Diksha Sundriyal
In our times of trouble, we all have something to hold on to, something that can be our light and warmth in a dark and cold world. For most of us, this thing is our faith that God will show us the way when we are lost. In these times, we also like to hear about stories where people got over their problems, no matter how big or small they were, because they trusted in God. If you are also looking for such a movie, this is the place for you. Here is the list of best Christian movies of the 2010s.
12. Apostle Peter and the Last Supper (2012)
This film focuses on an event from the life of Saint Peter. It begins with him in jail waiting for his execution. Three days before it, he catches his jailer in a conversation about Jesus and Christianity and what it means to have faith in the Lord. Having had his life completely transformed by the arrival of Jesus, he looks back on the time he spent with him and how he built trustful relationships with the fellow apostles. Before his death, he wants the conversion of the jailer to be the one good thing he does for the Lord.
11. Courageous (2011)
‘Courageous’ follows the story of a group of police officers who go through difficult times in their job and witness the reflection of their actions on their family. Their experience leads them to hold on strong to their faith and they try to be good Christians and good fathers. Mitchell has a son and a daughter. He is close to her, but with his son, he struggles to make a real connection. Hayes loves his children, but they don’t understand the reason behind his occasional strictness. Fuller wants to be a part of his son’s life, but the divorce is proving it tricky for him. While they try to find a solution to their problems, temptation knocks on their doors.
10. Woodlawn (2015)
Based on a true story, ‘Woodlawn’ focuses on the story of a football team and the coach who changes their lives. The central character of the story is Tandy Gerelds, a football coach who finds it a bit difficult to handle his team when the school is desegregated. He tries to bind his team together, but the racial tensions find a way to escalate every time they are on the field. Amidst all of this, young black player, Tony Nathan, shows potential. While honing the talents of his players, especially Nathan, Gerelds looks for a binding glue for them and finds it in religion. The whole process turns into an enlightening experience for him as well as his team.
9. Miracles from Heaven (2016)
Science has been able to answer a number of questions about life and its origins. It has grown exponentially in the field of medicine and technology, and these inventions and discoveries have prodded humans to push the boundaries. But even with all of this understanding, there are times when unexplainable things have happened, when miracles happen. ‘Miracles from Heaven’ follows the true story of a ten-year-old girl who was diagnosed with a terminal illness. When science gives up on her, she and her family find strength in their religions and a pray to God to save her. And then, a miracle happens. The girl is brought back from the mouth of death. The film is based on the book of the same name written by Christy Beam, the mother of the girl.
8. Paul, Apostle of Christ (2018)
Nothing is fixed. Our perception and beliefs are moulded according to our experiences and while we might be strong supporters of something, there can be times when one thing forces us to reconsider all that we knew and adopt a new ideology. Something similar to this is the story of Saint Paul. There are many names that have found recognition for spreading the word of God, but there only a few that have managed to do it with as much vigor and success as Saint Paul. But he wasn’t always the man of faith. He went through an unbelievable transformation, giving up the savage ways of his life in order to serve the Lord. ‘Paul, Apostle of Christ’ tells his story. Jim Caviezel, who has previously played Jesus in ‘The Passion of the Christ’, plays the lead role.
7. Soul Surfer (2011)
If there are bad things in the world, there are also good ones. If there are tales of horrible deeds, there are also stories of people who overcame insurmountable odds with their immense courage. ‘Soul Surfer’ tells the story of a girl who found support in her faith to come out of a dark place.
The protagonist of the film is a young girl named Bethany. She is a surf protégé and is sure to be a big name in the game. Her rising career is stopped short when a terrible thing happens to her. While surfing, she is attacked by a shark, and she loses an arm to it. While recovering from her physical injuries, she has to consider the possibility that it might be the end of the line for her. But her friends and family help her shrug off this doubt and her faith in God gets her back on the surfing board.
6. Have A Little Faith (2011)
Based on Mitch Albom’s book of the same name, ‘Have A Little Faith’ tells the story of the author’s conversations about faith with a rabbi and a priest. Laurence Fishburne, Martin Landau and Bradley Whitford star as the priest, the rabbi and the author. It begins with the rabbi requesting Mitch to write and deliver his eulogy when the time comes. In order to prepare himself better, Mitch decides to interview the rabbi and get to know him more. In between this, we also get to see him indulge in the questions and doubts about faith with the priest. The combined experience opens his eyes, rekindling his trust in his faith and religion. But above all, the story focuses on the differences between various faiths and what brings them together.
5. Calvary (2014)
‘Calvary’ is a black comedy that follows the life of a priest after he receives a death threat from an anonymous person. Brendan Gleeson plays the role of Father James. He took to the priesthood after the death of his wife and is a good-hearted person who wants to help his parishioners. But after the news about the sexual abuse of children by another priest comes out, he not only has to win over the doubt of his people but also has to face their rash behaviour towards him. Meanwhile, a man has put a week’s count on his life, promising that at the end of it he will kill him by the beach. In one week, the priest tries to figure out the identity of the person while making peace with the fact that he will die soon.
4. First Reformed (2017)
Bad times come in everyone’s life. These are the times when people often reconsider their beliefs and suffer a crisis of faith. Reverend Ernst Toller is going through the same thing. He hasn’t been able to shake off the trauma of a personal tragedy. The guilt still eats at him, and he struggles with alcoholism. Meanwhile, the attendance in his church is dwindling and he doesn’t know what to do about it. He receives a distraction from his problems when a woman comes to him with a concern for her husband. In the quest to help her, the reverend comes to terms with his situation and goes through a difficult but enlightening journey. ‘First Reformed’ stars Ethan Hawke in the lead role.
3. Of Gods and Men (2010)
Based on a true event, ‘Of Gods and Men’ tells the story of a group of Trappist monks who had been living in Algeria. Even when the majority of the population in their region was Muslim, they didn’t feel threatened, until the civil war came up. When the fundamentalist groups and the corrupt government went head to head with each other, the monks had to suffer the wrath of their savage state of mind. Out of nine, seven had been kidnapped and killed, but the monks didn’t allow this brutality and inhumane behaviour to stop following their religion or be any less compassionate to the locals.
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2. Silence (2016)
Martin Scorsese explores the grounds of faith and devotion in ‘Silence’. He has previously probed a similar scenario with films like ‘The Last Temptation of Christ’ and ‘Kundun’. In this film, he brings to the screen the novel written by Shūsaku Endō. Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver star as two Jesuit priests who go to Japan in the search of their mentor, played by Liam Neeson, who went missing there. It is set in the 17th century when the persecution of Christians, especially the missionaries, in Japan was prevalent and they had to hide for their life. While looking for him, they find some things that they might not like.
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1. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
In the world that is rife with evil and temptations, it is very easy to give up on your faith. You will always find something that will lure you into changing the things that your religion has taught you. There will be times when you will be forced to allow your faith to lapse, even if it is for a very small window of time or some cause you consider special. But all of these things are excuses. If you truly believe something, you will hold on to it, no matter what.
That’s what the story of Pfc Desmond T. Doss teaches us. ‘Hacksaw Ridge’ follows the story of the man who served in the Second World War and received a Congressional Medal of Honor, without killing a single person and without bearing arms. This Oscar-nominated film stars Andrew Garfield in the lead role.
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