Movie Features

It’s not easy to find family-friendly movies nowadays. Finding a family-friendly film that everyone in the house will watch is even more difficult. But if you search hard enough, they’re out there. The quality of family-friendly films has gone up significantly in recent years, including in the faith-based genre. Fortunately, there are quite a few family-family movies on home video this holiday season.

Branch is a troll with a secret past -- at least, it's a secret to many of his friends.The secret: Branch and his brothers were once in a popular boy band, "BroZone." The craziest part? Branch's girlfriend, Poppy, is a fan of the classic band and didn't even know he was a member. Don't blame Poppy, though. Back then, Branch was virtually a baby in diapers. He was the youngest member of BroZone -- until it broke up. "They stopped being my brothers the day they walked out on me and never came back," he says.A tragedy, though, has forced Branch and his long-lost brothers to reunite. It seems one of their own -- a brother, Floyd -- has been kidnapped.Will the former members of BroZone find enough family harmony to rescue him?The new animated movie Trolls Band Together(PG) follows the comical story of Branch, Poppy, and the rest of the crew.Here are three things parents should know about it:Photo credit: ©DreamWorks; used with permission.

Christmas is a time for many things. Time for trees and advent calendars. Time to see relatives you haven’t reconnected with in a while. Time for presents. Hopefully a time to tell people how much you love them. It is also a great time for Christmas movies to help each other get into the holiday spirit, or remember what the reason for the season is.Netflix’s variety means that there are plenty of Christmas movies to see. Parents who want to teach their kids about winter holidays worldwide can show them Waffle + Mochi’s Holiday Feast. Parents looking for a comedy about family Christmas get-togethers can watch Merry Happy Whatever. The following looks at some of the best Christmas movies currently available on Netflix, including past favorites and a couple of new offerings that were released this year.Further Reading: The Five Best Christmas MoviesPhoto Credit: Getty Images/evgenyatamanenko

Mary is a young woman with big dreams. She wants to be a teacher. She wants to wed a man she loves. Most significantly, she wants to do those things in the distant future -- not right now. Her father, though, has different plans for her. He’s already found her a husband -- a kind, young local man in first-century Judea named Joseph. They’ll make the perfect couple, he says.“I’m securing your future,” he tells her. Mary’s not crazy about the idea, but it’s too late. The wedding is being held in a few days.Can Mary learn to fall in love with a man she’s never met?The new faith-based musical Journey to Bethlehem (PG) follows the well-known biblical story of Mary, Joseph, and their newborn, Jesus.Here are four things you should know:Photo credit: ©Affirm; used with permission.

The Countdown to Christmas Hallmark movies are in full swing! But, in all honesty and complete transparency, I won’t be watching any of them. While the Hallmark channel has always been dubbed as the official place to be when you are looking for heartwarming holiday movies, if you are (or were) a true fan, then you most likely have taken notice of some of their extreme changes, especially over the past couple of years. It has been disheartening, to say the least, and I would be lying if I didn’t say that all of this has felt like a bitter and bad break-up.The sad part is that the Hallmark Christmas movies once held a very special place in my heart and brought forth such sweet, nostalgic memories. As a college girl, I remember coming home for the holidays, ready to cozy up on the couch with fuzzy socks to watch those simply sweet and magical movies. Sometimes, my mom, sister, and I would wrap gifts while they played in the background; other times, my dad would make us popcorn and cocoa, but they were always a huge part of my teen and early adult years.Since then, Hallmark has only grown and become so widely popular that the “Countdown to Christmas” movies generally begin to premiere in mid-October, bringing a rave of excitement. However, sadly, they have forgotten their humble roots. A considerable part of their success was built around bringing wholesome and family-friendly films, allowing its viewers to tap into their own fairy tale heart and get into the spirit of Christmas.In essence, these feel-good films just made us “feel good!” The best part is they were essentially free from offensive language and explicit or questionable content and were generally quite innocent. This is why so many tuned in. They enjoyed the simple magic these simply sweet movies had to offer.Unfortunately, Hallmark has taken a bit of a detour in the last few years and, like many big corporations, has begun to embrace the demands of our ever-changing culture. As believers, we must be cautious here and recognize that while we can approach this issue with Truth, love, and grace, we mustn’t conform to the ways of this world (Romans 12:2).That said, let’s unpack some reasons to be cautious about watching the latest Hallmark movies. But don’t lose hope, my friend; there is an alternative, so stick with me until the very end!Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Andrii Lysenko

Some Christians may find it strange to see a list of scary but family-friendly movies that parents and their kids can watch for Halloween. While there are debates about whether Halloween celebrates fear and evil, there is a strong tradition of Christian writers—from Dante to C.S. Lewis—creating stories with scary moments where the story provides spiritual lessons. Writers like J.R.R. Tolkien and G.K. Chesterton even argued that it’s wrong to downplay the scary moments in classic fairy tales—stories about brave heroes should have dangerous dragons.These 10 movies are, with one or two exceptions, appropriate for children of any age. Some are more funny than spooky, but each avoids becoming too dark to frighten many children. Almost every one has a clear moral theme that will make for fruitful discussion afterward.Note: like Christianity.com’s article on horror movies for grownups with Christian themes, each entry on this list includes links to descriptions of its content. Each entry also notes whether the movie features ghosts or other supernatural content.Further Reading: A Christian Perspective on Horror in Movies and CulturePhoto Credit: ©Getty Images/Maya23K

Don is a young, hard-working pastor driving to his church on a cold, rainy day in rural Texas. He's also a young pastor whose life is on the verge of changing forever.As Don passes over a narrow bridge, an 18-wheeler crosses the center lane and slams into his car, killing him instantly. Suddenly, Don's soul is taken to the gates of heaven, where he experiences sights and sounds unlike anything on Earth. He sees angels. He hears music -- thousands of songs sung at the same time. He meets deceased friends and family members. And then, minutes later, Don's heart begins beating again, and his body is revived.Don has an incredible story to tell. But will anyone believe him? The new documentary film After Death (PG-13) examines the testimonies of Don and others like him who have faced near-death experiences.Here are four things you should know about it:Photo Credit: ©Angel Studios; used with permission.

Reformation Day marks a historic event for Protestant Christians: the day that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to a church door in Wittenburg.However, there was a lot more to the Reformation than just one day's events. There was Luther's spiritual journey that led him to call for reform. There were the predecessors who suggested ideas he built on. There were the many complicated consequences as different church leaders in different countries responded to his ideas.These 10 movies depict the many sides of the Reformation, each one excellent viewing for Reformation Day.Further Reading: Reformation Day's Meaning and ImportancePhoto Credit: © Getty Images/FooTToo

One of our duties as Christians is to combat evil and recognize past evils. The Holocaust is easily one of the most devastating evil events in recent history, perhaps especially horrifying because it included many people who misused Christian teaching to justify genocide. Consequently, Christians need to remember the Holocaust and ensure lessons from its terrible history go on to the next generation.Yom HaShoah, also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day, has been remembered every year since 1951. International Holocaust Remembrance Day is on January 27 each year. Yom HaShoah follows the Hebrew calendar and always happens on the 27th day of Nisan (the day in 1943 the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising started). Since the Hebrew calendar is lunar, Yam HoShoah is a different date each year. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has a page listing the date for each year.As we draw near to this year’s Yom Hashoah, Holocaust movies can be a good way to reflect on the event. The Holocaust has inspired fictional movies like The Man in the Glass Booth and Esther’s Diary that consider its impact in fascinating ways. It has been covered in groundbreaking documentaries like Shoah andThe Last Days. Here are 10 films of various genres and styles to watch this Holocaust Remembrance Day.NOTE: The films on this list discuss Nazism, anti-Semitism, and some feature footage (historical or dramatized) of graphic violence. Rating and recommendations on whether the movies are appropriate for younger viewers are included with each entry. “Maybe” under “Recommendations for Kids” indicates a film best for teenage or older viewers.Photo Credit: Getty Images/e-crow

With temperatures dropping, October is also a good time to gather for family movie night. Thankfully, the major streaming services have plenty of new options this month. There's a movie about a dog who learns to play basketball. There's a film about a brother and sister who become superheroes. There even is a Christmas movie.

A survey by LifeWay Research several years ago found that Christians are divided over the celebration of Halloween. Most (54 percent) said it was all in good fun, while 18 percent celebrated it but without the pagan elements and 23 percent avoided it altogether.The numbers – if you’re curious -- weren’t significantly different among evangelicals, with 45 percent calling it a fun celebration, 23 percent only avoiding its pagan elements and 28 percent ignoring it completely.Wherever Christians land on Halloween, though, we should avoid celebrating evil. The same premise applies to so-called scary movies. Scary movies – whether in the horror, thriller or science fiction genres – often are void of any redemptive elements. Instead, you leave the theater feeling like you need a bath.But there are plenty of scary movies that are fun, thrilling, and family-friendly. They don’t celebrate evil. Some even are thought-provoking.Here are 10:Photo credit: ©GettyImages/undefined undefined

Phil and Kay are a young couple in love in 1960s America. They're also a young couple in trouble. Recently married and raising small children, they struggle to pay the bills and put food on the table, largely due to Phil's alcoholism and his regular fits of rage.First, Phil worked in a school. Then, he worked as a fisherman. Then, he worked in a bar. Nothing, though, has helped him settle down.Of course, Phil regularly gets a paycheck, but he often blows it before he even gets home -- on beer, whiskey, and women. Alcohol turns him into a monster. And now, he's so angry that he's booted Kay and the kids from the house. Never mind that it's the middle of the night, raining. Kay later says that she can see "Satan in his eyes." Will they ever reconcile?It's all part of the new faith-based movie The Blind.Here are four things you should know about it:Photo credit: ©Fathom; used with permission.

Caro Drake is a young, determined woman with a passion for knowledge. That’s one reason she enrolled at the University of Oxford for her postgraduate studies. She wants to sit under the world’s greatest professors. She wants to sit beside the world’s top students.For Caro, the pursuit of knowledge is the purpose of life.But then she encounters classmates and professors who don’t see the world the way she sees it. They love knowledge -- yes -- but they have a greater love for God. They believe in the supernatural. They believe in the Bible.“How does someone who believes in talking snakes get into Oxford?” an incredulous Caro asks a friend.Caro’s Oxford stint grows even more complex when she falls in love with a young Christian man who gives her space to think and to pose questions about life she has never considered. Suddenly, everything she has believed about life is in doubt.What will Caro do?The new movie Surprised by Oxford tells the story of Caro, who embarks on a journey to discover truth at one of the world’s most prestigious institutions.Here are four things you should know about it:Photo credit: ©Fathom; used with permission.

Why would a Christian avoid watching shows about Jesus? After all, he is the hero of our lives, and movie-goers love heroes. But not all movies about Jesus are based on truth, while some start with truth and then spin it out, creating imagined words and scenes from Jesus’ life. There are good reasons to use caution when choosing to watch a Jesus movie.Some recent depictions of our Savior have been excellent, not to mention a few television shows. Certain examples have garnered much attention from non-Christian communities: The Passion, for instance; Risen; and The Chosen.Each of these brings to the cinema a mixture of biblical truth and also some imagining on the part of gifted writers. They help audiences to visualize scenes they might not have been able to picture before, or never wanted to picture.They are not factual in every sense, and we must remember that the people who wrote, directed, and produced them are only human beings.They have used their gifts to reach as wide an audience as possible with the gospel using the medium of film. Many testimonies out there of people coming to Christ after watching these and other films.Yet, Christian and non-Christian viewers alike need to exercise caution when approaching these films. This might seem like an obvious point, but skillful filmmakers and writers bring their tales to life so vividly that one can forget these are stories, especially when added historical features make characters and events plausible and three-dimensional enough to care about.Films about Jesus are not necessarily bad. As with everything, we need to think about what we expect from a film and who is watching.Here are five reasons for discernment, whether you are attending a film for personal enjoyment or as a way of introducing Jesus to your unbelieving friends.Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Wirestock

For fans of autumn, September is the door to a world of wonders: crisp air, vibrant foliage, and cozy sweater weather. Autumn is one of America’s favorite seasons. It’s also a season where you can enjoy a warm beverage as you gather together on family movie night. Fortunately, the major streaming platforms have plenty to offer families in September.