1. The Passion of the Christ (2004): This film portrays Jesus’ (Jim Caviezel) last 12 hours of life. Beginning with the agony Jesus faced in the Garden of Gethsemane and continuing through His last breath on the cross, this film shows the extreme suffering Jesus faced as He secured salvation for His people. It depicts the extreme violence and bloodiness of Jesus’ crucifixion and brings the horrendous torture of Jesus to the screen in a way that no other movie has before. Though probably not suited for immature audiences, The Passion of the Christ is an excellent depiction of the life and sacrifice of Jesus.
2. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005): The Pevensie siblings (William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, and Georgie Henley) must leave their hometown to escape the bombings of the Second World War. Upon arriving at their temporary new house, they discover a wardrobe that leads to a new world called Narnia. The new world is full of Christian symbolism, but it is under the power and influence of evil. When the children meet Aslan, a lion who represents Christ, they have to decide whether they will team up with him to overcome evil and bring hope back to Narnia.
3. Courageous (2011): When tragedy strikes, police deputy Adam Mitchell (Alex Kendrick) has to reevaluate what is important in life. He realizes that he has wasted much of the time he’s already had. He leans into his faith and makes a pact with a small group of friends to be a better husband and father. Together, they discover what true biblical manhood looks like, and they strive to become men who honor God with their beliefs and actions. But not everyone who takes the pledge ends up keeping their commitment. When temptations rise, the men must decide whether they will live to please God or people.
4. The Blind Side (2009): Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) grew up in the projects without a stable home environment. He was in and out of school his whole life and ended up on the streets after his mother disappeared. Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock) and Sean Tuohy (Tim McGraw) offer to let him stay with them temporarily. But it becomes more permanent when they decide to become his legal guardians. They discover that Michael is very good at football and do everything in their power to catch him up academically so that he can be eligible to play. When he starts to have success, people start calling the motives of the Tuohy family into question. Will they let him continue to play or will the legal process reveal fraud?
5. Woodlawn (2015): This story takes place in the midst of the government-ordered desegregation act of 1973. Woodlawn High School, an all-White school, begins receiving busloads of African American students. No one is happy about it. Riots break out and violence erupts all over the city. Football coach, Tandy Gerelds (Nic Bishop) witnesses this racial hatred every day on the football field between his players. But nothing he does to promote unity helps matters. As a last-ditch effort, he allows an evangelist (Sean Astin) to come and speak to his team. Many of the players become convicted to follow Jesus and promote unity. This paves the way for an African American star athlete, Tony Nathan (Caleb Castille), to lead his team to victory and his town to overcome their racial hate.
6. Fireproof (2008): This film centers around a decorated firefighter, Caleb Holt (Kirk Cameron), who has a marriage that is on the brink of collapse. He puts his life on the line to rescue a complete stranger and then later realizes that he has failed to be a good husband to his wife, Catherine (Erin Bethea). He talks to his father, John (Harris Malcom), about the situation, thinking that all hope is lost. But John encourages Caleb to take responsibility for his actions rather than to blame his wife for their problems. And he challenges him to participate in “The Love Dare” for 40 days. Though he is skeptical, he accepts the challenge and pursues his wife with selfless love to see if he can save his marriage from the impending divorce.
7. Facing the Giants (2006): Football coach, Grant Taylor (Alex Kendrick), feels like a complete failure when his personal and professional problems begin compounding. He discovers that he has male-factor infertility and is the reason he and his wife can’t have a baby. Then he faces the loss of his job due to an unsuccessful record. But after six years of losing seasons, he receives advice from a visitor that gives him a small inkling of hope. He decides to encourage his players to rely on God’s power to overcome the opposing teams against all odds. But will their faith be enough to save his job?
8. God’s Not Dead 1-4 (2014-2021): As Christianity faces increasing opposition, Christians must stand up for their faith with boldness and truth. From college students to high school teachers to preachers to the persecuted church, Christ followers have to trust Christ, even when all hope seems lost.
9. 23 Blast (2013): Travis Freeman (Mark Hapka) is a talented football player in his small town. But one day without warning he has some medical issues. When he goes to the doctor, he finds out that he has contracted an infection and needs immediate surgery. The doctors are able to save his life, but he wakes up blind. Travis enters into a period of self-pity and loses his faith for a while. But overcoming all odds, he works to come back to the field and helps his team make it to the state finals.
10. Soul Surfer (2011): This story features a talented surfer, Bethany Hamilton (AnnaSophia Robb), who survives a shark attack but ends up losing her arm as a result. With her parents’ support and her unwavering dedication, she resolves to surf competitively again. Frustrations abound as she has to relearn basic life skills. And she questions why tragedy had to happen to her. But she goes on a mission trip to Thailand in the aftermath of a tsunami and realizes that her purpose in life is about more than surfing. She decides to be a difference maker in the world.
This list is by no means exhaustive, as there are many other great Christian films out there to enjoy. For example, in no particular order, some honorable mention Christian movies to add to this list are: The Shack (2017), Risen (2016), Ben-Hur (1959), The Ten Commandments (1956), Amazing Grace (2006), Chariots of Fire (1981), The Hiding Place (1975), A Man for All Seasons (1966), Jesus Revolution (2023), and Overcomer (2019).