Christian movies have long played a vital role in telling stories that inspire hope, strengthen faith, and connect with audiences worldwide. While many films come and go, some leave a permanent mark on how faith-based cinema is understood. These standout Christian movies have helped the genre gain recognition beyond just religious communities. Their influence reaches both devoted audiences and casual moviegoers alike.
With the recent, continuous success of the Christian historical drama series The Chosen, the genre has now, more than ever, attracted millions of new viewers. The genre’s success has redefined how Hollywood approaches spirituality on screen, proving that faith-centered storytelling has a strong place in cinema. Here are 10 Christian movies that have shaped the genre since the 1990s.
1. The Ten Commandments (1956)
Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments is one of the most famous biblical epics in Hollywood history. The film dramatizes the story of Moses (portrayed by Charlton Heston), from his miraculous rescue as an infant to his confrontation with Pharaoh Ramses (Yul Brynner) and the parting of the Red Sea.
What truly sets The Ten Commandments apart is how it shaped the standard for faith-based films as we know them today. To date, The Ten Commandments is regularly rebroadcast during religious holidays, cementing its place as a timeless classic in the genre. Produced on a $13 million budget, The Ten Commandments reportedly sold 262 million tickets at the worldwide Box Office, with initially reported earnings of $122.7 million.
2. Ben-Hur (1959)
Six decades after its release, Ben-Hur remains a landmark in Hollywood and the faith-based film genre. When Ben-Hur premiered in 1959, it wasn’t just another historical epic, as it became a sweeping cinematic masterpiece. Adapted from Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, the film follows Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish Prince in Roman-occupied Judea. He’s betrayed by a childhood friend, falsely accused, and condemned to slavery.
At its core, Ben-Hur is a tale about personal transportation through faith, where Judah’s hatred is ultimately replaced with compassion after encountering Jesus Christ. The film is best remembered for its breathtaking set pieces, particularly the iconic chariot race, which remains one of the most famous action sequences in movie history. Winning 11 Academy Awards and becoming one of the highest-grossing films of its time proved that faith-based storytelling could resonate with mainstream audiences without sacrificing cinematic scale.
3. The Prince of Egypt (1998)
DreamWorks’ 1998 animated musical drama The Prince of Egypt is a faith-based classic movie that proved that religious storytelling could be artistically ambitious and commercially successful. At the time, most Christian movies were either low-budget productions aimed solely at Christian audiences or heavily didactic projects that didn’t break into mainstream cinema. With an estimated $60–100 million production budget, DreamWorks changed that narrative by giving the story of Moses (voiced by Val Kilmer) the same epic treatment usually reserved for historical blockbusters.
With Box Office earnings of $218.6 million, The Prince of Egypt became the most successful non-Disney animated feature at the time. It also became the highest-grossing religious movie ever, until it was outgrossed in 2004. The Prince of Egypt’s handling of sacred text also earned praise across Christian, Jewish, and even secular circles. To date, it remains one of the few films in the genre to truly cross cultural boundaries. The Prince of Egypt follows Moses’ journey from being a privileged Egyptian prince to discovering his Hebrew roots. As such, he confronts his adoptive brother Pharaoh Ramses (Ralph Fiennes) and ultimately leads the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt.
4. The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ is one of the most powerful and polarizing faith-based films ever made. The movie focuses on the final hours of Jesus Christ’s life, beginning with His prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane and ending with His crucifixion. While it wasn’t the first film centered on or around the subject matter, The Passion of the Christ became a classic and redefined the genre because of its brutal realism.
Its violence was graphic, the emotions raw, and the dialogue was delivered in Aramaic and Latin for authenticity. Love it or hate it, The Passion of the Christ left audiences shaken and sparked worldwide conversations about faith and sacrifice. Grossing $612.1 million at the Box Office, it cemented the fact that faith-based films were no longer niche, with potentially billions of audiences that could turn them into blockbusters. The success of The Passion of the Christ opened the door for a wave of religious filmmaking throughout the 2000s and 2010s.
5. The Nativity Story (2006)
Released in 2006, The Nativity Story is a biblical drama that follows the journey of Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes) and Joseph (Oscar Isaac), leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. Its theatrical release during the Christmas season set a template for later Christian movies that sought religious authenticity and wide audience appeal. Although The Nativity Story didn’t break Box Office records, its respected tone, strong performances, and cinematic production values make it one of the best faith-based movies on the big screen.
6. God’s Not Dead (2014)
Released in March 2014, God’s Not Dead quickly became one of the most talked-about Christian movies of the decade. The story centered around Josh Wheaton (Shane Harper), a devout college freshman who finds himself challenged by his atheist philosophy professor. What set God’s Not Dead apart was not just its story, but its unapologetic stance. At a time when mainstream Hollywood rarely produced openly Christian films, God’s Not Dead offered believers a movie that directly reflected their faith. Although panned by critics, the film was a Box Office juggernaut, grossing $64.7 million against its $2 million production budget. Its success spawned a film series with several sequels.
7. Heaven Is for Real (2014)
Released by a major studio (Sony Pictures), Heaven Is for Real redefined the faith-based genre in its own way with its ability to cross over into mainstream Box Office while still staying true to Christian values. Produced on a $12 million budget, the Greg Kinnear-led Heaven Is for Real grossed $101.9 million at the Box Office to become the third-highest-grossing religious film of all time. The plot, adapted from Pastor Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent’s 2010 book, tells the story of Colton Burpo (Connor Corum). He’s a young boy from a small Nebraska town who claims to have visited Heaven during a near-death experience. Although not panned like most faith-based movies, Heaven Is for Real left critics divided with mixed reviews.
8. War Room (2015)
The 2015 War Room movie was a Christmas drama that focused on the power of prayer in overcoming life’s struggles. The story follows Tony (T.C. Stallings) and Elizabeth Jordan (Priscilla Shirer), a couple whose marriage is falling apart due to career pressures, arguments, and a growing emotional distance.
Although again panned by critics, War Room was a commercial success, largely because of its message and resonating themes. War Room shocked Hollywood when it peaked at number one in the U.S. by its second week, and went on to gross $74 million at the worldwide Box Office against its $3 million budget. War Room became a modern classic that set a new standard for storytelling in faith-based cinema.
9. Miracles from Heaven (2016)
Miracles from Heaven became one of the most recognizable modern Christian movies because it elevated the production standards of the faith-based genre. Unlike many earlier low-budget religious dramas, Miracles from Heaven had a polished Hollywood feel. It was based on a true story that resonated beyond just churchgoing audiences, thanks to performances by a recognizable cast. Miracles from Heaven struck a balance between heartfelt storytelling and mainstream accessibility. This helped it earn an impressive $74 million at the Box Office against a modest $14 million budget. It starred Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah.
10. The Shack (2017)
Although a faith-based film, The Shack didn’t lean heavily on sermon-like dialogue. It emphasized raw human emotion, grief, and the complexity of forgiveness. The movie was based on and adapted from William P. Young’s 2007 novel. Its portrayal of the Holy Trinity sparked both praise and controversy, making it a conversation starter in churches and secular circles alike. With a star-studded cast led by Sam Worthington, The Shack is arguably one of the most popular Christian movies released in the last decade.
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