207.
  8. Kuklick, Bruce (2022). Fascism Comes to America: A Century of Obsession in Politics and Culture. University of Chicago Press. p. 27. ISBN 9780226822457.
  9. Carmichael, Deborah. "Gabriel Over the White House (1933): William Randolph Hearst's Fascist Solution for the Great Depression". Hollywood's White House: The American Presidency in Film and History. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 9780813137964.
  10. Weiner, Robert G.; Cline, John (2010). Cinema Inferno: Celluloid Explosions from the Cultural Margins. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 295-300. ISBN 9780810876576.
  11. Barefoot, Guy (2017). Trash Cinema: The Lure of the Low. Columbia University Press. p. 125-127. ISBN 9780231542692.
  12. Balmer, Randall (2014). Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America, 25th Anniversary Edition. Oxford University Press. p. 65. ISBN 9780199360482.
  13. Gribben, C. (2015). Evangelical Millennialism in the Trans-Atlantic World, 1500-2000. Palgrave Macmillan UK. Chapter 6. ISBN 9780230304611
  14. 14.0 14.1 Beal, Timothy, 'The Rise and Fall of Evangelical Protestant Apocalyptic Horror: From A Thief in the Night to Left Behind and Beyond', in Gastón Espinosa, Erik Redling, and Jason Stevens (eds), Protestants on Screen: Religion, Politics and Aesthetics in European and American Movies (New York, 2023; online edn, Oxford Academic, 21 Sept. 2023), https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190058906.003.0018, accessed 3 Sept. 2025.
  15. CNN: "For some Christians, ‘rapture anxiety’ can take a lifetime to heal" by AJ Willingham (September 27, 2022)
  16. VOX: "#RaptureAnxiety calls out evangelicals’ toxic obsession with the end times" by Tara Isabella Burton (Dec 13, 2017)
  17. "Ronald Reagan: American Slasher | Renegade Cut" (13.10.2019)
  18. Dallas Morning News: "Hollywood makes room for holiness" (March 8, 2007) (ARCHIVED)
  19. TheGuardian: "Hollywood finds Christ as Foxfaith plans series of religious movies" by Suzanne Goldenberg (September 20, 2006)
  20. CBC: "Nigerian church transforms into movie mogul" by CBC Arts (Posted: Mar 26, 2006 4:44 PM EST | Last Updated: March 27, 2006)
  21. The New Zealand Herald: "Keisha says controversy spoiled pregnancy" (April 22, 2007)
  22. People: "Introducing Felicity-Amore Hull — Keisha speaks about her labor, delivery, and new little girl" June 08, 2007 (ARCHIVED)
  23. 23.0 23.1 Hollywood Reporter: "Telemarketing of Movie Leads to $32 Million Punishment in Class Action" by Eriq Gardner (September 8, 2017)
  24. The Daily Beast: "Hollywood Declares 2014 the Year of the Bible" by Andrew Romano (Jan. 9 2014 5:45AM EST) (PAYWALL)
  25. The Guardian: "A movie miracle: how Hollywood found religion" by Tom Shone (July 31, 2014)
  26. The Guardian: "Christsploitation – Hollywood gives thanks for the new wave of faith movies" by Jacob Oller (November 3, 2015)
  27. "Last Ounce of Courage - The Cinema Snob" by Stoned Gremlin Productions (28.11.2016) (at 27:45 mark)
  28. Pew Research Center: "Wealth inequality has widened along racial, ethnic lines since end of Great Recession" by Rakesh Kochhar and Richard Fry (December 12, 2014)
  29. Pew Research Center: "Wealth Surged in the Pandemic, but Debt Endures for Poorer Black and Hispanic Families" by Rakesh Kochhar and Mohamad Moslimani, page 2 (December 4, 2023)
  30. "'The Ten Commandments': What You Don't Know". Writer of Pop Culture. 2022-04-08. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
  31. See the Wikipedia article on AFI's 10 Top 10.
  32. Rotten Tomatoes: 100 Worst Movies of All Time by Editorial, ranked #91 (retrieved Sept 12, 2025)
  33. r/WhitePeopleTwitter (2022). "YouTube pastor waited 4 years for his girlfriend to turn 18 and propose". Reddit. Archived from the original on January 17, 2025. Retrieved September 1, 2025. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  34. STARLOG: "Steel Dreams: Interview with Tom Mankiewicz" by Daniel Dickholtz (December 16, 1998), pp. 67–71.