Regardless of where your religious allegiances may lie, crises of faith as a narrative theme have gifted us with some of the most captivating stories ever put to film, including some from the best auteurs to ever pick up a camera.

DE EN ES FR IT PT RU

DE EN ES FR IT PT RU

40 Father Stu, 2022

Follows the life of Father Stuart Long, a boxer-turned-priest who inspired countless people during his journey from self-destruction to redemption.

Trailer:

 

 

39 The Eyes of Tammy Faye, 2021

An intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall, and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker. In the 1970s and ’80s, Tammy Faye and her husband, Jim Bakker, rose from humble beginnings to create the world’s largest religious broadcasting network and theme park, while being revered for their message of love, acceptance and prosperity. Tammy Faye was legendary for her indelible eyelashes, her idiosyncratic singing, and her eagerness to embrace people from all walks of life; however, it wasn’t long before financial improprieties, scheming rivals and scandal toppled their carefully constructed empire.

Trailer:

 

38 Paradise: Faith (Paradies: Glaube), 2012

Anna Maria, a single woman in her 50s, devotes her summer vacation to doing missionary work, so that Austria may be brought back to the path of virtue. On her daily pilgrimage through Vienna, she goes from door to door, carrying a foot-high statue of the Virgin Mary. When her husband, an Egyptian Muslim confined to a wheelchair, comes home after years of absence, her life is turned upside down.

Trailer:

 

37 We Have a Pope (Habemus Papam), 2011

At the Vatican, following the demise of the Pope, the conclave to elect his successor settles on Cardinal Melville. But the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square wait in vain for the new Pope to step out on the balcony. What is going on? Behind the thick walls of the Vatican panic has set in. After uttering a terrible howl of fear, the Cardinal refuses the office. The officials do everything to try to reason with Melville, including a psychoanalyst, appointed by the Vatican… Do we really have a Pope?

Trailer:

 

36 The Nativity Story, 2005

In Nazareth, teenager Mary is betrothed to the local carpenter, Joseph. Mary is visited by an angel and told that she will fulfill a prophecy and as a virgin give birth to God’s son, the savior of the world. Mary’s pregnancy brings her the scorn of the community and Joseph struggles to believe her seemingly outlandish story. Meanwhile, a census forces every man and his family to return to his place of birth. Joseph and Mary set out on a long and arduous journey to Bethlehem. This story is based on the Biblical account of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Trailer:

 

 

35 Black Narcissus, 1947

A group of Anglican nuns, led by Sister Clodagh, are sent to a mountain in the Himalayas. The climate is hostile and the nuns are housed in an odd old palace. They work to establish a school and a hospital, but slowly their focus shifts. Sister Ruth falls for a government worker, Mr Dean, and begins to question her vow of celibacy while Sister Clodagh becomes immersed in her own memories of love.

Trailer:

 

34 Luther, 2003

Biography of Martin Luther, the sixteenth century priest who led the Christian Reformation, and opened up new possibilities in exploration of faith. This movie begins with his vow to become a monk, and continues through his struggles to reconcile his desire for sanctification with his increasing abhorrence of the corruption and hypocrisy pervading the Church’s hierarchy. He is ultimately charged with heresy and must confront the ruling Cardinals and Princes, urging them to make the Scriptures available to the common believer and lead the Church toward faith through justice and righteousness.

Trailer:

 

33 Fatima, 2020

A powerful and uplifting drama about the power of faith, this movie tells the story of a 10-year-old shepherdess and her two young cousins in Fátima, Portugal who report seeing visions of the Virgin Mary. Their revelations inspire believers but anger officials of both the Church and secular government, who try to force them to recant their story. As word of their prophecy spreads, tens of thousands of religious pilgrims flock to the site hoping to witness a miracle. What they experience will change their lives forever.

Trailer:

 

32 Jesus, 1979

During the days of Emperor Augustus and King Herod the Great, Mary is visited by the angel Gabriel who tells her that she will give birth to Jesus, the Son of God. Later, Mary visits Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, who tells her that she is the most blessed of women and that her child is blessed.

Trailer:

 

31 Little Buddha, 1993

Lama Norbu comes to Seattle in search of the reincarnation of his dead teacher, Lama Dorje. His search leads him to young Jesse Conrad, Raju, a waif from Kathmandu, and an upper class Indian girl. Together, they journey to Bhutan where the three children must undergo a test to prove which is the true reincarnation. Interspersed with this, is the story of Siddharta, later known as the Buddha. It traces his spiritual journey from ignorance to true enlightenment.

Trailer:

 

Next page: