Top Five X of 2001–2025: Explicitly Religious

oo, "explicit"!

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This was the first-begun of my Top Five X posts (the others, in order of When Began, are romcom—horror—superhero), and you may pick up on that order as I write on.

Incidentally, I have no others partially written at this point. I have a couple thoughts on what else I could Top Five X about but no firm plans to do so. If you have suggestions, I’m open to hearing them.

As is always the case, some of the best films were shorts (“The Angel” is on my mind as a recent example, though I could list a dozen more), but (also as always) I will be ignoring them. Features only, I’m afraid. (Though one could easily argue it’s shorts that require some extra attention.)

Some of the (imo) most significant religious films of the past quarter century (mother!; Eephus; The Tree of Life; Barbie; A Ghost Story; Moroni for President; Won’t You Be My Neighbor?; Lady Bird; Hail, Caesar!; Children of Men; The Ballad of Buster Scruggs) were not, in fact, “explicitly religious.” But this claim is very much a judgment call. I look at my lists now, months after I first drafted this post, and wonder how I can consider The Northman “explicitly religious” but not Jallikattu—and I really have no good answer. This is a tricky set of lists, for sure.

I decided to split into two lists, one Christian and one not-Christian, because why not celebrate twice as many movies? But also because I had a muuuuch longer list of Christian options to choose from. In fact, I had to yank one movie from the not-explicit list in order to fill out that not-Christian topfive. That film might (might) be my favorite of its five but, alas, it has to take the fifth spot. Participation trophy, in other words.

I’m a bit embarrassed I have so few not-Christian films to choose from. When I first sat down, I assumed I’d have a Christian list, a Jewish list, and an Other list, but not so. I’m stunned I watched so few Jewish-themed movies. I never would have guessed.

Let’s start with that list, shall we?

[ 0=letterboxd | 1=thutopia | 2=thubstack]

#1 ||| Whale Rider (2002)

It’s been a looooong time since I’ve seen Whale Rider but it retains a powerful hold on my emotional imagination. This story of a young girl coming of age in a patriarchal culture denied access to her tradition’s most visibly potent spiritual rituals resonates (for obvious reasons) and the heroic resonances echo through the years. We own the dvd. I’ve no excuse not to revisit.

#2 ||| The Northman (2022) [1,2]

It’s so easy to forget in these time of political turmoil that, in fact, the world is unusually safe, historically speaking. The Northman is essentially a pagan Hamlet. People want peace and love—same as anyone ever has—but their world is violent and fragile in ways we can hardly imagine. And a world this violent requires violent understanding. And this film explores what that could be and why it would then mean what it means. Thought-provoking, enormously moving, and chockablock with gore.

#3 ||| A Serious Man (2009) [1,2]

Astonishing to think that three Job movies are mentioned on the page and this is probably my least favorite, even though it is made by the Coens who rank among my absolute favorite filmmakers. Of course, this isn’t just a Job movie. It’s also an ironic David movie. And it’s a delicious slice-of-life re the American Jew. Even though this isn’t near a top-ranked Coens film for me, I think about it all the time. Images. Attitudes, Tones of voice. I suspect this film is actually much more important to me than my conscious mind will admit.

#4 ||| Sita Sings the Blues (2008) [0,1,2]

This film introduced me to one of my favorite singers but that’s not how it made this list. There are a few different stories interlaced here and while I get why some right-wing Hindus hate how this white American lady is using their stories, the manner in which she did it and her purpose for doing so seems worth giving some grace to. Sita had a hard life. But there are lessons there for us. There were lessons there for her.

#5 ||| An American Pickle (2020) [1,2]

A fan falls into pickle brine and comes out miraculously alive decades later. Starring Seth Rogan and Seth Rogan. Sounds stupid. But it’s kinda beautiful—a meditation on identity and America and what keeps generations apart…and what might bring them together.

Now on to the Christians.

#1 ||| A Hidden Life (2019) [1]

I’m not sure a post-film epigraph has ever made me cry before or since A Hidden Life. Anyway, it’s hard not to compare this to another Malick film, The Tree of Life, possibly my favorite film, fullstop. Both films will stun you with beauty and grandeur, but while The Tree of Life leaves its Texas family to grapple with all of eternity, A Hidden Life only proceeds deeper into intimacy, into is observation of one good man who will only do what he thinks is right—no matted the cost.

#2 ||| The Testament of Ann Lee (2025) [0,1,1,2,2]

I’ve written about the soundtrack before, but you can’t imagine how much I have actually listened to it. A lot more than you’re guessing. And that includes not touching it at all over the summer. But this movie is a terrific movie for a Latter-day Saint to watch because Ann Lee’s history shares so many points with Joseph Smith and thus defamiliarizes this man and his journy such that we can see revolution and revelation and restoration anew. It’s violence reveals the universality of evil. It’s ecstasy the universality of good.

#3 ||| Brigham City (2001)

Few movies have stunned me as deeply as Brigham City—and rarely so deeply on two entirely different fronts. Brigham City forced to me recognize my own capacity for evil. And, in the same 119 minutes, explained to me better than I had understood before the meaning of the sacrament. The powerful combination of those two opposites ranks this film among the greatest I know.

#4 ||| Silence (2016) [1,1,1]

If you’d told me when I started this list that Silence would end up at number four I would have laughed in your face. This is a powerful movie and deeply important to me. While almost impossible to watch once, I’ve seen it five times. And every time I suffer. Which probably doesn’t sound like a recommendation but oh, it is, it is. Like some other powerful art, Silence questions whether our own righteousness should be our highest goal. How vital is it to be godly versus how vital is it to be like Christ. Such a dangerous question.

#5 ||| Wake Up Dead Man (2025) [0,1,2]

This one slid in just under the wire. Luckily Netflix put it in theaters December 2025 and I was able to see it. Rian Johnson has been can’t-miss with these movies. I dealy love Knives Out and I declared Glass Onion my favorite of its year. That Wake Up Dead Man might be the best of the three and, the first to address religion, makes this list should alert you to my high opinion of its excellence. The primary tension may be between the good priest and the bad priest or it may be between the devout accused and the atheistic investigator or it may be between quiet acceptance of the unknown and an angry demand to know. These are key aspects of any life of faith but Johnson has given them existential weight and melodramatic momentum that underlines and emphasizes aspects of life that, when merely lived, often go quietly unnoticed.

Honorable mentions:

Adam’s Apples (2005) Job with violence! [1]
Conclave (2024) The Holy Spirit via bureaucracy! [0,1,2]
Don Verdean (2015) Keep your faith safe from zeal! [1,1,1]
Electrick Children (2012) Don’t say he’s not a god of miracles! [0,1,2]
Truth & Treason (2025) Nazis bring out the best in yet another pending martyr! [0,1,2]
WWJD (2022) Why won’t Jesus ever behave like people think he ought? [1,1,2]

Second-tier honorable mentions:

The Fighting Preacher (2019) Yeah, I know, but it’s funny and moving. [1,1,2]
One Man’s Treasure (2009) Yeah, I know, but I really like these people. [1,1,1,2]