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The 25 Best Movies Based on Religious Texts

The 25 Best Movies Based on Religious Texts

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There was an epic movie released in 1965 that followed events in the life of Jesus Christ, from birth to death, with a cast of mid-20th-century all-stars including Max von Sydow, Charlton Heston, Dorothy McGuire, Roddy McDowall, and José Ferrer. It was called “The Greatest Story Ever Told.”

Of course, that assessment depends very much on your religious (and probably literary) beliefs, but nobody can deny that the Bible — both the Old and New Testaments — is full of great tales.

These tales include the drama of creation, accounts of exile and homecoming, the memorable depictions of Moses parting the Red Sea and Noah and the Ark, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah; themes of death, seduction, betrayal, love, and redemption abound.

In addition, both the Old and New Testaments have infused our language with common phrases like “the writing on the wall,” “the lion’s den,” “walking on water,” “forbidden fruit,” “sign of the times,” “salt of the earth,” “the powers that be,” “rise and shine,” and even “eat, drink, and be merry.” We are all most likely somehow influenced by the Bible, whether we’re aware of it or not.

It’s no wonder that so many moviemakers have been drawn to the Bible as a source of inspiration over the years. Sometimes following the texts closely, sometimes offering alternative interpretations of events, many directors have either tackled individual Bible stories or staged broad, sweeping panoramas of Biblical times.

Major stars over the decades have portrayed key figures in the Bible — not only those mentioned above but also Gregory Peck, Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins, Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, and many more — sometimes even appearing as Jesus Christ himself. Even those viewers with no particular religious beliefs are likely to have been stirred by the sheer majesty and drama of many of these films.

It should be noted that one of the films listed here — “Hercules” — is not taken from a specific religious text, but rather is drawn from Roman mythology, expressed in numerous works over the centuries. The rest are all derived from the Bible — including a musical and an animated comedy. (After this article, check out 37 of the most iconic Bible quotes.)

To determine the best movies based on religious texts, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of May 2024, weighting all ratings equally. Documentaries were not considered. Cast information is from IMDb.

Scroll down for a ranking of the best movies based on religious texts.

25. The Ten Commandments (2007)

Source: Carlos Alvarez / Getty Images

Source: Carlos Alvarez / Getty Images
  • IMDb user rating: 2.9/10 (2,424 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 54% (2,764 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 18% (22 reviews)
  • Cast: Ben Kingsley, Christian Slater, Elliott Gould

24. Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (163,606 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 35% (60,096 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 30% (210 reviews)
  • Cast: Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, Ben Kingsley

23. Solomon and Sheba (1959)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
  • IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (3,140 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 55% (962 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 14% (7 reviews)
  • Cast: Yul Brynner, Gina Lollobrigida, George Sanders

22. Son of God (2014)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • IMDb user rating: 5.7/10 (18,717 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (41,683 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 21% (73 reviews)
  • Cast: Diogo Morgado, Amber Rose Revah, Greg Hicks

21. Mary Magdalene (2018)

Mary Magdalene (2018) | Rooney Mara in Mary Magdalene (2018)
Source: Courtesy of IFC Films

N/A

Source: Courtesy of IFC Films
  • IMDb user rating: 5.9/10 (9,557 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 48% (257 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 44% (113 reviews)
  • Cast: Rooney Mara, Joaquin Phoenix, Chiwetel Ejiofor

20. The Bible: In the Beginning… (1966)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (5,219 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 55% (8,490 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 33% (6 reviews)
  • Cast: Michael Parks, Ulla Bergryd, Richard Harris

19. One Night with the King (2006)

Source: Courtesy of 8x Entertainment

Source: Courtesy of 8x Entertainment
  • IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (7,394 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (31,224 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 19% (26 reviews)
  • Cast: Tiffany Dupont, Luke Goss, John Noble

18. The Robe (1953)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (9,924 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 69% (6,026 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 32% (19 reviews)
  • Cast: Richard Burton, Jean Simmons, Victor Mature

17. Noah (2014)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 5.7/10 (248,729 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 41% (122,339 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 76% (261 reviews)
  • Cast: Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins

16. The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

Source: Courtesy of United Artists

Source: Courtesy of United Artists
  • IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (11,969 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 64% (5,000 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 42% (24 reviews)
  • Cast: Max von Sydow, Dorothy McGuire, Charlton Heston

15. David and Bathsheba (1951)

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
  • IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (2,281 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 32% (417 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (6 reviews)
  • Cast: Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward, Raymond Massey

14. The Star (2017)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (7,319 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (3,001 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 43% (53 reviews)
  • Cast: Steven Yeun, Keegan-Michael Key, Aidy Bryant

13. The Nativity Story (2006)

The Nativity Story (2006) | Shohreh Aghdashloo and Keisha Castle-Hughes in The Nativity Story (2006)
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema

N/A

Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
  • IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (11,199 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (82,860 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 37% (131 reviews)
  • Cast: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Oscar Isaac

12. Risen (2016)

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (26,910 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (16,290 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 53% (132 reviews)
  • Cast: Joseph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Peter Firth

11. Samson and Delilah (1949)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (7,602 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 59% (2,081 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 63% (8 reviews)
  • Cast: Hedy Lamarr, Victor Mature, George Sanders

10. Paul, Apostle of Christ (2018)

Source: Courtesy of Affirm Films

Source: Courtesy of Affirm Films
  • IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (8,086 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (1,646 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 46% (39 reviews)
  • Cast: Jim Caviezel, James Faulkner, Olivier Martinez

9. The Passion of the Christ (2004)

Source: Courtesy of Newmarket Films

Source: Courtesy of Newmarket Films
  • IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (233,592 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (369,517 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 49% (280 reviews)
  • Cast: Jim Caviezel, Monica Bellucci, Maia Morgenstern

8. Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (26,227 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (36,397 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 52% (25 reviews)
  • Cast: Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliman

7. Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (2002)

Source: Courtesy of Artisan Entertainment

Source: Courtesy of Artisan Entertainment
  • IMDb user rating: 6.5/10 (4,087 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (23,646 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 66% (56 reviews)
  • Cast: Phil Vischer, Mike Nawrocki, Tim Hodge

6. The Gospel of John (2003)

The Gospel of John (2003) | The Gospel of John (2003)
Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Home Video

N/A

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Home Video
  • IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (4,038 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 89% (1,260 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 38% (48 reviews)
  • Cast: Henry Ian Cusick, Daniel Kash, Christopher Plummer

5. Quo Vadis (1951)

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
  • IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (14,424 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 73% (3,732 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (17 reviews)
  • Cast: Robert Taylor, Deborah Kerr, Leo Genn

4. Hercules (1997)

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
  • IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (215,832 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 76% (388,997 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (55 reviews)
  • Cast: Tate Donovan, Susan Egan, James Woods

3. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (54,844 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 84% (35,938 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 81% (58 reviews)
  • Cast: Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Barbara Hershey

2. The Prince of Egypt (1998)

Source: Courtesy of DreamWorks Distribution

Source: Courtesy of DreamWorks Distribution
  • IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (124,461 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 90% (189,807 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (89 reviews)
  • Cast: Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer

1. The Ten Commandments (1956)

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
  • IMDb user rating: 7.9/10 (67,181 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 87% (60,282 votes)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (41 reviews)
  • Cast: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter
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