You want movies your whole family can watch-ones that go beyond simple entertainment and leave you with something in your heart. In 2025, only a few films will clearly combine spiritual themes, emotional honesty, and relative accessibility for families.
Here are 5 films that bring faith, hope, and powerful emotions to the screen. I explain what each one offers, what to preview, and how they might serve your family’s journey.
1. The King of Kings (2025)
Released: April 11, 2025
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 62%
Stars (Voice Cast): Oscar Isaac (Jesus), Pierce Brosnan, Kenneth Branagh, Ben Kingsley, Forest Whitaker, Mark Hamill, Uma Thurman, Roman Griffin Davis
Director: Seong-ho Jang
Duration: 104 minutes
Synopsis and Critic Perspective:
The King of Kings is a fully animated, imaginative retelling of the life of Jesus, framed as a storytelling journey between Charles Dickens and his son, Walter. Dickens begins narrating the story of Christ to his child, who then imagines himself and his cat, Willa, transported into those biblical scenes, walking with the disciples, witnessing miracles, the passion, and the resurrection.
The animation allows for creative distances that make difficult moments (betrayal, suffering, death) more approachable for younger viewers, while still treating the subject with reverence. Some critics praise the voice cast and the ambition behind the project, though others note that certain animation choices (especially character designs) feel uneven.
What Families Get and What to Preview:
- The film provides a visually engaging, child-friendly way to explore the story of Jesus.
- Because it’s an animation, the emotional weight is somewhat buffered, but the themes are serious, so younger children should be comfortable with scenes of betrayal, suffering, and the crucifixion.
- Preview for pacing: some critics felt it drags during transitional or exposition-heavy moments.
Overall, The King of Kings is among the rare 2025 releases that bring biblical narrative into the family and faith space with creative framing and a star-studded voice cast.
2. The Christmas Eve Movie (2025)
Release date: November 7, 2025
Stars: Kevin Sorbo, Stephen Baldwin, Eric Roberts, Sam Sorbo, Michael Irvin, Brittany Oaks, Luis Fernandez-Gil, Jordan Sanders
Director: Tim Chey
Duration: 2 h 10 min (planned)
Synopsis and Critic Perspective:
Christmas Eve is a bold, ambitious anthology film weaving together eight true stories from across the globe, each capturing the moment someone encountered Christ on Christmas Eve.
The stories traverse continents, eras, landscapes of war and peace, despair, and hope. Below is a more detailed look at these vignettes and how they interlock in theme:
- Story One: In snowy 1908 Chicago, an atheist doctor receives a visit from a mysterious little girl claiming her mother is dying. He rushes her to her apartment, works desperately to revive her, and is told afterward that the daughter died the year before, forcing him to confront what defines life and faith.
- Story Two: A woman is enlisted by Pablo Escobar to assassinate her husband, a military commander. On Christmas Eve, she attends a church service, hears a sermon that touches her deeply, and accepts Christ. The next day, she walks away from her commission, and even as assassins are ordered to kill her, no one lifts a finger.
- Story Three: During the Battle of the Bulge in WWII, lost American and German soldiers find refuge in a secluded hut. A Christian widow demands that they leave their weapons outside. Over the night, they come to moments of shared suffering, empathy, and spiritual awakening. By morning, they depart not as enemies, but as kindred souls.
- Story Four: A recovering alcoholic is hired as a department-store Santa and visits a terminally ill girl in a hospital. In a moment of humility, he removes his Santa mask to share with her the true meaning of Christmas and prays over her. Later, she is healed against all medical odds, and her parents (initially hostile) are confronted by what they cannot explain.
- Story Five: In the trenches of World War I, French and German soldiers stop fighting on Christmas Eve, lay down arms, and celebrate together. Their commanders reconcile, forever changed by that silent truce. This is one of the most poignant stories of mercy amid war.
- Story Six: An atheist lawyer sues to have a church’s Nativity scene removed. Later, he falls ill with medical debt and is abandoned by friends. When a church steps in and pays his bills, he comes to faith and restores the Bethlehem star that year, transforming from antagonist to believer.
- Story Seven: In Tokyo, after losing both parents, a young woman named Keiko contemplates suicide on Christmas Eve. As she wanders and nearly gives in, an encounter (or revelation) leads her to embrace life and find Christ just in time.
- Story Eight: A pastor in Chicago, disillusioned and about to quit, is confronted by a desperate prayer request from a suicidal man on that same night. Through a divine moment, that church, its leader, and the man all experience a miracle that shakes their faith and mission.
Because the film includes this many threads, its greatest challenge will be narrative cohesion. It must ensure each story feels fleshed out enough to matter while preserving a thematic throughline of hope, redemption, and spiritual encounter. Christmas Eve could transcend anthology and become a unified experience of faith and connection.
3. The Unbreakable Boy (2025)
Release Date: February 21, 2025
IMDb Rating: 6.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 44%
Stars: Zachary Levi (Scott LeRette), Meghann Fahy, Jacob Laval (Austin LeRette), Drew Powell, Patricia Heaton
Director: Jon Gunn
Duration: 109 minutes
Synopsis and Critic Perspective:
The Unbreakable Boy tells the true story of Austin LeRette, who was born with a rare brittle bone disease and also navigates life on the autism spectrum. The film follows Austin’s journey of medical challenges, social struggles, and the love and faith that sustain his family. It is based on the memoir The Unbreakable Boy: A Father’s Fear, a Son’s Courage, and a Story of Unconditional Love.
Critics praise its earnestness and central performances, especially Levi’s portrayal of a father protecting and uplifting his son. Others point out that the film occasionally leans into sentimentality. It’s a delicate balance between inspiring and overly polished; some scenes may feel formulaic, but the emotional core often holds.
What Families Get and What to Preview:
- Honest depiction of disability, challenge, and unconditional love.
- Preview for medical scenes, emotional conflict, and possibly tension in family relationships.
- Best suited for families with older children who can safely process struggle and hope.
4. Between Borders (2025)
Released: January 26, 2025
IMDb Rating: 6.1/10
Stars: Elizabeth Mitchell, Elizabeth Tabish, Patrick Sabongui, and others (cast tied to missions / immigrant stories)
Director: Mark Freiburger (or associated team)
Duration: 1h 30min
Synopsis and Critic Perspective:
Between Borders is grounded in the true story of the Petrosyan family, of Armenian heritage, as they endure growing persecution in the collapsing Soviet Union. They are forced to flee from Azerbaijan, navigate discrimination in Russia, and seek asylum in the United States, holding fast to faith through church ties and personal trials.
The narrative intercuts court appeals with flashbacks of exile, family loss, and the struggle to belong. It’s a film about faith in displacement, and the tension between sacrifice and survival. Some reviews describe it as “fascinating, heartbreaking, and full of hope.”
What Families Get and What to Preview:
- A faith + immigration story that broadens perspective and fosters empathy.
- Preview for scenes of conflict, injustice, and emotional hardship.
- Suited more for families with older children or teens who can engage with heavier themes.
5. Rashid, the Boy from Sinjar (2025 documentary)
Release date: 2025 (festival circuit); screened in Germany in May 2025 at the Munich International Documentary Film Festival
Subjects: Rashid (real person), his family
Director: Jasna Krajinovic
Duration: 80 minutes
Synopsis and Perspective:
This documentary follows Rashid, a Yazidi teenager emerging from captivity under ISIS, as his family seeks refuge from Sinjar (Iraq) and navigates trauma, exile, and hope. The film confronts real suffering, displacement, and the quest for safety and continuity.
It’s not a light family film, but for older teens and adult viewers, it’s a powerful reminder of resilience, faith, and human dignity. If used carefully and with discussion, it can stimulate real empathy and awareness.
Conclusion: Films That Last Beyond Screens
As a movie lover, I believe films that aim for something deeper: faith, redemption, real struggle, are worth chasing. These kinds of stories risk cliché, but when they succeed, they resonate. They don’t just entertain; they ask us to lean in, reflect, and carry something forward into our lives.
In 2025, I see a subtle shift happening. The corners of the industry that once shied away from faith stories are edging in: believers are not just the audience but storytellers, pushing for authenticity and boldness. Hollywood is investing more in faith-based content and partnering with creators who know their audience intimately. A film that invites doubt, pushes past cliches, and still dares to hope, that’s the sort of story I want to champion.
So as you scan your watchlist this year, look beyond what’s safe or comfortable. Seek out films that carry scars and questions. The ones that don’t pretend faith is simple. The ones that linger after the credits. That’s where the truth lives.
