Explicitly Christ-centered depiction of the crucifixion and resurrection.
The MPAA rating system — G, PG, PG-13, R — was designed to inform parents about age-appropriateness, not spiritual alignment. A PG-13 film can be spiritually devastating to a young Christian while an R-rated film can contain a profound redemptive arc. Rotten Tomatoes tells you if secular critics found a film artistically satisfying. Neither system answers the question Christians actually need answered: does this film align with or oppose biblical values? The Godly Score fills this gap by evaluating 14 biblical signals across every film — from explicit content levels to spiritual themes, redemptive arcs, and how Christianity itself is portrayed. A biblical rating for movies isn't about being culturally isolated; it's about being spiritually informed.
Philippians 4:8 provides the primary filter: "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things." Applied to film, this means asking: Does this film ultimately direct my mind toward what is noble and admirable, even if it portrays darkness along the way? Or does it dwell in darkness for its own sake? A film can portray sin, suffering, and moral complexity and still be spiritually edifying — this is what the Psalms, Job, and the book of Judges demonstrate within Scripture itself. The difference is between darkness that serves truth and darkness that celebrates itself.
The Passion of the Christ (97/100) — the most explicit depiction of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection, deeply moving and scripturally grounded. Sound of Freedom (82/100) — based on the true story of Tim Ballard's child rescue work, explicitly Christian and powerfully redemptive. Chariots of Fire (85/100) — the story of Eric Liddell's faith-driven Olympic journey remains one of cinema's finest portraits of Christian conviction. Courageous, Fireproof, and the Kendrick Brothers film catalogue score 80-90+ for their explicitly Christian content and family themes.
Many acclaimed films score poorly on the Godly Score despite their artistic merit. 1 Corinthians 10:23 reminds us that "not everything is beneficial" even when it is technically permissible. Films like Hereditary, Midsommar, and most horror films featuring occult worship score in the 1-15 range. Romantic comedies built entirely around fornication as normative score 20-30. The Godly Score is a starting point for discernment, not a replacement for prayerful, Spirit-led judgment.
GodlyScore evaluates media and public figures across nine biblical signal categories: profanity (Ephesians 4:29), sexual content (1 Corinthians 6:18), violence (Psalm 11:5), LGBT normalization (Romans 1:26-27), spiritual darkness (Ephesians 5:11), glorification of sin (Romans 1:32), deception mechanics (Proverbs 12:22), virtue strength (Philippians 4:8), and redemption arc. The score reflects not just whether content is present but how it's framed. Score: see full guide.
See our Biblical Discernment Guide for the complete methodology. GotQuestions and the Gospel Coalition provide thorough evangelical analysis.