You might despair on the negativity and depravity in lots of modern movies, but when you’re already subscribed to a streaming service, there are hidden gems to be present in their vast databases, including big budget movies which have a positive message and small, independent Christian movies. Here are five you may access on Amazon straight away:
Hacksaw Ridge (rated 15, 2016)
If you catch this before it leaves Prime on Wed 22 May (though it’s more likely to return), this unmissable film is expertly made. It’s rare for stories of Christian miracles to be produced in Hollywood, and even rarer for those movies to be really excellent. Both are true of Hacksaw Ridge, which tells the extraordinary experiences of WWII hero Desmond Doss and is directed by Mel Gibson.
It was so good after I watched it first within the cinema, that I returned to see it twice on the large screen. Both times, the audience was completely astounded – which is its effect on all and sundry I’ve ever watched the film with, on a DVD or on Prime.
Without betraying the plot, Doss achieved feats that may realistically be described as miraculous while being doggedly determined to obey God’s commandments within the USA’s fight with Japan, especially ‘don’t kill’. He even refused to hold a gun on the battlefield, bringing all types of mockery and ill-treatment upon himself. An added bonus is a really healthful love story woven through the film.
Andrew Garfield’s performance as a humble and devout farmer from Virginia facing severe pressure to desert his principles is outstanding. Supported by comedic moments from Vince Vaughn and a robust performance from Sam Worthington, the viewer is transported into the ethics and dilemmas of wartime America and left awed by the ability of religion.
Sensitive viewers must be warned that the war scenes are extremely graphic, but on this particular case I feel the violence is justifiable, not only to point out the human disaster of war, but additionally just how incredible Doss’s story is.
Apollo 13 (PG, 1995)
Older generations could have seen this extraordinary film that won multiple awards, and features on many ‘best ever’ lists – however it’s well price watching again, and can be an actual treat for anyone who has not seen it before.
It tells the true story of the 1970 NASA space mission that went fallacious, and the incredible fight to reach the seemingly unattainable mission to bring the astronauts back safely. The virtues of affection, hope and faith are interwoven throughout the story, which is gripping throughout.
Ed Harris gives an unforgettable performance because the flight director who doggedly refuses to contemplate failure and abandon his men, while Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton shine because the troubled team of astronauts.
The Case for Christ (PG, 2017)
This is a surprisingly gripping and top quality adaptation of the story of Lee Strobel, a Chicago Times journalist and atheist who was incensed when his wife found Christian faith, and set out on a mission to prove her recent beliefs to be false.
Most Christians can be aware of his ultimate failure at this task and later profession as an evangelist for the religion – his books, sharing the title of this film, sold of their thousands and thousands and made academic Christian scholarship accessible for a mainstream reader.
This film touches on the apologetic arguments for the resurrection that Strobel got here to search out compelling. But its real charm is the love story between husband and wife, expertly portrayed by Mike Vogel and Erika Christensen, wearing a cool Seventies wardrobe.
There is quite a bit more give attention to their relationship than within the book, and it makes for compelling viewing, and never only for evangelicals, though it undoubtedly comes from this attitude. Still, a non-Christian viewer told me that they thought it a superb film.
Beautiful Boy (15, 2018)
This film doesn’t make for comfortable viewing, though that may be unattainable for a practical rendition of the agony that addicts and their parents endure. Some of probably the most shocking and horrifying elements of the written memoirs of father and son David and Nic Sheff have been neglected nonetheless, which is perhaps a relief – however it is definitely not family friendly.
Neither is faith a robust element of the story, however the themes of the film can be familiar to anyone who has wrestled with the bounds of affection, and the despair of addiction. When should we respect personal freedoms, even when it results in disaster? What can we do when all hope seems lost? How can we address the pain of observing self-destruction and discovering we’re entirely impotent?
The lead roles of father, Steve Carell, and son, Timothée Chalamet, tell the story beautifully. Happily, the true life story has a Hollywood ending.
Unplanned (15, 2019)
Another famous Christian testimony dropped at the large screen, this movie is commonly utilized by pro-life groups to show the darkness of abortion. But the film’s best success is in showing a well-intentioned Planned Parenthood director, who genuinely believed she was helping women, be brought horrifyingly all the way down to earth when witnessing an abortion for the primary time.
Some of the opposite pro-abortion characters lack this complexity and are depicted because the “baddies” of the story, which is that this film’s primary weakness. But nothing can take away from the distressing reality of the subject material, and you would possibly find that it provokes powerful emotions.
The real woman it depicts, Abby Johnson, is now firmly established as a conservative pro-life campaigner. Though flawed, the film offers a window into the naivety of liberal sympathies and the banality of evil.
Heather Tomlinson is a contract journalist. Find her at www.heathertomlinson.substack.com or on twitter @heathertomli
