Discussing religious exploitation might seem out of place in an article about film, yet cinema and television have been powerful vectors for the misuse of Christian imagery and messaging. Over the years, the commercialization of faith on screen has contributed to the modern cynicism many feel toward Christianity. The rise of lucrative televangelists and for-profit religious media ventures has amplified that distrust, and the entertainment industry has repeatedly turned Jesus’ story into a commodity rather than a sacred subject.
Once Hollywood realised that faith-based stories could draw large audiences, studios rushed to capitalise. The success of films like Ben-Hur (1959) taught executives that biblical epics could be profitable, and that financial incentive too often came before artistic integrity or theological sensitivity. When the goal is box-office returns, portrayals of Jesus can be distorted by commercial aims, dated production choices or poor filmmaking. Sometimes these adaptations are shaped more by contemporary trends than by respect for the source material, leaving them feeling inauthentic or plainly misguided.
This curated list focuses on theatrical releases that have drawn criticism for their portrayals of Jesus Christ. Each entry considers the actor’s performance and the ways production decisions influenced the final representation. The goal is not to attack faith but to assess how certain cinematic choices—casting, editing, direction and tone—have, in these cases, resulted in depictions that many viewers find unsatisfying or offensive.
1. King of Kings (1961) — Jeffrey Hunter
King of Kings was produced in the wake of Ben-Hur’s enormous success. MGM, eager to replicate that box-office triumph, revisited the silent-era classic about Jesus and presented a version that put a recognisable 20th-century face to Christ: Jeffrey Hunter. Hunter’s performance and appearance made a striking impression on audiences; his portrayal generated fan mail and strong emotional responses for years.
Physically, Hunter fit a certain ideal: handsome, styled to evoke Renaissance imagery, and costumed in a way that emphasised his appearance. While that look can be effective for visual storytelling, it also tipped into a problematic focus on appearance over depth. Hunter’s Christ is visually arresting, but the performance lacks substantive character development. Even when delivering sermons or intimate moments, Hunter’s portrayal can feel flat or performative rather than deeply human.
The film itself leans heavily into the political background of the Gospels, emphasising Roman occupation and corrupt local rulers. As a historical epic it succeeds in parts—memorable supporting turns and strong production values make the political story compelling—but this emphasis sometimes sidelines Jesus’ personal story. In comparison to later films that explored the interior life and spiritual authority of Jesus with more nuance, Hunter’s performance and the film’s approach leave the spiritual heart of the story underexplored.
2. Jesus (1979) — Brian Deacon
Jesus (1979) is notable for how widely it has been distributed and translated, becoming a common evangelistic tool in many languages. Funded largely through grassroots efforts, the production aimed primarily to spread the Gospel. That single-minded purpose produced a film faithful in its adherence to the Gospel of Luke, but it also meant the project prioritised evangelism over cinematic artistry.
Brian Deacon’s portrayal is earnest and accessible—qualities that made the film useful in outreach settings—but the final edit trimmed a planned longer epic into a much shorter feature. Deacon and other cast members lost significant footage in post-production, which reduced narrative depth and disrupted intended character arcs. Additionally, production difficulties, including Deacon’s illness late in production, weakened the consistency of the performance. The result is a film that communicates doctrine clearly but often lacks the emotional and cinematic lift of other dramatic treatments.
3. Godspell: A Musical Based on the Gospel According to St Matthew (1973) — Victor Garber
The stage musical Godspell thrives on irreverent energy and theatrical invention, but its film adaptation struggles to translate that spirit effectively. Transposing the Gospel of Matthew to 1970s New York and framing Jesus and his followers as a street theatre troupe was meant to make the story feel fresh and relevant. Instead, the cinematic version often feels dated, uneven, and tonally incongruent.
Victor Garber’s Jesus is styled to fit the production’s youthful eccentricity, but his performance lacks the warmth or depth some viewers expect. The film leans into quirky vocal choices, slapstick moments and contrived bravado that can undercut the gravity of the parables it presents. Supporting performances—at times stronger—outshine the lead, which compounds the sense that the film fails to honour the seriousness behind Matthew’s text.
4. The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) — Max von Sydow
Intended as a sweeping, reverent retelling of the Gospels, this lengthy production became notorious for its uneven choices. Shot in grand vistas and often favouring long, distanced compositions, the film prioritises spectacle over intimate storytelling. Many contemporaries and later viewers felt it contributed to a decline in popularity for large-scale biblical epics.
Max von Sydow’s understated portrayal of Jesus may have been meant as solemn and reverential, but the result sometimes reads as cold or detached. Combined with awkward casting cameos and an episodic structure that unsettles narrative flow, the film struggles to draw the audience into the emotional and spiritual stakes of the story. Moments intended to be moving at times become unintentionally comic due to tonal clashes and intrusive celebrity appearances.
5. Son of God (2014) — Diogo Morgado
Son of God, edited down from a History Channel miniseries, represents a more recent example of a film that converts a long-form project into a condensed theatrical feature. The production includes some imaginative visual ideas, yet the compression and uneven performances undermine many of its strengths.
Diogo Morgado’s romanticised screen presence and earnest effort do not always translate into a convincing, layered portrayal. Some sequences offer fresh staging—such as an intimate treatment of Lazarus’ resurrection—but the film’s handling of pivotal moments like the Passion can feel derivative or sensationalised. Compared with other portrayals that prioritise nuance and interiority, this production aims for broad emotional gestures and sometimes falls short of authentic spiritual resonance.
These five films illustrate how cinematic portrayals of Jesus can fail when commercial pressures, misguided creative choices, or rushed edits outweigh careful storytelling and theological sensitivity. A respectful and powerful depiction of Christ on screen requires not just conviction but also artistry: strong casting, thoughtful direction, coherent editing and a commitment to conveying both the humanity and the spiritual depth of the figure at the centre of the Gospels.
Which portrayals of Jesus in cinema have frustrated or disappointed you? Which performances or films do you find the most problematic, and why? Share your thoughts and perspectives with others who care about how sacred narratives are adapted for the screen.