As the year 2024 unfolds, the landscape of Christian filmmaking continues to evolve, leaving behind the stereotypical tropes of the past and embracing a new era of quality productions.
The NRT Staff, with an eye for faith-based cinematic gems, presents a curated list of must-see Christian movies and TV shows for the year. In the not-so-distant past, the realm of Christian films often needed help to captivate audiences beyond their niche, but recent years have witnessed a remarkable transformation.
Production studios like Angel Studios, renowned for last year’s faith-based box office success Sound of Freedom and the widely popular TV show The Chosen, have played a pivotal role in redefining the genre. Departing from the clichés of yesteryear, they showed Christian films could be both interesting and thought-provoking.
With the cinematic landscape continually growing, the NRT Staff unveils some captivating Christian movies and TV shows that promise to engage and inspire audiences. So, grab your popcorn, find a comfortable seat, and prepare for a journey through the latest and most excellent offerings in Christian entertainment.
The Chosen, Season 4 Release date: February 1, 2024
Angel Studios' faith-based hit The Chosen is a favorite of many avid believers. I’m amazed to see how many believers—fans, artists, and NRT staff—watch the ongoing saga of Jesus Christ: His friends, His enemies, and remarkable stories.
Numbers don’t lie. The Chosen has over 10 million social media followers. The show is also on its way to being the most translated series in history (the first three seasons will soon be available in 50 languages).
What started as an independent crowd-funded project has become a theatre-going experience. Angel Studios will release the entire fourth season in theaters. In season three, fans watched the season premiere and the season’s final episodes in the theatre.
The Chosen's creator and director, Dallas Jenkins, said in a press release, “Every time we've dipped our toes in the theatrical waters, viewers have overwhelmingly told us they want more. After seeing the Season 4 episodes, we knew we'd be doing our fans a disservice if we denied them the chance to see them all on a big screen with others they can laugh and cry with.”
The launch of Season 4 in cinemas will kick off with a two-week presentation of episodes 1 to 3 starting on February 1, 2024. Following this, episodes 4 to 6 will hit theaters on February 15, and episodes 7 to 8 will be available from February 29 through Fathom Events in the U.S. and Canada. The inaugural episodes will also be screened in theaters across LATAM, the UK, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand through a consortium of distributors. Once the comprehensive theatrical run concludes, The Chosen will reveal the release on various streaming platforms, including The Chosen TV and mobile apps, as well as broadcast and cable TV. - Paul Phillips
Ordinary Angels Release date: February 23, 2024.
Last year, director Jon Gunn brought audiences a soul-moving message in the 2023 film Jesus Revolution. He wants to do the same with Ordinary Angels, a faith-based movie set to hit theatres in the summer.
Ordinary Angels depicts an inspired real-life tale of a hairstylist who unites her community to aid a single father in rescuing his gravely ill daughter. The film stars famous actors Alan Ritchsan and Hilary Swank.
“The story of Sharon Stevens and the Schmitt family is a powerful reminder that helping others is how we heal ourselves,” Jon said to Movie Guide. “I can’t think of a message I’d rather share with the world right now, and I’m honored to be telling it with such a fearless and talented cast.”
Movie Guide says that Hilary Swank was drawn to the movie “because it’s such a powerful reminder that angels reside everywhere among us. And the faith, hope, grit, and positivity are all powerful fuels for miracles.” - Paul Phillips
Unsung Hero Release date: April 26, 2024.
Brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone of for KING + COUNTRY certainly wear a lot of hats. Not only are they musicians and excellent performers, but they're also filmmakers. In 2016, they released their debut movie, Priceless, and now they're back with their second feature-length film, Unsung Hero.
If you've ever seen the brothers in concert, you've probably heard them tell their story of immigrating from Australia to the United States. With six children in tow, Joel and Luke's parents journeyed to begin a new life in America. The brothers shared, "This is a film about our Mum and motherhood, family and miracles, sacrifice and faith."
The best part is that Joel Smallbone portrays his father, David. Joel is no stranger to the big screen and has been an actor in movies like The Book of Esther, Like a Country Song, and his own film, Priceless. In Unsung Hero, he acted alongside notable celebrities Lucas Black, Hillary Scott, and Candace Cameron Bure (better known as DJ Tanner from Full House). I love the emphasis on family in Unsung Hero, and Joel's portrayal of his dad further underlines the movie's focus on family.
I recently saw a trailer for Unsung Hero while I was at the theater. From what I've seen, this might be one of the best faith-based movies of the year. - Grace Chaves
The Forge Release date: August 2024
Brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick have carved a niche path with faith-based movies that deal with believers' everyday lives, struggles, and triumphs. From Facing the Giants to Fireproof to monumental War Room and more, they have struck a chord to make quite an impact.
Things are still going strong for the Kendrick Brothers. In August 2024, they release their latest flick, The Forge, starring prominent speaker and sometimes-actress Priscilla Shirer, ex-NFL tight end, author and speaker Benjamin Watson, Cameron Arnett, and others.
The film is centered on a young man, Isaiah Wright, who has been out of high school for a year. He lacks motivation and is a bit numb. Thankfully, he has a mother and mentor who is in business and challenges Isaiah to do something meaningful with his life. This sends him on a path of self-discovery, finding meaning and purpose in Christ and more than he can imagine.
Hopefully, The Forge will be fresh and entertaining while encouraging many in their purpose and pursuit of Christ. I do sometimes shutter and cringe at some Christian movies that have been released. However, I'm optimistic about The Forge. I believe the Kendrick Brothers have produced a film that Christians can be proud of. Yet, we will have to wait until August to watch.
White Bird Release date: October 4
The upcoming film White Bird works in the same way as the movie Wonder. Based on a book by author RJ Palacio, the film is both a spin-off and prequel to the well-received Wonder. With Bryce Gheisar, the only returning cast member, the story takes a closer look at bully Julian from Wonder.
After the events of Wonder, Julian has left Beecher Prep for good. During his visit, his grandmother from Paris shares tales of her childhood as a young Jewish girl in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. She recounts the story of being hidden from the Nazis by a distant classmate and his parents.
The film has been delayed two years but finally seems to be released this fall. I was a huge fan of Wonder. While not a standard faith-based film, its message on friendship and respecting the value of all human life, even those with disabilities, resonates with Christian audiences. I’m eager to see another story set in the same universe. Hopefully, this movie will be worth the wait and deliver another fine lesson on the value we all have as humans. - JJ Francesco
Bonhoeffer Release date: November 2024
From Angel Studios, the studio that brought us the courageous and bold epic Sound of Freedom comes a film about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor, theologian, and anti-Nazi dissident.
Bonhoeffer’s writings on the role of Christianity in the secular world have become widely influential and recognizable. His book The Cost of Discipleship has been described as a modern-day classic and is still required reading in many college courses on theology and philosophy.
I remember many of the principles from this book, as it was required reading in my college philosophy class. Probably what Bonhoeffer is most widely known for, besides his writings on Christianity and morals, was his vocal opposition to the Nazis and their most detestable programs like euthanasia and the eradication of the Jews.
This movie, which is based on the true story of his life, highlights Bonhoeffer’s plight against the Nazis and just how far he was willing to go in defense of life, liberties, and morality. It also explores what caused a self-proclaimed pacifist to participate in plotting an assassination attempt against Hitler.
The movie follows in the footsteps of popular resistance films such as Valkyrie and Schindler's List. As a big fan of nonfiction and historical dramas, I look forward to this one. Even though it’s not slated to hit movie theaters until this November, it already has over 262K previews. If you would like to check out the trailer and follow the movie’s release, you can visit Angel.com/Bonhoeffer - Tommy G
OpenAI's ChatGPT provided some assistance with this article. Assembled from the four corners of North America and many other corners in between, the NRTeam comprises staffers whose energy is equally dispersed towards loving and writing about the music they love.
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