The sacred week is a time for reflection, and these meaningful films offer a deeper look into what it truly means to live well and do good.
Movies are more than just a form of entertainment. They open our eyes to different perspectives on cultures, society, and life in general. These stories, whether real or fictional, can influence our emotions, shape our mindsets, and inspire positive change.
And when it comes to watching life-changing movies like these, there could be no better time to do so than during the Holy Week. This sacred week, especially for Catholics, is an important time for silence, reflection, and connection with ourselves and our families at home. Bingeing on meaningful films can help deepen one’s faith and understanding of life rooted in goodness.
So as you take a break from work in the coming days, make sure to spend time with your loved ones over a good film or two that’ll teach everyone a valuable lesson about faith, hope, and love. From true-to-life stories to Bible-based hits, here are some of the best motivational movies to reflect on during Holy Week and beyond.
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Heaven is for Real
Based on a true story, Heaven is for Real follows preacher and entrepreneur Tood Burpo (Greg Kinnear) and his wife, Sonja (Kelly Reilly), who are trying to make ends meet during a tough year. To make things worse, their four-year-old son Colton (Connor Corum) acquires a life-threatening illness and undergoes surgery. But in what doctors credit as “a miracle,” the young boy survives and tells his story of taking a journey through heaven and back during a near-death experience. Colton recounts his experience with childlike innocence and speaks of things he couldn’t possibly know, including those that happened before his birth.
By showing that heaven is real, the 2014 film encourages viewers to look at life with a greater sense of purpose and hope. It suggests that shaping our actions, choices, and intentions with eternity in mind will result in greater faith, an enriched life, and a more rewarding afterlife.
Where to watch it: Netflix, Prime Video, and Apple TV
The Passion of the Christ
Any Christian would know the physical and spiritual suffering that Jesus Christ endured before and during his crucifixion, but no one has depicted it quite like Mel Gibson. The actor and filmmaker redefined how Christianity’s greatest story should be told in his well-publicized 2004 film, The Passion of the Christ. The movie centers on the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. It begins in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus (portrayed by James Caviezel) is betrayed by Judas Iscariot (Luca Lionello) and condemned to death for blasphemy before Pontius Pilate (Hristo Naumov Shopov). Jesus is severely beaten and made to carry his cross up to Golgotha where he is nailed on the cross.
Gibsons’s depiction of Christ’s suffering is starkly different from films of the same kind primarily because of its extreme graphic violence. While all accounts of Jesus’ passion and death all depict his arrest, trial, crucifixion, death, and resurrection, what set Gibson’s film apart is its heightened realism, including the severity of wounds and brutality of execution.
The film sheds light on Jesus’s sacrificial love for mankind, which endures all pain and defeats death. It shows how Christ’s ultimate act of redemption offers forgiveness and reconciliation with God. It aims to spark hope among viewers that we are all deserving of eternal life through our faith in Jesus Christ.
Where to watch: Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV
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Hacksaw Ridge
Another masterpiece by Mel Gibson, Hacksaw Ridge tells the extraordinary story of WWII medic and pacifist Desmond Dose, played by Andrew Garfield. Dose miraculously survived and saved 75 men during the bloodiest battle of WWII, in Okinawa in 1945, without ever firing a weapon.
The 2016 film teaches us about courage, faith, and the importance of standing up for one’s beliefs. As a pacifist who believes that war and violence are unjustifiable, Dose chose to serve in the military as a medic, saving countless lives while standing firm to his values despite ridicule and opposition. It also teaches forgiveness in how the hero showed compassion and empathy even to those who maltreated him. Lastly, Hacksaw Ridge highlights the fact that a single individual can make a significant difference in the world.
Where to watch: Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV
Seven Pounds
They say there is no greater way to love than to give your life to others. Seven Pounds perfectly encapsulated that in its plot that revolves around Tim Thomas (played by Will Smith), who caused a car crash in which seven people died: six strangers and his fiancé Sarah Jenson. To make amends for his past actions, Tim goes out on a mission, giving vital parts of his body to seven good people. And despite falling in love with one of them, Tim’s plan of dying to save their lives remains unchanged.
Despite its dark and melancholic theme, Seven Pounds underscores the importance of using one’s own adversities to make a huge difference in the lives of others. It also explores the value of forgiveness and the power of choosing selflessness in the face of challenges.
Where to watch it: Max, Prime Video, Apple TV
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What Dreams May Come
With its unique blend of artistry and spiritual themes, What Dreams May Come has become the favorite of many cinephiles since it was released in 1998. The film follows Chris Nielsen (Robin Williams) as he dies in a car accident and guided through the afterlife by his spirit guide, Albert (Cube Gooding Jr.). His new world is beautiful as a painting and can be whatever Chris imagines. Even his two deceased children are there with him. However, when his wife Annie (Anabella Sciorra) commits suicide and falls into hell, Chris does whatever it takes to save her, even if it’s more difficult than he could ever imagine.
What Dreams May Come is widely considered a visual masterpiece, especially for its “painted world” approach wherein live-action scenes are transformed into moving paintings. It later won the film the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and the Art Directors Guild Award for Excellence in Production Design.
Apart from its stellar visuals, What Dreams May Come provides viewers with several important lessons, including the idea that the afterlife may not be a fixed place but rather reflections of our experiences, memories, beliefs, and choices. It also underscores the importance of emotional support and healing, especially for those struggling with grief and mental health. The film, in addition, shows the importance of finding meaning through hardships, with how Chris endures all suffering to save Annie in hell.
Where to watch it: Prime Video
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
The comedy-drama film tells the story of Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller), an employee of Life Magazine who spends a humdrum day developing photos for the publication. To escape his monotonous life, Walter disappears into a world of exciting daydreams where he is the hero and gets to charm his fellow employee Cheryl (Kristen Wiig). However, he finally jumps into a real adventure when Life’s new owners send him on a mission to take the perfect photo for the magazine’s final issue.
Directed, co-produced, and written by Stiller himself, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a lighthearted, humorous, and visually appealing film that teaches a lesson on embracing change and stepping out of our comfort zone for growth and fulfillment. The 2013 film also suggests that heroism can be found in everyday acts of resilience, kindness, and finding meaning in hardships.
Where to watch it: Disney+, Prime Video, and Apple TV
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