Summary
- There are a wide variety of Jesus movies that range from traditional biblical epics to more nuanced and creative approaches to the story.
- Some of the best Jesus movies highlight the role of Mary in Jesus' life and explore unique perspectives on his story, such as through satire, character studies, or experimental filmmaking.
- These films aim to showcase the awe-inspiring power of Jesus, his miracles, and the impact he had on his communities, making him a popular figure in cinema, particularly among the Christian community.
There has been a wide variety of films about Christianity's Messiah and son of God since the birth of cinema, and the end result is some of the best Jesus movies ever made. As far back as the silent era, several films have been made about Jesus Christ, and he still remains a popular figure within cinema, especially among the Christian community. There are plenty of movies that provide deep, epic retellings of Jesus' life, and while a lot of these films range in quality, they all strive to showcase the monumental life and power of Jesus of Nazareth and the miracles he brought to his communities.
Many films that depict Jesus's life tend to be made as biblical or historical epics told with a sense of grand scale, and while these films are often incredibly well-written and directed, some of the best Jesus movies stray away from these typical depictions and create a more nuanced or creative approach to examining Christ. Whether it be through hard rock musicals, outrageous satirical comedies, or small indie dramas that use Jesus as a character study, there are a plethora of different types of movies that provide unique perspectives on Jesus' life.
30 Mary, Mother of Jesus (1999)
- Stream on DirecTV
Director: Keith Connor | Runtime: 1h 28m
A 1999 made-for-TV drama, Mary, Mother of Jesus is a story through the perspective of Mary (Pernilla August), the mother of Jesus (Christian Bale), told from his birth to his crucifixion. While not a completely faithful adaptation of the New Testament, the film was praised for highlighting Mary's vital role in Jesus' journey and how their relationship ultimately shaped Jesus to become the person he becomes. Cinephiles will also enjoy seeing a young Bale before he became an A-list actor.
29 Son of God (2014)
- Rent or buy on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video
Director: Christopher Spencer | Runtime: 2h 18m
An adaptation of the ten-hour History Channel miniseries, The Bible, Son of God is another biblical epic that chronicles the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth (Diogo Morgado) and all the miracles he created throughout his journey. Son of God stands out as the story is told from the perspective of John who was the last follower of Christ. While mainstream critics were not very receptive to this film when it came out, various Christian organizations gave positive reviews, and it became the seventh-highest-grossing Christian movie of all time (via EW).
28 Jesus - The Film (1986)
- Unavailable to stream
Director: Michael Brynntrup | Runtime: 2h 7m
One of the strangest films ever made about Jesus, Jesus - The Film takes a more experimental and surrealist approach to tackling Christ's story by utilizing hyper-stylistic imagery and abstract concepts. This 1986 film consists of 35 episodes directed by different German filmmakers with each episode serving as a loose interpretation of the many stories in the New Testament that chronicled Jesus' life. Primarily shot on Super 8 cameras, the film explores a lot of strange concepts such as Jesus becoming a vampire in one of the most unique depictions Jesus' life.
27 The Thorn (1971)
- Unavailable to stream
Director: Peter McWilliams | Runtime: 1h 33m
Also titled The Greatest Story Overtold and The Divine Mr. J, The Thorn is a religious satire starring Bette Midler that criticizes how much Christianity and Jesus Christ have become commercialized in the name of religion in American society. While the film itself is an entertaining comedy, what is equally interesting as the themes this low-budget movie tackles is the legal issues that The Thorn faced. The film was accused of titling and advertising itself in a way that subtly exploits Bette Midler and her fame considering she was the only known actor in the cast.
26 The Messiah (2007)
- Unavailable to stream
Director: Nader Talebzadeh | Runtime: 1h 22m
Directed by Iranian filmmaker Nader Talebzadeh, The Messiah is an interesting film as it tells the story of Jesus' life from an Islamic perspective and has Iranian actor Ahmad Soleimani Nia playing the role of Jesus of Nazareth. The film specifically uses the Qur'an, as well as Christian gospels and other religious texts, to craft its story. Additionally, the film has two separate endings: one that mirrors the ending of the New Testament in the Christian Bible and one that follows the ending of the Qur'an.
25 The Robe (1953)
- Stream on Flix Fling
Director: Henry Koster | Runtime: 2h 15m
The Robe is a 1953 American biblical epic that follows the story of a Roman soldier named Marcellus Gallio (Richard Burton) who was involved in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In the film, Marcellus wins Jesus' tattered robe in a game of dice but soon realizes that the robe has more power than it seems as he eventually transitions from a battle-heartened Roman soldier to a compassionate follower of Christ. The film has an all-star cast of famous classic actors such as Jean Simmons, Victor Mature, and Michael Rennie, and all the actors do an excellent job convincingly portraying these complex characters.
24 The Encounter (2011)
- Stream on Tubi
Director: David A. R. White | Runtime: 1h 25m
The Encounter tells the story of five strangers who all are struggling to overcome their own individual inner conflicts. One day, they travel to an old diner where they are confronted by the owner of the restaurant, who also claims to be Jesus (Bruce Marchiano). At first, the five men don't believe him, but as they delve deep into their inner demons and confide in each other's company, they slowly begin to believe that the man is in fact Jesus, and by the end of the film, they are reborn as new, purified beings.
23 The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964)
- Stream on Tubi and Freevee
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini | Runtime: 2h 17m
A word-for-word adaptation of the Gospel of Matthew, this Italian drama film follows Jesus and all the miracles he performs along his journey before ultimately being crucified and resurrected by the end of the movie. This faithful adaptation of the New Testament closely examines not only the awe-inspiring power of Jesus, as he is seen throughout the movie performing miracles such as curing the blind and exorcising demons, but also Jesus' disciples and why they ultimately dedicate their lives to following this man to the point that they genuinely believe he is the son of God.
22 The Nativity Story (2006)
- Rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV
Director: Catherine Hardwicke | Runtime: 1h 41m
From the director of the financially successful first Twilight film, Catherine Hardwicke's The Nativity Story tells the story of Joseph (Oscar Isaac) and Mary (Keisha Castle-Hughes), the parents of Jesus, and their dangerous journey to Bethlehem as they are being hunted down by the evil King Herrod (Ciarán Hinds) who wants to kill Mary and prevent her from giving birth to Jesus. With gripping performances from its all-star cast, the film is focused less on Jesus and more on his parents and the sacrifices they made to ensure his birth.
21 Jesus of Nazareth (1977)
- Stream on Tubi and Peacock
Director: Franco Zeffirelli | Runtime: 6h 22m
With a runtime of almost six and a half hours, this gargantuan biblical epic provides a detailed history and commentary of everything that happened in Jesus' life. While Robert Powell is excellent as Jesus of Nazareth, the cast of Jesus of Nazareth is filled with several high-profile actors who give equally compelling performances such as Ian McShane as Judas, James Earl Jones as Balthazar, and Christopher Plummer as Herod Antipas. The film received two Emmy nominations, one for Outstanding Special Drama and one for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actor in a Drama Special for James Farentino who plays Peter.
20 The Passover Plot (1976)
- Unavailable to stream
Director: Michael Campus | Runtime: 1h 48m
This 1976 drama film provides a more conspiratorial perspective on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus in the sense that it didn't actually happen. Based on the 1965 book of the same name, the film follows Jesus who is revealed to not actually be a religious figure but a political schemer who faked his own death and resurrection to give the impression that he died on the cross and rose from the dead. In reality, he merely gives the illusion of being a messiah and only carries out this plot so that he can gain power and clout within the Roman Empire.
19 The Milky Way (1969)
- Stream on Tubi and Freevee
Director: Luis Buñuel | Runtime: 1h 45m
The Milky Way is one of the more bizarre yet interesting takes on Jesus Christ's life. Directed by Luis Buñuel, this French film follows two travelers who walk along the religious route, the Way of St. James. Suddenly and somehow, the two break all logical sense of time and space as along their journey, they encounter both modern-day practitioners of Christianity and famous Christian figures. They even meet Jesus and the Virgin Mary, whom the two travelers confront and have a detailed conversation with about Christianity, the meaning of life, and other topics. The film takes a more skeptical and satiric perspective on Jesus Christ, and the result is utterly fascinating.
18 Son of Man (2006)
- Stream on Vudu and PLEX
Director: Mark Dornford-May | Runtime: 1h 26m
A modern retelling of Jesus' life that takes place in modern-day South Africa, Son of Man once again chronicles the life and death of Jesus, though this time he is portrayed by Andile Kosi, a black South African actor. While the film overall is a faithful adaptation of Jesus' story told from a unique perspective, Son of Man is also unafraid to tackle various modern-day issues such as immigration, which is specifically highlighted as this film's version of Mary (Pauline Malefane) and Joseph (Jim Hgxabaze) have to go through it before giving birth to Jesus.
17 Jesus of Montreal (1989)
- Stream on Kanopy
Director: Denys Arcand | Runtime: 1h 59m
A 1989 Canadian comedy-drama, Jesus of Montreal follows a group of actors who adapt several New Testament stories to create a play about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, what makes this version of Jesus different from others is that this play incorporates several conspiracy theories about Jesus such as how Christ may actually have been a Roman soldier who impregnated Mary and left her to raise their child on Mary's own. When the church criticizes and protests the play, the main actor who plays Jesus (Lothaire Bluteau) realizes that his life is similar to that of the actual story of Jesus.
16 Jesus (1979)
- Unavailable to stream
Director: Peter Sykes and John Krish | Runtime: 1h 57m
A very faithful adaptation of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is an epic biblical drama that chronicles the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The film primarily is driven by dialogue and its performances, though occasionally uses voice-over as well, as Jesus attempts to directly translate every aspect of the Gospel of Luke word-for-word. It very rarely, if at all, strays from its original source material. Jesus is considered both the most-watched movie of all time and the most-translated film of all time (via BBC).
15 Mary Magdalene (2018)
- Stream on Tubi, YouTube, and AMC+
Director: Garth Davis | Runtime: 2h 10m
From director Garth Davis, the filmmaker behind the upcoming Foe, Mary Magdalene provides a feminist take on the story of Jesus as the film examines the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus from the perspective of Mary Magdalene (Rooney Mara), the only female disciple that follows Jesus. The film features an all-star cast of A-list actors including Mara, Joaquin Phoenix who plays Jesus, and Chiwetel Ejiofor who plays Peter, all of whom give excellent performances and embody these biblical characters.
14 The Visual Bible: Acts (1994)
- Stream on Pure Flix
Director: Regardt van den Bergh | Runtime: 3h 13m
Directed by Regardt van den Bergh and featuring an all-star cast that includes actors like James Brolin and Dean Jones, The Visual Bible: Acts serves as a word-for-word adaptation of the Acts of the Apostles from the Bible and chronicles all the events that occur in this section of the New Testament, such as Jesus ascending to heaven, Matthias becoming a new apostle and worshiper of Christ after Judas' betrayal, and how Saul's journey to Damascus led him to adopt the Christian faith and change his name to Paul.
13 The Visual Bible: Matthew (1993)
- Stream on Tubi
Director: Regardt van den Bergh | Runtime: 4h 25m
The Visual Bible: Matthew serves as a word-for-word adaptation of the Gospel of Matthew and follows all the major events that occurred in this chapter of the New Testament such as Jesus' birth from the Virgin Mary, all the great miracles that he performed throughout his life, how he met and attained 12 disciples, and ultimately his crucifixion and death on the cross by the Roman Empire before resurrecting from the dead after three days. The film is directed by Regardt van den Bergh and features several talented actors such as Richard Kiley as Old Matthew and Bruce Marchiano as Jesus.
12 The Gospel of John (2003)
- Unavailable for streaming
Director: Philip Saville | Runtime: 3h
The Gospel of John is another biblical epic that provides a detailed chronicle of the life and death of Jesus. The film primarily serves as a word-for-word adaptation of the Gospel of John, and while it does achieve its goal of being incredibly faithful to its source material, some have criticized the film for including Mary Magdalene in the Last Supper scene as the Gospel of John does not explicitly state that she attended the famous dinner event. The film features a talented cast of actors like Henry Ian Cusick as Jesus Christ and Christopher Plummer who narrates the film.
11 Ben-Hur (1959)
- Rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV
Director: William Wyler | Runtime: 3h 27m
Considered one of the finest films ever and the winner of a record-breaking 11 Oscars, Ben-Hur is an epic movie that stars Charlton Heston as Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish aristocrat who is stripped of his wealth and title and is forced to reclaim his former life by challenging his friend-turned-enemy, Messala (Stephen Boyd), to a chariot race. While Jesus is not as prominently featured as in other films about Christ, he still plays a vital role in the story as he appears in the middle of the film as the only person who gives Ben-Hur water to drink, and at the end in which Ben-Hur witnesses Jesus' crucifixion.