Movie Features

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.

Fall is the season to curl up with a great movie, and while there are a lot of new movies out there and all sorts of streaming services to choose from, it's also a great time of year to rewatch the classics. Because let's be honest, classics equal cozy. They just do.So what's a great list of classics to rewatch under a soft blanket, with a big bowl of popcorn, coffee or tea, and your significant other or best friend? We surveyed folks on Facebook, and they've curated a great list to choose from. We've tailored them down to movies PG-13 and below. As always, movies are curated carefully but won't always fit the standards of every home. With a little help from www.rottentomatoes.com and their movie synopses, here are the top picks of those polled for the best cozy movies to watch this fall:Photo credit: ©GettyImages/mixetto

Camp Hideoutis an impressive "first film" from Called Higher Studios, which offers audiences a rare treat: a live-action, family-friendly PG comedy. Too often, family films in the comedy genre include elements -- coarse language and sexual innuendo, for example -- that have parents diving for the remote. There is none of that in Camp Hideout.

Netflix is known for its binge-worthy dramas and its massive library of content.Although much of that library includes titles that aren't "safe for the whole family," some of it is. In fact, many titles within Netflix's service are not only family-friendly but also inspiring and faith-centric.The bests of this bunch are notable not only for their excellent scripts but also for their top-notch acting. These movies – we'll call them "Christian" due to their Christ-centric content – are worthy of consideration when you want a pick-me-up.Here are the seven best Christian movies on Netflix:Photo courtesy: David Balev/Unsplash

The story of Moses is one of the Bible’s easiest stories to adapt because it has everything people look for in a good story. Action. Drama. Sorrow. Romance. Tragedy. Heroism. Also, the story of Moses holds all these elements together in a compact package which translates easily to a feature film or short cartoon.Consequently, it’s not surprising that the story of Moses has been made into movies numerous times. At least as early as 1905, filmmakers were adapting scenes of his story to film. The story has been told as everything from a costume drama (most recently, the 2014 film Exodus: Gods and Kings) to a modern-day retelling (for example, the 2007 film Exodus). Here are 10 Moses movies that tell the story for different audiences and in different styles, each worth exploring.Editor's Note: These movies' inclusion in this article does not mean Crosswalk.com endorses the companies who produce the movies, or any dramatic license taken with the material. Readers are encouraged to research the movies for their own conclusions.Photo Credit: Getty Images/kevron2001

Rickey is a young boy with an upbeat outlook, a strong faith and an uncanny ability to hit a baseball out of the park. He's also a boy with a degenerative spinal disease and leg braces. Even so, Rickey dreams of playing professional baseball someday alongside the diamond greats of the day, including his favorite player, Mickey Mantle. After all, Rickey can hit a rock – a rock! – some 200 feet using only a stick.His family and friends, though, aren't so optimistic about his dreams.The new faith-based movie The Hill (PG) tells the story of Rickey Hill, a boy who grew up in the bone-dry fields of rural Texas and overcame long odds to try out for the Major Leagues.Here are four things you should know about it:

For fans of faith-based movies, the next few months promise to be busy … and inspiring.At least eight new faith-centric movies are scheduled to hit theaters prior to Christmas, including one by the producers of Jesus Revolution, one by the studio that released Sound of Freedom and one that tells the backstory of Duck Dynasty.If you enjoy musicals, there’s one in that genre, too. And if you just need a kid-friendly, goofy movie to make you laugh, there’s also one in that category.The back half of 2023 promises to be one of the busiest in recent memory.Here are eight new Christian movies we can’t wait to watch:Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Ridofranz

August is that time each year when children go back to school, sports fans gear up for football season, and parents around the country get ready for jam-packed calendars.It’s the time we buy school supplies, snap “back-to-school” pictures and begin our weekly race to sports practice.Of course, families still need to set aside a little family time during this frantic season. Fortunately, the leading streaming services have plenty to offer this month for a family movie night. Netflix has several good options. Pure Flix and Great American Family do, too.Here are seven great family movies streaming this month:Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Monkey Business Images

Corrie is a brave Christian woman living in Nazi-occupied Netherlands in 1940.Corrie and her family are members of the Dutch Reformed Church, which opposes the Nazi’s march across Europe and its persecution and rounding up of Jewish people.And now, Corrie and her family are facing a dilemma: Should they tell the Nazi officials everything they know about their Jewish friends and neighbors? Or should they hide and even lie about the Jews in order to protect them?The new movieThe Hiding Placetells the true story of Corrie and her family, who risked everything to protect Jewish refugees from the Holocaust.Here are three things you should know about the film:

Hollywood and the entertainment industry are in the midst of a “revival moment” of faith-based projects that are unifying the body of Christ and amplifying light across a dark world, says the actor best known for his roles in The Chosen and Jesus Revolution.

Let’s be honest. Swimming during the summer months is fun, but you can’t stay in the pool 24/7. The same goes with food: watermelons, tomatoes and grilled burgers are delicious in the shade, but every now and then, you need an indoor break.Here’s the good news: The major streaming services have plenty to offer during July. Netflix is releasing a faith-based hit. Great American Family and Pure Flix are launching several new titles. And Disney Plus is releasing Season 3 of a popular children’s series.Here are the seven best movies and television series streaming in July:Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Vadimguzhva

Jesus was clear: “Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). The same is true for women who look lustfully at men. According to Jesus, Oppenheimercaused millions of people to commit adultery over the weekend.Once again, scientific research substantiates his point. Studies conclusively show that viewing pornography (which is what the sex scenes in Oppenheimer constitute) changes our brains in damaging ways, quickly leads to stress, addiction, and escalating behavior, fuels mental illness, and negatively impacts love, marriage, and intimacy.

After leaving the movie, I am left no longer the bright-eyed child version of myself that walked in full of hope and wonder but the grounded adult woman who still loves and adores the toy but is very aware of the reality of this world. The new Barbie movie seeks to speak to the reality of living as a woman in this world rather than to the child within each of us.

Barbie is a perfect woman living in a perfect world. She wears the latest fashion. She drives the nicest cars. All the other women want to be her. All the men want to be around her.Everywhere she goes in her city – Barbie Land – people wave and smile in admiration.Soon, though, Barbie's life is rocked by "tragedy." She develops flat feet. She grows cellulite. She even begins having thoughts of – aghast – death!Barbie needs help. And thanks to wise advice from someone in her town, she has a plan. She'll cross over the space-time continuum into the real world, where she'll find her human owner – a girl – and learn what's troubling her. As the theory goes: The young girl's negative thoughts are negatively affecting Barbie. If Barbie can emotionally heal her owner, then Barbie, too, will be fixed. Will Barbie's plan work?Here are four things parents should know:

The new action film Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (PG-13) follows the well-known story of spy Ethan Hunt, who is given a mission by his bosses at the IMF (the Impossible Missions Force) that will determine the future of humankind. Tom Cruise stars in the lead role.

In recent years there's been a shift from cable and DVDs to digital streaming services, with the front-runner being Netflix. Netflix has now accumulated tens of millions of subscribers world-wide. The content ranges from movies both new and old, current television shows including reboots like Fuller House, older shows like Andy Griffith, educational documentaries, and entire kid-friendly channels. Netflix has also gained a reputation for producing original adult-oriented content – Orange is the New Black and House of Cards, for example – but it surprisingly has also built an impressive library of Christian films you can enjoy with friends or family. From romantic comedies to animated films to Bible-based series, there’s something for every Christian in Netflix’s collection. Here are eight of the best ones: Photo Courtesy: Facebook

Henry is a gray-haired, semi-retired college archaeology professor who is losing patience with the world in 1969 America.But then, a young woman enters his life. She's optimistic like he once was. And determined. She also has a passion for archaeology.In her view, "Dr. Jones" is a hero of the archaeological world, and she needs his help.The new film Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (PG-13) follows the worldwide quest of Indiana and Helena as they try to find the dial before the Nazis do. It stars Harrison Ford in the lead role.Here are four things you should know:

Tim is a federal agent who has a passion for justice, for righteousness and for rescuing the innocent.On the surface, his goals aren’t all that different from his fellow agents at the Department of Homeland Security. They, too, want to see an end to human sex trafficking. They, too, are fighting to save children. Tim, though, wants to push the legal envelope. He wants to battle sex traffickers not only inside the U.S. – the legal boundaries of his government employer – but in other countries, too.The new movie Sound of Freedom (PG-13) follows the story of Tim. It is being distributed by Angel Studios and stars Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ, Infidel) in the lead role.Here are four things you should know: