Draft:Christian film
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Christian film - also called spiritual movie, faith movie, biblical movie or Christsploitation - is a movie genre and subset of religious cinema, 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 1] They more or less treated as a "frontier" of Christian media and their culture wars, being also referred to by the term Christian film industry. While there are some serious Christian films - that are critically well-received and even considered culturally important - most of them are simply hot-trash.
History[edit]
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2014 Christsploitation wave[edit]
The financial success of God’s Not Dead in 2014 opened the floodgates for a wave of low budget faith-based cinema. While many of these movies were critically panned, they proved popular with audiences, with movies earning consistently high Cinemascores, and were highly profitable.
Nollywood[edit]
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Examples[edit]
The good[edit]
These are considered the films that have some artistic merit and academic recognition:
- Quo Vadis
(1951): was nominated for multiple academy awards and is still critically well-received.
- The Ten Commandments
(1956):[note 2] 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)[2]
- 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.
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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.
- 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. 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 (albeit it was censored) and the Weimar Republic, with certain Adolf Hitler liking it so much that he sent a fan letter to its star, Lina Basquette.[3]
- The Greatest Story Ever Told
(1965): although not the sole cause, the failure of this film is attributed as a major factor in the decline of the Hollywood biblical epic genre. It 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. Also at the time, moviegoers' tastes were shifting away from bloated, lavish historical dramas toward more experimental and artsy films that characterized the New Hollywood movement of the late 1960s and 1970s.
- The Bible: In the Beginning...
(1966):[note 3] 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.
- 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:
- If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do? (1971)
: Red scare exploitation horror featuring Southern Baptist minister Estus "You will come" 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.
- Left Behind franchise: based on the apocalyptic Christian novel series by Timothy LaHaye and writer 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 $16 million dollar budget and Nic Cage
of all fucking people in the lead. 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] Its sequel was crowd-funded between 2015-2017 and it was released released 2023, being directed and starred Kevin Sorbo. It made some $4.2 million at the box-office.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- The Mark
(2012)
- Last Ounce of Courage
(2012)
- I'm in Love with a Church Girl
(2013)
- 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 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."
- 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.
- 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)
- The Trump Prophecy
(2018)
- 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.
- Assassin 33 A.D. (2020): real bonkers Terminator clone in which scientists 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.
- 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.
- The Mind Polluters (2021): propaganda doc about public schools allegedly grooming children.
- 2025: The World Enslaved by a Virus (2021): dystopian thriller by starring director and known groomer Simon Wesely[4], 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.
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.[5] 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.
- 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. Although it takes place in ancient Judaea and features many of the characters from the Gospels, the film is a comedy that satirizes religious conventions, it did not go down well with the fundamentalists.
- 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.
The people[edit]
If you pay attention to these movies enough, some common names tend to pop up. These being both actors and the behind-the-camera people.
Actors[edit]
Directors/Producers/Writers[edit]
See also[edit]
- Jesus Camp - movie about Christianity and how it indoctrinates children
Notes[edit]
- ↑ Usually they are interdenominational, but some films may be targeted towards a specific denomination of Christianity.
- ↑ 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.[1]
- ↑ 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).
- ↑ 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.
References[edit]
- ↑ "'The Ten Commandments': What You Don't Know". Writer of Pop Culture. 2022-04-08. Retrieved 2025-09-01.
- ↑ See the Wikipedia article on AFI's 10 Top 10.
- ↑ Talbot, Margaret (November, 2012). The Entertainer: Movies, Magic, and My Father's Twentieth Century. Penguin Publishing Group. ISBN 9781101597057.
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(help) - ↑ 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.
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has generic name (help) - ↑ STARLOG: "Steel Dreams: Interview with Tom Mankiewicz" by Daniel Dickholtz (December 16, 1998), pp. 67–71.