I’ll be the first to admit that many Christian movies are not well-acted, are poorly filmed, and are not very entertaining. It’s obvious they were made on a low budget, using subpar scenery, costumes, lighting, cinematography, and acting. However, we’ve found many exceptions. We’ve been impressed by the acting. We’ve been moved to tears by powerful scenes and thoroughly entertained by some wonderful Christian movies.

As with the classic films and TV shows I’ve written about before, we don’t just watch these passively in our house. We watch, and then we talk — what did the character choose, what did it cost them, and does it line up with scripture? These are the movies that have given us the best conversations.

Here’s our list, beginning with my daughter’s favorite. We are a family of four. I have a Filipino wife and two daughters, ages 10 and 12. Finding movies that my wife can understand, since English is not her primary language, and that my daughters will also enjoy, is challenging. These five have cleared that bar for us.

The Girl Who Believes in Miracles (2021)

This one, my daughters have asked to watch again and again. We’ve been moved to tears each time. The film follows Sara Hopkins (Austyn Johnson), a young girl who takes a sermon about faith moving mountains very literally. After praying and bringing a dead bird back to life on a fishing trip with her brother, she unwittingly becomes a conduit for extraordinary events. Her simple, unwavering trust in God leads to profound, localized miracles across her town — a paralyzed man walks, a blind girl sees, another child is cured of cancer. She turns enemies into friends through her compassion and impartiality. But the extraordinary events quickly draw national media attention, turning Sara into a celebrity and taking a heavy toll on both her and her family. While others are helped, Sara’s own health begins to diminish.

We smile at the fact that Jesus appears in jeans in one scene. How else would a little girl picture him? We were moved to tears by some of the miracles. The ending moves us to tears of both sadness and joy.

Watching the movie makes you wonder if miracles still happen today. I can testify that they do. We’ve been privileged to witness a few and hear testimonies of others. Just a week ago, a little toddler was healed of eczema. He came to church all red and left with clear skin. His parents testified he hadn’t had any redness all week, and we could see for ourselves that the boy’s skin was clear.

The movie also echoes something Jesus said directly: unless we change and become like little children, we won’t enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3). Sara’s faith isn’t sophisticated or theologically trained — it’s simple trust, and that’s exactly what makes it powerful.

A few questions to discuss as a family:

• Why do you think Sara’s faith produced such extraordinary results? What was different about how she believed compared to how adults in the film believed?
• The fame that comes from Sara’s miracles ends up hurting her. What does that suggest about how we should handle it when God uses us — quietly, or publicly?
• Have you ever seen or experienced something you’d call a miracle? What made you believe it was one?

The Forge (2024)

The Forge is a Christian drama from the Kendrick brothers and a spin-off of War Room. It follows Isaiah Wright, an unfocused 19-year-old high school graduate who spends his days playing video games and basketball. Challenged by his single mother and a successful businessman, Isaiah learns about biblical discipleship, manhood, and God’s purpose for his life.

The Kendrick brothers are known for making decent Christian movies, and this is one of their finest. It follows biblical principles of discipleship and mentorship. Isaiah’s life is changed because one man sees his potential and mentors him. The impact is profound and inspiring.

Often, when someone is rebellious and reckless with their life, we abandon them — or worse, try to force change on them. This movie does neither with Isaiah. Instead of giving up, his mother prays. Instead of trying to force change, Isaiah is mentored, coached, and given multiple chances. That mirrors how Paul describes discipleship: not as a lecture delivered once, but as a life shared over time (1 Thessalonians 2:8).

A few questions to discuss as a family:

• Isaiah’s mother chooses prayer over nagging or ultimatums. What’s the difference between praying for someone and trying to control them?
• Why do you think Isaiah responds to mentorship instead of pressure? What does that tell us about how to help someone who’s stuck?
• Who has been a “forge” in your own life — someone who pushed you toward growth rather than letting you stay comfortable?

The Ultimate Gift (2006)

Based on the best-selling book by Jim Stovall, the movie follows a spoiled, cocky playboy, Jason, who expects a massive inheritance after his billionaire grandfather’s death. Instead, his grandfather leaves him a series of twelve life-altering tasks — “gifts.” Through work, giving, suffering, and gratitude, Jason undergoes a profound transformation, ultimately discovering the true meaning of love and purpose.

Along the way, Jason befriends a young girl named Emily, who is battling terminal leukemia, and her mother, Alexia. Their friendship deeply impacts Jason, grounding him and completely shifting his perspective on life beyond money.

I absolutely loved Emily’s character. She’s bold, outspoken, full of courage, and purposely manipulative in the best sense — she nudges Jason toward the person he’s meant to become. There are several scenes sure to make your eyes moist or cause you to weep for joy outright. This is one I could watch again and again.

Jason’s journey is basically a modern illustration of Jesus’ warning that a man’s life doesn’t consist in the abundance of his possessions (Luke 12:15). He has to lose his sense of entitlement before he can actually receive anything of value.

A few questions to discuss as a family:

• Jason’s grandfather could have just handed him the money. Why do you think he made him earn understanding instead?
• What does Emily’s friendship give Jason that his inheritance never could?
• What’s one “gift” — in the movie’s sense of a challenge that grows you — you’ve had to go through in your own life?

Miracles from Heaven (2016)

Starring Jennifer Garner, this film is based on the true story of the Beam family. When 10-year-old Anna is diagnosed with a rare, incurable digestive disorder, her mother Christy fights for her treatment. After Anna miraculously survives a 30-foot fall inside a hollow tree, medical specialists are mystified to find her terminal illness completely cured.

This film is well-acted, full of emotion, and very realistic. While it doesn’t answer why some people are healed and others aren’t, it doesn’t dodge the question either — and I respect that. It sits in the same tension the book of Job sits in: sometimes we don’t get the “why,” only the invitation to keep trusting.

A few questions we discussed as a family:

• Christy’s faith is tested throughout the film, not just rewarded at the end. Why do you think the movie shows her doubt instead of skipping over it?
• If Anna hadn’t been healed, would her family’s faith have been wasted? Why or why not?
• How do we talk to someone who is suffering and not being healed, without making promises God hasn’t made?

I Can Only Imagine (2018)

This faith-based biographical drama tells the true story of Bart Millard, lead singer of the Christian band MercyMe, and the inspiration behind their hit 2001 song. It explores his abusive childhood, his journey to forgiveness, and his relationship with his father.

While in many ways this is a typical rise-to-fame movie, it adds wonderful elements of overcoming abuse, forgiving, and redemption. I found myself feeling for both Bart and his father, moved to tears as they underwent change. My wife also appreciated the love story, accented as it was by sacrifice. The film’s arc toward forgiveness — for an abusive parent, of all people — is a hard, honest picture of what Jesus asks of us when he tells us to forgive seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22).

A few questions to discuss as a family:

• What made Bart able to eventually forgive his father? Was it something his father did, or something that changed in Bart?
• Is forgiveness the same thing as trusting someone again? Why or why not?
• Bart’s pain became the source of a song that’s helped millions of people. Has anything hard in your life ever turned into something that helped someone else?

A Few Final Words

None of these are perfect films, and a couple of them lean harder into sentiment than subtlety. But each one has earned its place in our rotation because it gives us something to talk about afterward, not just something to watch.

That’s really the goal in our house: not to shield our kids from every imperfect movie, but to watch alongside them and ask good questions. If you try any of these with your own family, I’d love to hear what conversations they spark for you.