Movies like The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1965)
The best movies like The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1965) are The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), King of Kings (1961) and Son of God (2014). If The Gospel According to St. Matthew hooked you with its drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedJesus (1979)8.3/10 from 259 votes
- NewestSon of God (2014)Released 2014
- In ItalianBrother Sun, Sister Moon (1972)Also in Italian
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
Jesus, a humble Judean carpenter beginning to see that he is the son of God, is drawn into revolutionary action against the Roman occupiers by Judas -- despite his protestations that love, not violence, is the path to salvation. The burden of being the savior of mankind torments Jesus throughout his life, leading him to doubt.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKing of Kings (1961)
Who is Jesus, and why does he impact all he meets? He is respected and reviled, emulated and accused, beloved, betrayed, and finally crucified. Yet that terrible fate would not be the end of the story.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSon of God (2014)
In the Holy Land, the Roman occupation has produced a cauldron of oppression, anxiety and excessive taxes levied upon the Jewish people. Fearing the wrath of Roman governor Pontius Pilate , Jewish high priest Caiaphas tries to keep control of his people. That control is threatened when Jesus arrives in Jerusalem, performing miracles and spreading messages of love and hope. Those who fear that Jesus will inspire a revolution decide that he must die.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Passion of the Christ (2004)
A graphic portrayal of the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth's life.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOrdet (1955)
The three sons of devout Danish farmer Morten have widely disparate religious beliefs. Youngest son Anders shares his father's religion, but eldest son Mikkel has lost his faith, while middle child Johannes has become delusional and proclaims that he is Jesus Christ himself. When Mikkel's wife, Inger goes into a difficult childbirth, everyone's beliefs are put to the test.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Robe (1953)
Drunk and disillusioned Roman, Marcellus Gallio, wins Jesus' robe in a dice game after the crucifixion. Marcellus has never been a man of faith like his slave, Demetrius, but when Demetrius escapes with the robe, Marcellus experiences disturbing visions and feels guilty for his actions. Convinced that destroying the robe will cure him, Marcellus sets out to find Demetrius — and discovers his Christian faith along the way.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Ten Commandments (1956)
Escaping death, a Hebrew infant is raised in a royal household to become a prince. Upon discovery of his true heritage, Moses embarks on a personal quest to reclaim his destiny as the leader and liberator of the Hebrew people.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJesus (1979)
Three and a half years of Jesus' ministry, as told in the Gospel of Luke.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisRestless Heart: The Confessions of Augustine (2010)
Augustine is a two-part, Italian-made mini-series about the influential theologian and church father St. Augustine of Hippo. The piece tells the story of his life from a teenager to his death at the age of 69. Much of the content for the scenes of him as a young and middle-aged man come from his Confessions, which is probably the earliest extant autobiography.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Barabbas (1961)
Epic account of the thief Barabbas, who was pardoned for his crimes and spared crucifixion when Pilate offered the Israelites a choice to pardon Barabbas or Jesus. Struggling with his spirituality, Barabbas goes through many ordeals leading him to the gladiatorial arena, where he tries to win his freedom and confront his inner demons, ultimately becoming a follower of the man who was crucified in his place.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Visual Bible: Matthew (1993)
The only dramatization using the actual scriptures...word for word from the New International Version (NIV). In Israel, then known as Judea of the Roman Empire, Nazarene Jesus Christ travels around the country with His disciples preaching to the people about God and salvation of their souls.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
From his birth in Bethlehem to his death and eventual resurrection, the life of Jesus Christ is given the all-star treatment in this epic retelling. Major aspects of Christ's life are touched upon, including the execution of all the newborn males in Egypt by King Herod; Christ's baptism by John the Baptist; and the betrayal by Judas after the Last Supper that eventually leads to Christ's crucifixion and miraculous return.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
A classic of the silent age, this film tells the story of the doomed but ultimately canonized 15th-century teenage warrior. On trial for claiming she'd spoken to God, Jeanne d'Arc is subjected to inhumane treatment and scare tactics at the hands of church court officials. Initially bullied into changing her story, Jeanne eventually opts for what she sees as the truth. Her punishment, a famously brutal execution, earns her perpetual martyrdom.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisApostle Peter and the Last Supper (2013)
The film portrays Saint Peter reflecting on his time with Jesus and his fellow Apostles during his final imprisonment in Rome. In particular, Peter attempts to convert one of his jailers, Martinian, by relating the life, teachings, and sacrifice of Jesus.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Moses and Aaron (1975)
A familiar Biblical tale transformed into a cinematic opera of seemingly endless possibility. In expressive, melodic tones, the fraternal pair debate God’s true message and intent for His creations, a conflict that leads their followers towards chaos and sin. Set almost entirely within a Roman amphitheater whose history lends every precise line-reading and gesture, every startling camera move and cut, a totalizing force.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Jeremiah (1998)
The young Jeremiah grows up in a priest's family in the village of Anathoth, near Jerusalem. God appears to Jeremiah in different human guises on several occasions, and makes it clear that he has been selected to announce God's message to the people of Jerusalem.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDiary of a Country Priest (1951)
An inexperienced, sickly priest shows up in the rural French community of Ambricourt, where he joins the community's clergy. But the locals don't take kindly to the priest, and his ascetic ways and unsociable demeanor make him an outcast. During Bible studies at the nearby girls school, he is continually mocked by his students. Then his attempt to intervene in a family feud backfires into a scandal. His failures, compounded with his declining health, begin to erode his faith.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisQuo Vadis (1951)
After fierce Roman commander Marcus Vinicius becomes infatuated with beautiful Christian hostage Lygia, he begins to question the tyrannical leadership of the despotic emperor Nero.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBrother Sun, Sister Moon (1972)
In his delirium from his return from war, Francesco Bernardone goes back in his memories to the days when he lived for parties and carnal pleasures. He slowly recovers, but after the illness he is no longer the Francesco that everybody knew. Instead of spending hours in taverns, he meditates on the beauty of God's creatures, soon renouncing his riches and his family with plans to rebuild an abandoned church and his life.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Gospel of John (2003)
A word for word depiction of the life of Jesus Christ from the Good News Translation Bible as recorded in the Gospel of John.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHe Who Must Die (1957)
1920s Greece is occupied by the Turks. A country in turmoil with entire villages uprooted. A small community conduct their annual Passion Play. The leading citizens, under auspices of the Patriarch, choose the actors: a stuttering shepherd as Jesus, the town butcher as Judas, the town prostitute as Mary Magdalene, and so on. As the story unfolds, the Passion becomes a reality.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Jesus (1999)
Jesus, a carpenter living a simple life, discovers his destiny as the biblical Messiah.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Seventh Seal (1957)
When disillusioned Swedish knight Antonius Block returns home from the Crusades to find his country in the grips of the Black Death, he challenges Death to a chess match for his life. Tormented by the belief that God does not exist, Block sets off on a journey, meeting up with traveling players Jof and his wife, Mia, and becoming determined to evade Death long enough to commit one redemptive act while he still lives.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisQuo Vadis (2001)
Ancient Rome, during the time of Emperor Nero. Vinicius, a young patrician, falls in love with the beautiful Lygia, the daughter of a Barbarian commander who was killed in battle, and wants her for his concubine. For Lygia, a Christian, being a pagan's concubine is a severe sin and disgrace. However, when Vinicius is wounded, Lygia cares for him, and starts to reciprocate his feelings. Vinicius, in return, becomes interested in Christian learning and asks Apostle Peter to teach him. In the meantime, Emperor Nero accuses Christians of having started a great fire in Rome. He encourages the imprisonment, torture and murder of his Christian subjects.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisAndrei Rublev (1966)
An expansive Russian drama, this film focuses on the life of revered religious icon painter Andrei Rublev. Drifting from place to place in a tumultuous era, the peace-seeking monk eventually gains a reputation for his art. But after Rublev witnesses a brutal battle and unintentionally becomes involved, he takes a vow of silence and spends time away from his work. As he begins to ease his troubled soul, he takes steps towards becoming a painter once again.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisSilence (1971)
In 17th-century Japan, two Portuguese Jesuit priests seek their mentor, who is rumoured to have committed apostasy, and to propagate Catholicism.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChimes at Midnight (1965)
Henry IV usurps the English throne, sets in motion the factious War of the Roses and now faces a rebellion led by Northumberland scion Hotspur. Henry's heir, Prince Hal, is a ne'er-do-well carouser who drinks and causes mischief with his low-class friends, especially his rotund father figure, John Falstaff. To redeem his title, Hal may have to choose between allegiance to his real father and loyalty to his friend.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOedipus Rex (1967)
In pre-war Italy, a young couple have a baby boy. The father, however, is jealous of his son - and the scene moves to antiquity, where the baby is taken into the desert to be killed. He is rescued, given the name Oedipus, and brought up by the King and Queen of Corinth as their son. One day an oracle informs Oedipus that he is destined to kill his father and marry his mother. Horrified, he flees Corinth and his supposed parents - only to get into a fight and kill an older man on the road…
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMarketa Lazarová (1967)
Mikolás and his brother Adam end up with a young German hostage of noble blood during a robbery. While their clan prepares for the wrath of the German king, Mikolás is sent to pressure his neighbor Lazar into a defense pact. Persuasion fails and he abducts Lazar's daughter Marketa on the eve of her initiation as a nun in an act of vengeance.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Flowers of St. Francis (1950)
In a series of simple and joyous vignettes, director Roberto Rossellini and co-writer Federico Fellini lovingly convey the universal teachings of the People’s Saint: humility, compassion, faith, and sacrifice. Gorgeously photographed to evoke the medieval paintings of Saint Francis’s time, and cast with monks from the Nocera Inferiore Monastery, The Flowers of St. Francis is a timeless and moving portrait of the search for spiritual enlightenment.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Gospel According to St. Matthew?
The closest matches to The Gospel According to St. Matthew are The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), King of Kings (1961) and Son of God (2014). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Gospel According to St. Matthew?
People who watched The Gospel According to St. Matthew most often go on to The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), King of Kings (1961) and Son of God (2014).
What is the highest-rated movie like The Gospel According to St. Matthew?
Jesus (1979), rated 8.3/10 by 259 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Gospel According to St. Matthew?
Son of God (2014) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Italian movies like The Gospel According to St. Matthew?
Yes: Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972), Oedipus Rex (1967) and The Flowers of St. Francis (1950).
How are movies similar to The Gospel According to St. Matthew chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Gospel According to St. Matthew, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.