11 Christian Movies I Recommend

A scene from "War Room"

During February I usually return to Virginia to spend a few days attending Calvary Campground’s Winter Campmeeting in Ashland and at a friend’s place in Fairfax. Jim is a retired government worker who owns a large collection of DVDs. Over the years, I’ve watched a few with him and by myself. During a recent stay at his house, Jim asked me for a list of Christian flicks to show at George Mason University where he also teaches a class. That inspired another article for my blog. This list is in order of when I first saw these movies (some of which I’ve previously written reviews). I tried to select productions from a variety of filmmakers.

“A Thief in the Night” - Months after committing my life to the Lord in 1991, I developed an interest in bible prophecy. The following year, I rented a videotape of this 1972 classic plus its three sequels: “A Distant Thunder”, “Image of the Beast”, and “The Prodigal Planet.” This series produced by Mark IV Pictures gives a graphic scenario of what people will likely go through during the seven-year tribulation period before Christ’s return. The first film is low-budget but still worth watching.

“The Ride” - During the late 1990s, I worked for Billy Graham’s film ministry World Wide Pictures. My job was calling pastors to schedule one of our movies to be shown in their churches as part of an outreach event. “The Hiding Place” (about Dutch holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom) is probably their best-known production, but “The Ride” is my personal favorite. The latter film stars Michael Biehn as a rodeo star who gets into trouble with the law and performs community service at a Christian-run boy's ranch. I got to attend the world premiere in Phoenix and meet some of the actors including Michael. 

“Revelation” - Between 1998 and 2001, Canadians Peter and Paul Lalonde produced an eschatological film franchise (separate from the better-known “Left Behind” series). I bought a VHS copy of the first release titled “Apocalypse”, and later watched the sequels “Revelation”, “Tribulation”, and “Judgment” while staying in various homes. “Apocalypse” is okay, but I’d start with “Revelation.” It’s the first where virtual reality headsets force individuals to take the Mark of the Beast or get killed. That might be prophetic. Earlier this month, Apple released their Vision Pro spatial computer goggles that could eventually be used for the same purpose. 

“The Omega Code” - Produced by the Trinity Broadcasting Network in 1999, I first saw this movie at a theater in Pensacola, Florida. Ironically, Casper Van Dien (who plays a Tony Robbins-like motivational speaker) was born in nearby Milton, Florida. The subject matter is the hidden Bible codes that became news during the 1990s. A sequel titled “Megiddo: Omega Code 2” was released in 2002. I got to watch that the following year while visiting the TBN headquarters in Santa Ana, California.

“The Cross and the Switchblade” - I started hearing about this 1970 movie during my employment at World Wide Pictures. Occasionally we received calls from people who thought it was one of our productions. Directed by actor Don Murray (who recently passed away at 94), Pat Boone stars as David Wilkerson, a Pennsylvania pastor who went to New York City and eventually started Teen Challenge. I first read David’s book of the same name and later saw the movie at a friend’s house. One of my favorite scenes is David's open-air preaching after being temporarily stopped by a policeman and then dealing with a crowd that initially persecutes him.

“Time Changer” - This 2002 science fiction flick is about a Bible college professor from the late 19th century. A colleague played by Gavin MacLeod uses a time machine to send him to the year 2000. The professor realizes something he wrote in a soon-to-be released book could contribute to the moral decay of society. Other well-known actors in the film include Hal Linden, Paul Rodriguez, and Jennifer O’Neill (who also starred in “The Ride”).

“God’s Not Dead” - Named after a Newsboys song performed by them at the end, this film franchise by Pure Flix has done fairly well at the box office. The most successful of which was the 2014 original. A college student takes on a challenge from his atheistic professor (played by Kevin Sorbo) to prove God’s existence. Three sequels have since been released with a fourth now in production. Previously, I’ve written reviews of the first and second sequels. The original is still my favorite.

“War Room” - Alex and Stephen Kendricks are two brothers from Georgia who have produced a variety of successful Christian movies. I’ve watched a majority of them several times. They include “Facing the Giants”, “Fireproof”, “Courageous”, and “Overcomer.” However, I’m highlighting 2015’s “War Room” since it became one of the few Christian films to hit #1 at the box office. This film is about the power of prayer.

“Unplanned” - This 2019 release is based on the memoir of Abby Johnson, a Texas woman who previously worked at Planned Parenthood. During her tenure there, Abby went through a divorce and two abortions before remarrying and giving birth to a daughter. She later left Planned Parenthood after watching a client’s abortion on ultrasound. Abby has since helped others leave the abortion industry. “Unplanned” is rated R for “disturbing bloody images” (reminiscent of what happened to “The Passion of the Christ” fifteen years before).

“I Still Believe” - I watched this romantic drama film on TV in 2020 while movie theaters were closed due to the coronavirus lockdowns. This is about Christian singer-songwriter Jeremy Camp who married a woman with terminal cancer and soon dies. The movie demonstrates that true love involves sacrifices and sometimes suffering. Even when our prayers appear to go unanswered, God is still on the throne and has a good plan for our lives.

“Jesus Revolution” - Jim and I saw this one last year in a theater when it was the third largest-grossing movie in America. The movie is about the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. It focuses on three California men who went on to have nationally known ministries: Chuck Smith, Lonnie Frisbee, and Greg Laurie. One scene I identified with was seeing believers hand out tracts.

Perhaps you thought of other Bible-based movies I didn’t mention such as “The Ten Commandments.” Until the Lord comes back, I want to continue seeing Christian movies that entertain but also inspire believers to reach out more to sinners with the Good News.

“Lord we need a generation of believers who are not ashamed of the gospel. We need an army of believers, Lord that hate to be lukewarm. And will stand on your word above all else raise them up, Lord raise them up.” – Miss Clara from “War Room”