15 Christian Movies the Whole Family Can Watch Together (Ratings and Age Guide)

Finding one movie that works for a six-year-old, a teenager and a grandparent is harder than it sounds. The fifteen faith films below have held up well with family audiences, and each one is listed with its US rating (from the MPA, the body that issues G, PG and PG-13 ratings) so you can decide what fits your household.

The quick picks

• Youngest viewers (under 8): The Star (2017, PG), The Prince of Egypt (1998, PG)
• Mixed ages, 8 and up: Soul Surfer (2011, PG), Facing the Giants (2006, PG), Overcomer (2019, PG)
• Teens and adults: I Can Only Imagine (2018, PG), Breakthrough (2019, PG), Courageous (2011, PG-13)
• History and Christmas: Amazing Grace (2006, PG), The Nativity Story (2006, PG)

Ratings tell you the broad band, not the details. Before a younger child watches, read a scene-by-scene breakdown on a family review site. Our guide to Christian movie review sites explains which ones to use.

For the youngest viewers

The Star (2017, PG) retells the Nativity through a small donkey and his animal friends. It is bright, fast and gentle, a good first Christmas film for preschool and early elementary children.

The Prince of Egypt (1998, PG) is DreamWorks' animated story of Moses, with music by Hans Zimmer and songs by Stephen Schwartz. The plagues and the Red Sea crossing are intense for very young children, so watch it together the first time.

Joseph: King of Dreams (2000) is the direct-to-video animated follow-up, with Ben Affleck voicing Joseph. The betrayal by his brothers is handled seriously, and the reconciliation at the end gives families a lot to talk about.

Letters to God (2010, PG) follows a boy with cancer who writes letters to God and the mail carrier who receives them. It is gentle, but the illness storyline can be hard for children who have lost someone, so preview it if that applies.

Mixed ages, 8 and up

Soul Surfer (2011, PG) tells the true story of surfer Bethany Hamilton, played by AnnaSophia Robb, with Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt as her parents. The shark attack is brief and not graphic, but it is sudden; warn younger viewers it is coming.

Facing the Giants (2006, PG) is the Kendrick brothers' early football film, made with Sherwood Baptist Church and a largely volunteer cast. The "death crawl" scene is the one most families remember.

Overcomer (2019, PG) is a later Kendrick brothers film about a high-school coach who ends up training a single cross-country runner. Its theme of identity works well with pre-teens and teens.

War Room (2015, PG) centers on a marriage under strain and an older woman, Miss Clara (Karen Abercrombie), who teaches prayer. Younger children may find the marriage scenes slow; it suits families with tweens and up.

Heaven Is for Real (2014, PG) stars Greg Kinnear as a Nebraska pastor whose young son describes visiting heaven during surgery. The father's doubts make it a good starting point for questions about faith and evidence.

Teens and adults

I Can Only Imagine (2018, PG) tells how MercyMe's Bart Millard wrote the title song, with Dennis Quaid as his abusive father. The scenes of abuse are the reason for the rating and the reason it suits teens better than young children.

Breakthrough (2019, PG) stars Chrissy Metz as a mother praying for her son after he falls through ice on a frozen Missouri lake. The accident and hospital scenes are tense.

Courageous (2011, PG-13) follows four sheriff's deputies who decide to take fatherhood more seriously. It carries a PG-13 rating for some violence and drug content, and one plot turn involving a child is heavy, so it is best for teens and adults.

The Chosen is a TV series rather than a film, a dramatized portrayal of Jesus and his disciples that many families watch one episode at a time. Check the rating shown for each episode in your app.

History and Christmas

Amazing Grace (2006, PG) follows William Wilberforce (Ioan Gruffudd) in the campaign to end the British slave trade, with Albert Finney as John Newton and Benedict Cumberbatch as William Pitt. Older children get a history lesson; adults get a political drama.

The Nativity Story (2006, PG) casts Keisha Castle-Hughes as Mary and Oscar Isaac as Joseph and treats the journey to Bethlehem as the hard road it was. It works well as an Advent or Christmas Eve tradition.

Before you press play

Streaming availability changes every month and differs between the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. Check our free and legal streaming guide and the free tonight list for current options, and see the kids collection for more picks for younger children.

For content details, Plugged In (from Focus on the Family) and Common Sense Media both publish scene-level notes on language, violence and frightening moments. Official rating explanations are on the Film Ratings site run by the MPA and the National Association of Theatre Owners.