Probably the controversial movie on this list, The Passion of the Christ was the highest-grossing R-rated movie released at the time. It’s also credited with proving there was a market for Christian films, which led to movies like Facing the Giants and God’s Not Dead.
THE GOSPEL OF JOHN (2003)
At 3 hours long, it’s perhaps best seen in pieces. While it’s not the greatest adaptation of Jesus’ story, the fact it follows the Gospel of John makes it unique. Most movies about Jesus follow the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John).
BEN-HUR (1959)
Ben-Hur is a great example of what William R. Telford calls the Roman-Christian epic: movies that don’t retell the Gospel story but show its effect through supporting characters.bThe story starts with Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, then switches to a prosperous young Jew named Judah Ben-Hur growing up in Jerusalem.
THE MIRACLE MAKER (2000)
There is a long history of animated movies based on Bible stories. The movie follows Jesus’ ministry from the selecting of the disciples to Jesus’ resurrection, with Jairus and his family reacting to his teaching before and after Jesus heals Jairus’ daughter.
KING OF KINGS (1961)
King of Kings is that rare Biblical epic that has aged well. It’s long but much shorter than The Greatest Story Ever Told. Like pretty much every epic, it embellishes the story—it starts with the Romans invading Jerusalem in 63 BC.
JESUS OF NAZARETH (1977)
While this 6-hour miniseries is a bit long for one day, it works well as a series to watch over the Easter season. Episode 1 starts with Mary receiving a message from the angel Gabriel, and episode 4 ends with the resurrected Jesus appearing to his disciples.
SON OF GOD (2014)
Son of God starts with a few clips from The Bible, a quick view of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, and some scenes of Jews fleeing Roman soldiers before Jesus walks onto the set and jumps into Peter’s fishing boat. After a few moments following Jesus’ ministry, the movie skips to Jesus entering Jerusalem on Passion Week.
