Finding an accurate biblical movie with a strong storyline and attractive cinematography is hard today. Most high-rated movies on Jesus Christ were made before the film industry’s modernization, and they are a must-watch! Each story depiction is accurate and closer to what’s been presented in the Bible, making every watch life-changing.
Picking between a movie on Jesus with good cinematography or a strong script is a dilemma. To help ease the dilemma, we have compiled the top 10 must-watch life-changing movies on Jesus, noting every unique criterion.
Our top picks of movies on Jesus will surely leave an impact on you. And after going through our list, selecting the best movie within minutes will surely become easier for you!
| Movie Name | Release Date | IMDb Ratings | Rotten Tomatoes Ratings |
| The Gospel of John | 2003 | 7.7/10 | 3.5/5 |
| The Last Temptation of Christ | 1988 | 7.5/10 | 3.5/4 |
| The Passion of the Christ | 2004 | 7.2/10 | 5/5 |
| The Jesus Film | 1979 | 7.1/10 | Not Rated |
| The Miracle Maker | 1999 | 7.1/10 | Not Rated |
| A Child Called Jesus | 1987 | 6.8/10 | Not Rated |
| The Nativity Story | 2006 | 6.8/10 | 3.7/10 |
| Mary Magdalene | 2018 | 5.9/10 | 3/5 |
| Son of God | 2014 | 5.7/10 | 2/10 |
| The Young Messiah | 2016 | 5.7/10 | 5.6/10 |
1. The Gospel of John
Director: Philip Saville
Producer/Production Company: Visual Bible International
Cast: Henry Ian Cusick, Christopher Plummer
IMDb Ratings: 7.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 3.5/5
The Gospel of John movie portrays a unique take on narrative films by depicting a biblical reference story of Jesus Christ.
Christopher Plummer is the narrator playing the role of John, who recounts his memories of the livelihood of Christ. Henry Ian Cusick plays the role of Jesus Christ, a first-century Jewish preacher.
When searching for an authentic biblical narrative film, The Gospel of John is a must-watch. The originality and splendid biblical accuracy of Jesus’s life have put the Gospel of John as number 1 on our Top 10 must-watch list!
2. The Last Temptation of Christ
Director: Martin Scorsese
Producer/Production Company: Barbara De Fina, Harry J. Ufland
Cast: Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel
IMDb Ratings: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 3.5/4
The Last Temptation of Christ, starring the talented Willem Dafoe as Jesus Christ, takes us on a journey of exploring spiritual desires.
Though having drawn many scandals over the portrayal of Jesus having worldly temptations, this movie surely draws attraction over the raw portrayal of emotions.
This movie will surely make a life-changing impact on you and arouse an internal debate between the beginning and end of faith!
This movie is a must-watch for those who wish to explore a different narrative of the life of Jesus. This second-to-none cinematic take on the life of Jesus Christ has put The Last Temptation of Christ as number 2 on our top 10 must-watch list!
3. The Passion of the Christ
Director: Mel Gibson
Producer/Production Company: Icon Productions, Newmarket Films
Cast: Jim Caviezel, Monica Bellucci
IMDb Ratings: 7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 5/5
If you wish to embark on a cinematic journey full of raw and gore biblical scenes, The Passion of the Christ might be the movie for you!
This movie goes above and beyond accurately portraying every biblical scene down to every drop of blood.
Its depiction of the final hours of Jesus will surely portray the scenes you already know of, but never like how you might’ve imagined!
This movie is a must-watch for those who look forward to a surprising and thrilling plot. The originality of accurately portraying every violent and gore biblical scene on film easily put The Passion of the Christ number 3 on our top 10 must-watch list!
4. The Jesus Film
Director: John Krish, Peter Sykes
Producer/Production Company: John Heyman, Richard F. Dalton
Cast: Brian Deacon, Rivka Neumann
IMDb Ratings: 7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: Not Rated
A beautiful tale beginning from a humble beginning to a gory ending, The Jesus Film will surely clear your tear ducts!
This movie portrays Jesus with his otherworldly attributes, so he seems more human. Jesus expresses his emotions in every scene drawing the cinematic experience to an epic end. Life-changing or not, this movie is bound to make you empathize and relate with Jesus.
The sense of normalcy and rawness provided by The Jesus Film has rightfully placed it as number 4 on our top 10 must-watch list!
5. The Miracle Maker
Director: Derek W. Hayes, Stanislav Sokolov
Producer/Production Company: Icon Entertainment International
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Julie Christie
IMDb Ratings: 7.1/10
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: Not Rated
The Miracle Maker is unlike any movie created on Jesus with its one-of-a-kind claymation filmmaking!
This movie portrays all the important events in Jesus’s life, from his birth in Nazareth to the cruel betrayal of Judas, but everything in splendid claymation. This movie has changed the perspective of conventional biblical movies, making it a must-watch!
The original concept and detailed depiction of the life of Jesus place The Miracle Maker as number 5 on our top 10 must-watch list!
6. A Child Called Jesus
Director: Franco Rossi
Producer/Production Company: Francesco Scardamaglia, Elio Scardamaglia
Cast: Matteo Bellina, Alessandro Gassmann
IMDb Ratings: 6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: Not Rated
While most movies about Jesus highlight his journey into adulthood, A Child Called Jesus depicts the childhood of Jesus from a never seen lens.
This touching movie helps us explore an untouched timeline in the life of Jesus. From ages 3 to 12, the early stages of Jesus’ growth help us see him being shaped into an individual. With the change of time, the life of young Jesus is shown through a lens of innocence.
With a beautiful original concept like childhood, A Child Called Jesus has undoubtedly ended up on our top 10 must-watch list as number 6.
7. The Nativity Story
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Producer/Production Company: Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Toby Emmerich
Cast: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Isaac
IMDb Ratings: 6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 3.7/10
A movie focusing on the period of Jesus’s birth to his mother, Marry, surely brings in a perspective never seen before in modern cinema.
The Nativity Story portrays Marry on her journey to embracing her miraculous pregnancy. This otherworldly life-changing experience shown through the film lens brings out its uniqueness.
A brilliant female lead movie about Jesus Christ puts The Nativity Story on our top 10 must-watch list as number 7.
8. Mary Magdalene
Director: Garth Davis
Producer/Production Company: Emile Sherman
Cast: Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix
IMDb Ratings: 5.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 3/5
The portrayal of feminism in an ancient period led by patriarchy and debate over religion has beautifully been delivered by the Mary Magdalene movie.
A disciple of Jesus who became a symbol of Christian devotion, it’s none other than Mary Magdalene! The headstrong character of Mary Magdalene influences all of those around her. It changes their lives by devoting them to Christianity.
Mary Magdalene portrays Christian devotion and symbolism in a new light, ranking it in our top 10 must-watch list as number 8!
9. Son of God
Director: Christopher Spencer
Producer/Production Company: Roma Downey, Mark Burnett, Richard Bedser
Cast: Roma Downey, Diogo Morgado
IMDb Ratings: 5.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 2/10
The majestic portrayal of the biblical miracles of Jesus is constantly showcased in the movie Son of God.
This movie helps the viewers grow an understanding of life, death, and resurrection through its cinematic experience. This movie is a must-watch for those who take an interest in witnessing the miracles caused by Jesus through the cinematic lens.
The Son of God movie deservedly places number 9 on our top 10 must-watch list with its cinematic expression of the power of Jesus.
10. The Young Messiah
Director: Cyrus Nowrasteh
Producer/Production Company: Michael Barnathan, Tracy K. Price
Cast: Adam Greaves-Neal, Sara Lazzaro
IMDb Ratings: 5.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 5.6/10
A young take on the miraculous tale and destiny of Jesus makes The Young Messiah a must-watch!
The story portrays a young 7-year-old Jesus discovering his destiny and powers at a young age. For a 7-year-old, how he tackles the otherworldly life-changing discoveries makes all those around him start believing in him.
The youthfulness and innocence of young Jesus have helped rank The Young Messiah on our top 10 must-watch list as number 10!
And there you have it!
Biblical movies can surely be intimidating and sometimes tiresome. But we’ve got your back! Our top 10 must-watch life-changing movies on Jesus contain every unique detail you’ll need to know when choosing the best movie fit for you! We hope our article improves your cinematic experience and increases your interest in biblical movies!
