Top ten religious movies for Lent 2025
By TOM QUINER
As far as I’m concerned, there are three types of religious movies:
- Biblical/Religious narratives.
- Movies about faith and inspiration.
- Movies that aren’t about faith and inspiration, but really are, without coming right out and saying it.
The weakest of these categories tend to be #2. Sometimes Christian movie makers try so hard that they forget about artistry and storytelling in their zeal to pound a message into your skull. In fact, there are not one of these in the list that follows (although some made my list in previous years, such as “The Case For Christ”).
On the other hand, Category #3 has produced some great films that invoke Judeo/Christian themes without being about religion. These film makers focus on the story first and foremost. A classic of the genre would be “Grand Torino” listed below.
I’m a sucker for category #1. I love a good Biblical epic. Some are clunkers, such as Netflix’s “Mary,” which I wrote about a few months ago, or the 2014 movie, “Son of God.” But the ones on my list below are solid gold.
I try to mix the list up a little bit every year. As a result, you’ll find five new entries this year. Some will surprise you. It’s possible you’ll even be scornful of a pic or two. That’s what’s fun about this blogpost. Different films move different people in different ways.
Some of the films address themes especially relevant to this age, exploring them with wildly different artistic approaches.
Ultimately, good artists, regardless of the genre, draw us closer to the good, the true, and the beautiful. And the movies are special, as they combine light and sound, a combination that is irresistible in the hands of a good director. What an art form for drawing us deeper into our faith this Lent!
Put the popcorn on. It’s showtime!
Top Ten Religious Movies for Lent 2025
#10. THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO. This isn’t the Jim Caviesel version from 2002, although I loved that one, too. This beautiful, new adaption (2024) comes to us from France, starring Pierre Niney as the Count of Monte Cristo. It’s three hours long, but it didn’t seem like it. The story is that good. The casting is spot on. The script is outstanding, as is the soundtrack. It’s subtitled, which might deter some readers. But I think it’s worth it, as the story explores man’s primal impulse for revenge verses God’s will for forgiveness. Frankly, most viewers are probably cheering for revenge as the film progresses. Christianity’s call for justice and mercy often seems to pit these two virtues against each other. This film will hold you in its grip to the very last minute as you weigh the ethical implications of the Count’s actions.
#9: HOUSE OF DAVID. King David is one of the coolest guys in the Old Testament. Shepherd boy. Musician. Hero. Renegade. King. Sinner. Try plotting his life on a graph. Talk about ups and downs!
Amazon Prime Video released an 8-episode series on the young David called “House of David.” It’s kind of like an Old Testament version of “The Chosen.” And I mean that in a totally positive way. My wife and I are loving the series.
As of this writing, only 4 episodes have been released. My understanding is that the series ends with David’s battle with Goliath, a scene with which we are teased at the outset of episode one.
The series fills out the Davidic story taking artistic license with details not revealed in sacred scripture without compromising the message.
Casting, scripting, direction, and sets are all outstanding, as is the Greek landscape that serves as the backdrop. Why do I recommend House of David? Because God is at the center of the story, and the story is packed with action.
Our faith is dynamic. House of David reveals just how dynamic. God chooses an unlikely young man to lead Israel to greatness and conquer its enemies. Why did God choose David? Because God looked beyond outward appearance and saw a passionate heart. God likes passion. As the Book of Revelations (3:16) says:
“So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
House of David tracks the life of a passionate young man on the cusp of changing the world. Here it is, 3000 years later, and we’re still talking about him!
#8: POLLYANNA. “Don’t be a Pollyanna!” is a slur that’s been around the block for over six decades. It kind of suggests that a Pollyanna is a person who incessantly promotes an unreachable level of syrupy happiness. How unfair to this marvelous lass, as portrayed by Hayley Mills in the 1960 Disney Film by the same name!
One of the joys of being a grandparent is revisiting these old movies. This a family film about a girl around twelve years of age whose parents have died. She is sent to live with her stern aunt in her attic bedroom. Despite the bad breaks life presents to Pollyanna, she always looks at the bright side of life.
Her late father had taught a game called “The Glad Game.” Here’s how it works: when life gets you down, think of something that makes you glad. Thanks to Pollyanna, the game spreads like wildfire, raising the happiness quotient in the entire town.
It makes me think of Dennis Prager’s book, “Happiness is a Serious Problem.” His thesis: each of us has a moral responsibility to be happy, because of the impact happiness has on others. Perhaps Prager viewed Pollyanna before writing his book! Says Prager:
“We do not enjoy being around others who are usually unhappy … In general, people act more decently when they are happy.”
This movie has so many great scenes. But let me tempt you with Karl Malden’s, as the town’s preacher (below), delivering a fire and brimstone sermon for the ages. Watch Pollyanna’s expression. Watch the entire movie to see how she melts the heart of his character, the reverend Paul Ford. “Pollyanna” makes you feel better about life. In fact, it reminds you that ‘life is beautiful.’ A nice thought to remember in a culture saturated with abortion.
#7: LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL. This achingly wonderful film is relevant more than ever in light of the growing anti-semitism among American youth since the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7th, 2023.
“Life Is Beautiful” tells the tale of Guido, an Italian-Jewish waiter in 1944 who is forced into a Nazi concentration camp along with his young son, Giosuè.
Robert Benigni co-wrote the script, directed the film, and portrays Guido.
In the camp, rather than playing “The Glad Game”, as Pollyanna does, Guido plays an imagination game with young Giosué to protect him from the reality of their dire situation. And dire it is.
There is something so profoundly moving in the father’s brilliant attempts to transform an horrific situation into one of beauty and grace. I dare you to maintain dry eyes at the film’s conclusion.
Everything you need to know about “Life Is Beautiful” is summed up in the title.
Everything you need to know about your life … or your dad’s life … or that of an unborn son … is summed up in the title. Even though life has its ups and downs (see the Count of Monte Christo; Pollyanna; and House of David above) God is in the midst of everything, whether we know it or not. [This movie is subtitled.]
#6: WILDCAT. This is a wonderfully weird film. It’s a unique telling of the life and literature of the one and only Flannery O’Connor. Try reading some of her short stories. They’re weird. They suck you in with their exploration of unlikeable people who create situations so grotesque that they make you gasp. Her genre is called Southern Gothic. She wrote 31 short stories and two novels in a career cut short by an early death at thirty-nine due to Lupus. Bishop Robert Barron is a big fan of Flannery. He writes:
“Flannery O’Connor’s influence on contemporary culture, particularly literature and film, is profound. Her novels and short stories have been described as shocking, convoluted, funny, and violent, and they are filled with unforgettably strange characters. But they are also, from beginning to end, haunted by Christ. O’Connor radically changes our idea of what religious fiction can be. Her startling prose awakens us to sin and, consequently, to the need for salvation.”
Ethan Hawke (director and co-writer) collaborates with his daughter, Maya Hawke (who portrays Flannery), in fusing O’Connor’s life and characters from her writings into a single story. So Maya Hawke not only plays Flannery, she plays characters from stories to suck you into “an inquiry into the broken nature of grace.”
You may recall that one of O’Connor’s lasting quotes took place at a dinner party she attended. There, some snooty literary types denigrated Catholic’s belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, suggesting it is only a symbol, at best. To which O’Connor sniffs:
“If it’s only a symbol, to hell with it.”
The Eucharist was at the core of who Flannery O’Connor was. This scene is beautifully presented in Wildcat.
As a side note, the Georgia-born writer had an Iowa connection. She attended the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa in 1945.
Fr. Damian Ference, writing at Word On Fire, said:
“I am convinced the primary reason Flannery O’Connor was so serious about her Catholic faith is that it was the one place where she experienced being seen and understood and loved; it was the one place in which she felt that she fit—that she belonged, because at the center of Catholicism is a crucified misfit. If Jesus is God, and if he was like us in all things but sin, including suffering and death, and then rising from the dead, well, then that means that O’Connor’s suffering can be redemptive too. It means that life is worth living and that the struggle is worth it and that somehow grace will break through even and especially when the pain and heartache is severe.”
Watch Wildcat this Lent. There’s no other film like it on this list.
#5: GRAN TORINO: Surprised to see a Clint Eastwood movie on the list? No one less than Bishop Robert Barron called Gran Torino “one of the great presentations of the Christ story.” Eastwood, who directed and starred, portrays grouchy Walt Kowalski, an old geezer whose wife just died. His kids want to move him into an old folks home. His working class neighborhood in Detroit is getting dangerous as gangs move in. Walt is a cantankerous, racist s.o.b. who hides his decency under the surface. He’s a heroic figure who uses violence to ward off violence directed at his Laotian neighbors … until he realizes it’s just not working. Violence begets violence. I really don’t want to say much more, because you need to see this film if you haven’t. Be warned that there’s violence and there’s no shortage of profanity. Suffice it to say, Bishop Barron said it was one of the best examples of what the church fathers called the “Christus Victor Theory.” Watch it.
#4: THE PASSION of the CHRIST. This was more than a movie, it was an event that either united or divided people, much like Christ Himself. Mel Gibson’s movie was controversial. The violence is grotesque. It is not a fun movie to watch. I have seen it thrice, and I will see it again … someday. Jim Caviezel was perfect as Jesus. The movie is important because it gives modern man an inkling of what Christ did for us. I heard Fr. John Riccardo once say about Christ’s crucifixion: “If this is the cure, can you imagine the disease?” This movie forces us to think about that question seriously. The scene of Christ’s scourging is horrendous. Do you know why He was lashed 39 times? Because 40 was considered “death” by the Romans. It was unsurvivable. I would recommend the edited version with some of the violence excised. After watching this film, fall to your knees and thank Christ for what He did for us.
#3: HACKSAW RIDGE. Courage and conviction are in short supply these days. So when a movie comes along about a man who stood up for his religious convictions regardless of the cost, it’s worth checking out. I finally got around to watching Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge this year (it came out in 2016). The movie marked his return to directing after a ten year hiatus. Gibson knows how to tell a story. Hacksaw Ridge tells the story of Desmond Doss, a simple man from Lynchburg, Virginia, who enlists when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He had a catch: not only would he not use a rifle, he would not even carry one. Although the ‘cancel culture’ didn’t exist in the 1940s, Doss felt the brunt of the military establishment who attempted to ‘cancel’ him via a court martial. They failed. He went on to become an invaluable member of his unit as a medic, rescuing some 75 soldiers at the brutal battle of Okinawa. His courage was contagious. Following a particularly brutal attack, Doss was wounded and exhausted after saving countless of his fellow soldiers. It was a miracle he was still alive. The soldiers were once again called to battle (the entire campaign lasted 83 days). The soldiers wouldn’t go unless Doss was with them. The commanding officer said to Doss: “These men don’t believe the same way you do. But they believe so much in how much you believe. They want a piece of it. They’re not going up there without you.” The moral: courage is contagious.
#2: JESUS of NAZARETH. This film is an epic work of cinematic craftsmanship. Robert Powell is an extraordinarily effective Jesus. It was originally broadcast as a 382 minute mini series on television in 1977. Every single minute of this film is worth it. Nothing is wasted. Director Franco Zeffirelli has created an artistic masterpiece. He is true to the Gospels and creates an ancient Holy Land that seems real to modern man. His presentation of Jesus’ telling of the Prodigal Son is a work of genius, surely inspired by the Holy Spirit! Interestingly, one of the writers was Anthony Burgess, also the author of “A Clockwork Orange.” What a cast. Each star was at the top of their game. In addition to Mr. Powell, James Farantino was a Peter for the ages. Ian McShane was a complex Judas whose motivations are slowly revealed in his deft political maneuverings. Olivia Hussey as the Virgin Mary, and Anne Bancroft as Mary Magdalene both shine. The list is endless: Christopher Plummer fleshes out the human weakness of Herod Antipas. You can’t stand him in the end. And James Mason brings Joseph of Arimathea to life. The conversation he has with Jesus about the idea of being “born again” draws you irresistibly into the essence of the Gospels. That’s why this film is so good. You feel like you’re walking right alongside of Jesus. Everything seems so authentic.
#1: THE CHOSEN: Not a movie, but rather the first original TV series about Jesus Christ. Four seasons are completed, and the fifth season will be released to theaters in weeks. Two more seasons are planned. What’s interesting is that this was made outside of the Hollywood system. It was financed via crowd funding. The writers let us get to know Jesus through the eyes of key players from scripture: His disciples, Mary Magdalene, even little children. You can watch the first four seasons free on The Chosen app. They claim over 770 million views so far! Like most of the Biblical movies mentioned above, the creators of “The Chosen” have taken some respectful artistic license with the series. Most notably, the dialogue is somewhat modernized. It works for me, but not everyone. The sound track is modern and hip. But the writing and story telling are simply outstanding, presenting the story of Jesus in a fresh new way, drawing millions of people into the faith. My personal favorite episode is titled “Matthew 4:24.” It is brilliant.
Season 5 will be in theaters on March 28th. Watch the trailer (below).
Those are my picks. What are yours? Please let me know. I want to watch some great, new faith-filled films this Lent, starting today. So let me know your favorites right away in the comment box below!
[Tom Quiner is board president of Pulse Life Advocates. If you enjoyed this essay, be sure to subscribe to our blog. Every donation helps us expand our reach!]