10/13/2024
The Lack of Great Christian Films – A Cultural Tragedy
For nearly a century, Hollywood has produced a handful of exceptional Christian films, but it seems like we only get one or two great films every 20 years. The rest? Low-budget productions, preachy scripts devoid of depth, wooden acting, and minimal distribution. These movies often lack nuance, instead opting for in-your-face moralizing, the equivalent of watching a K-LOVE music video stretched into a film. They preach, but they don’t reach, leaving audiences unmoved.
The 1950s and early 60s brought us some of the greatest epics: Ben-Hur, The Ten Commandments, and The Robe. These films brought biblical stories to life with gravitas, rich storytelling, and stunning performances, grossing billions in adjusted box office and garnering numerous awards. Yet, after King of Kings in 1961, there was silence for nearly two decades. Chariots of Fire came in 1981—a great film about faith but lacking the direct connection to the Gospel. Again, silence followed until the animated Prince of Egypt in 1998.
Then, in the early 2000s, we had a brief revival with The Passion of the Christ and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. These films struck chords with audiences, earning billions combined. Yet here we are again, another 20 years with no significant film in sight. Where are the Christians in Hollywood? Why are we satisfied with this drought, accepting only one or two great Christian films per generation?
Thankfully, there are people and companies working to change this. entrepreneurs like Marcus Pittman of Loor are striving to create more high-quality Christian entertainment. Production Companies like Appellate Films, which I run, are stepping into the gap, producing films that aim to address faith with the seriousness it deserves.
But all these efforts struggle to find funding from Christians. There is a dearth of capital from the very people who claim to follow and obey the commandment to go into the world and declare the Gospel of Christ.
If we want to see change, we can’t just wait for another Passion of the Christ once every generation—we need to support filmmakers and producers who are committed to creating films, television, and entertainment that speak truth, with power, depth, and quality, for this generation and the next.
Craig Bergman,
Appellate Films, LLC is a conservative independent film production, marketing, and distribution company that focuses on issues of Life, Liberty, and Property.