Pop culture loves to poke at religion, and these 40 films and TV shows hit hard. They turn God into a fool or a tyrant, twist Bible stories into jokes, and show Christians as evil. A 2023 study by the Media Research Center says 60% of U.S. media’s religious digs aim at Christianity, often using fake believers to sell the villainy, not the 74% of Americans who call themselves Christian (Pew, 2022). With huge hauls like The Da Vinci Code’s $758 million and lasting buzz, these hits draw millions and stir up plenty of talk.
The Handmaid’s Tale (1990)
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After a government coup, Gilead enslaves women like Offred for breeding, twisting Genesis 30:1-3 into law. She struggles through this hellish theocracy, desperate to survive its oppressive rules while searching for her daughter. God serves as a tyrant’s excuse, his word a shackle mocked as oppressive throughout the film. Christians run the show as cold, power-hungry brutes who use religion to justify horrific abuses.
The Wicker Man (1973)
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Sergeant Howie, a devoutly pious police officer, travels to a remote island searching for a missing girl. The pagan locals systematically mock his Christian faith, gradually trapping him in their scheme before burning him alive in a massive wicker effigy. God appears completely powerless to save his faithful servant; Christians look like bumbling, naive fools. This atmospheric cult hit’s shocking ending continues to cement it as a horror staple that attracts new fans decades after its release.
Carrie (1976)
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Carrie White, a shy telekinetic teenager, suffers relentless abuse under her mother Margaret’s Bible-thumping tyranny at home while facing brutal bullying at school. A cruel prom prank finally pushes her over the edge, unleashing deadly telekinetic chaos on everyone. God functions as a terror weapon throughout; scripture becomes a curse, mocked as madness. Christians, particularly Carrie’s mother, come off as deranged, abusive lunatics.
The Righteous Gemstones (2019-present)
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HBO’s dark comedy follows the Gemstone family running a mega-church empire built on fake miracles and emotional manipulation. Led by patriarch Eli (John Goodman), they chase wealth rather than authentic spirituality. The series portrays Christianity as a lucrative business opportunity where theology serves marketing needs. Church members appear as gullible customers funding the family’s lavish lifestyle through generous donations.
The Borgias (2011-2013)
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Showtime’s historical drama depicts Pope Alexander VI (Jeremy Irons) ruling Renaissance Rome while committing every imaginable sin. He secures power for his illegitimate children through murder, bribery, and seduction. The series portrays the Catholic Church as a corrupt political institution where religious teachings serve as window dressing for raw ambition. Christians follow leaders who brazenly violate God’s commandments.# 40 Movies and Shows That Brutally Mock Faith Without Mercy
The Omen (1976)
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What if the Antichrist was your adopted son? Robert Thorn faces this nightmare as mysterious deaths surround little Damien. When priests warn Robert about his child’s true identity, their efforts fail spectacularly. Evil triumphs despite their interventions. The film portrays God as absent while his Church fumbles helplessly.
The Devils (1971)
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Ken Russell’s controversial film drops viewers into 17th-century France, where Father Grandier stands against corrupt church officials. His resistance ends in flames when sexually repressed nuns falsely accuse him of witchcraft. Their hysteria, manipulated by authorities with political agendas, leads to his gruesome torture and execution. Religion serves merely as a tool for power.
The Crucible (1996)
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Salem, 1692: Abigail Williams’ spurned advances toward married farmer John Proctor spark a deadly witch hunt. Arthur Miller’s thinly veiled McCarthy allegory shows how Exodus 22:18 becomes a death warrant in the wrong hands. Daniel Day-Lewis portrays Proctor’s doomed fight against mounting religious hysteria. The film presents Christians as dangerous zealots.
The Mist (2007)
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Fog descends on a small town, trapping shoppers in a grocery store while monsters lurk outside. Inside, danger grows when Mrs. Carmody transforms from an annoying zealot to a murderous cult leader. She quotes scripture while demanding human sacrifices. Frank Darabont’s adaptation presents religion as more dangerous than the creatures themselves. Christians follow her bloodthirsty commands without question.
Elmer Gantry (1960)
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Burt Lancaster’s charismatic con man finds his perfect hustle: preaching. Teaming with Sister Sharon, he sells salvation and fake miracles to gullible believers while privately mocking their faith. His passionate sermons contrast sharply with his cynical backstage behavior. The film portrays Christianity as an industry ripe for exploitation by clever opportunists.
There Will Be Blood (2007)
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Oil and religion clash when ruthless prospector Daniel Plainview meets young preacher Eli Sunday in early 20th-century California. Their power struggle reveals how faith serves business interests as Eli blesses oil wells for profit. Paul Thomas Anderson’s masterpiece culminates in a bowling alley confrontation where Eli’s pious facade shatters completely. Christians appear as manipulative frauds using God.
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
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“LOVE” and “HATE” tattooed across his knuckles, Harry Powell hunts two children who know where their father hid stolen money. This wolf in shepherd’s clothing quotes Bible verses while stalking his prey through rural America. Director Charles Laughton created a nightmare where religion conceals evil intentions. Robert Mitchum’s sinister preacher became one of cinema’s most chilling villains.
Doubt (2008)
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In a 1960s Catholic school, Sister Aloysius suspects Father Flynn of abusing a vulnerable student. Their psychological battle unfolds amid church politics that prioritize protecting priests over children. Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman deliver powerhouse performances as doubt and certainty clash. The film explores how religious institutions shield predators behind sacred authority. Christians appear complicit through willful blindness.
The Magdalene Sisters (2002)
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True horror lies in this film’s historical accuracy. Young women labeled “fallen” endure imprisonment in Irish laundries run by sadistic nuns. Their crime? Being unmarried mothers, rape victims, or simply too pretty. Director Peter Mullan exposes how the Catholic Church trapped thousands in slave labor camps until the 1990s. Punishment administered in God’s name includes beatings.
Spotlight (2015)
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“We knew people would get hurt,” admits a lawyer who helped hide predator priests. Boston Globe reporters uncover hundreds of clergy abuse cases systematically concealed by Catholic leadership. Tom McCarthy’s Oscar winner focuses on journalism’s methodical process rather than sensationalism. The true horror emerges through straightforward facts and numbers. The Church appears as a corporation protecting its brand at children’s expense.
The Witch (2015)
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New England, 1630s: A family’s banishment from their Puritan settlement leads to isolation at the forest’s edge. Their prayers prove useless as supernatural forces tear them apart. Robert Eggers’ meticulous historical horror presents faith as ineffectual against authentic evil. Christians appear deluded, clinging to empty rituals while darkness consumes them from within. The film’s Old English dialogue creates a suffocating atmosphere.
The Name of the Rose (1986)
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Sean Connery’s William of Baskerville investigates serial murders in a medieval monastery where possessing “dangerous” knowledge means death. His rational methods clash with the Church’s superstition and fear of laughter. Based on Umberto Eco’s novel, the film portrays Christian authorities as intellectual terrorists willing to kill to suppress ideas. A massive library burns rather than allowing monks access to Aristotle’s book.
Philomena (2013)
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“The Lord Jesus knows what’s good for you,” a nun tells Philomena as they sell her child. Based on true events, this film follows an elderly Irish woman’s search for her son, taken by nuns and sold to American adopters. Judi Dench’s heartbreaking performance highlights the cruelty inflicted in God’s name. When Philomena finally discovers her son’s fate, she offers forgiveness.
Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
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Rock opera meets biblical narrative in Norman Jewison’s controversial adaptation. Jesus appears uncertain and overwhelmed, while Judas offers the most insightful commentary. The apostles behave like groupies following a reluctant celebrity rather than devoted disciples of the divine. God’s salvation plan unfolds chaotically through catchy musical numbers that question Christian orthodoxy. The film portrays Jesus as frustratingly human.
Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)
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“He’s not the Messiah, and he’s a very naughty boy!” Brian Cohen’s unfortunate birth next door to Jesus leads to mistaken identity with catastrophic results. The Pythons’ sharpest satire depicts religious followers as absurdly literal-minded, fighting over trivial doctrinal differences while missing the message entirely. Christians appear as mindless zealots unable to think for themselves.
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
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Martin Scorsese’s controversial film presents Jesus not as a divine savior but as a conflicted man. Willem Dafoe’s Christ struggles with doubt, fear, and sexual desire for Mary Magdalene. The film’s most provocative sequence shows Jesus hallucinating an escape from crucifixion to live a normal human life. Religious leaders denounced the adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis’s novel. Christians appear to follow a messiah who’s unsure of his own mission.
Dogma (1999)
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Two fallen angels discover a loophole to re-enter heaven and potentially unravel all creation. Meanwhile, God (a woman) skips divine responsibilities to play skee-ball. Kevin Smith’s irreverent comedy portrays organized religion as a bureaucratic mess run by fallible beings. Christians appear clueless about celestial realities. The film sparked protests despite its ultimately faith-affirming conclusion. God simply enjoys human pleasures.
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
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Tom Hanks unravels a murder mystery revealing Jesus had a child with Mary Magdalene, a truth the Church killed to hide. Religious authorities appear as ruthless thugs willing to murder anyone threatening their power. Based on Dan Brown’s bestseller, Ron Howard’s adaptation suggests Christianity’s foundation rests on elaborate lies. Despite Vatican condemnation and mixed reviews, audiences flocked to this conspiracy thriller that earned $758 million worldwide.
Saved! (2004)
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Mary gets pregnant trying to “cure” her gay boyfriend through sex, believing Jesus instructed her to help him. Her Christian high school friends turn viciously against her, led by Hilary Faye, who weaponizes Bible verses for social warfare. Brian Dannelly’s teen satire portrays young Christians as judgmental hypocrites hiding their own sins. The film suggests faith serves primarily as a tool for enforcing conformity.
Noah (2014)
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Darren Aronofsky reimagines the biblical flood story with environmental themes. Russell Crowe’s Noah transforms from a righteous patriarch to a near-murderous zealot willing to kill his own grandchildren, believing God wants humanity extinct. The film portrays the Creator as cruel and distant, communicating through cryptic visions that drive Noah to madness. Religious audiences rejected this dark interpretation, where following God leads to a psychological breakdown.
mother! (2017)
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Jennifer Lawrence plays a nameless woman whose poet husband invites strangers into their home. The visitors multiply, destroying the house while worshipping him despite his wife’s suffering. Darren Aronofsky’s allegorical horror depicts God as a narcissistic creator who sacrifices his creation for adoration. Christians appear as destructive fans enabling divine selfishness. The film divided audiences with its brutal biblical symbolism.
The Exorcist (1973)
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Young Regan MacNeil becomes possessed by a demon that openly mocks Christian rituals. Two priests battle this entity while questioning their faith. William Friedkin’s horror classic suggests evil ultimately proves stronger than holy water and prayer. The demon forces priests to confront their deepest doubts about God’s power. The film’s shocking scenes, including projectile green vomit and head-spinning, permanently transformed the horror genre.
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
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Tim Burton’s gothic adaptation follows Ichabod Crane investigating beheadings in a supposedly pious town. The community leaders maintain a Christian facade while secretly practicing witchcraft and controlling a demonic headless horseman. Religious figures conspire to hide their occult activities behind respectability. The film portrays Christianity as an empty ritual concealing darker truths.
The Handmaid’s Tale (2017-present)
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Hulu’s adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel presents an America transformed into theocratic Gilead following a fertility crisis. Women like June suffer systematic rape justified by twisted Bible verses. The series portrays Christians as brutal enforcers using religion to control women’s bodies. Religious leaders appear as hypocrites who break their own rules in secret. This critically acclaimed show won multiple Emmy Awards.
Preacher (2016-2019)
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Jesse Custer, a small-town Texas preacher, accidentally acquires the power to command others while searching for a God who abandoned his creation. The AMC series portrays heaven as bureaucratic chaos and God as a selfish, irresponsible deity who skipped out on his duties. Angels and demons appear equally corrupt and incompetent. Christians follow a faith built on cosmic lies.
The Righteous Gemstones (2019-present)
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The obscenely wealthy Gemstone family runs a mega-church empire based on fake miracles and emotional manipulation, pursuing cash and fame rather than authentic spiritual guidance for their massive congregations. God exists merely as a profitable grift opportunity; religion gets thoroughly mocked as an elaborate con game. Christians appear as either greedy charlatans or gullible sheep funding lavish lifestyles.
The Tudors (2007-2010)
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Henry VIII repeatedly battled Catholic clergy who manipulated God’s teachings for murder and political control, spilling substantial blood in high-stakes religious power plays. Faith functions primarily as a weapon in royal politics, consistently mocked as transparent treachery serving worldly goals. Christians, especially ambitious Church officials, appear as ruthless snakes maneuvering for advantage regardless of spiritual truth.
South Park (1997-present)
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In the crude Colorado town, Jesus and God get mercilessly roasted weekly through irreverent storylines: Jesus portrayed as an ineffectual wimp hosting a public access show, God depicted as a strange alien-like doofus. Faith exists purely for comedy; scripture gets trashed as absurd and mocked in countless episodes. Christians consistently appear as dimwitted dupes following nonsensical rules.
Family Guy (1999-present)
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Peter Griffin’s dysfunctional world regularly transforms God and Jesus into ridiculous sitcom punchlines: God appears as an unreliable flake, Jesus as a magic trick-performing goofball trying to impress women at parties. Faith exists solely for humor, mocked relentlessly through cutaway gags and main plots. Christians come across as simple-minded followers of bizarre religious rules. Seth MacFarlane’s controversial animation powerhouse keeps generating laughs and complaints in equal measure.
American Horror Story: Asylum (2012-2013)
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In a nightmarish 1960s mental institution, sadistic nuns like Sister Jude torment vulnerable patients under God’s supposed banner, twisting religious faith into a justification for medical torture and cruel punishments. God appears complicit in sadism, thoroughly mocked through every scream and injury inflicted in his name. Christians, particularly the asylum staff, look like vicious freaks enjoying power over helpless victims.
Lucifer (2016-2021)
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The devil himself abandons Hell, deeply resentful toward God, depicted as a flawed father who bungled creation and family relationships. He solves crimes in Los Angeles instead of fulfilling his divine punishment role. God exists as a cosmic joke; religion gets mocked as fundamentally misguided. Christians appear completely misled about divine reality and Satan’s true nature. Netflix’s devilishly entertaining procedural won massive popularity through Tom Ellis’ charming performance.
Good Omens (2019)
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Angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley frantically try to prevent a sloppy apocalypse set in motion by inefficient bureaucracies of Heaven and Hell, narrated by a seemingly checked-out God more interested in ineffable plans than human suffering. Faith appears as a cosmic farce; God gets mocked as aloof and uncaring about creation’s fate. Christians look like bumbling fools following misinterpreted prophecies. Neil Gaiman’s witty Amazon adaptation charmed audiences through its irreverent take on religious end-times predictions.
Penny Dreadful (2014-2016)
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Victorian heroes like those who tormented Vanessa Ives battle literal demons in London’s shadows, yet their supposed Christian allies repeatedly crack under pressure and fail when needed most. God exists as a weak, distant myth mocked by their ultimate losses against darkness. Christians seem like frail, ineffectual losers when confronting authentic evil forces. Showtime’s gorgeous gothic horror mashup.
The Young Pope (2016)
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Newly elected Pope Pius XIII shocks the Vatican establishment with increasingly bizarre, selfish decisions, transforming God’s earthly representative office into a weird personal ego trip disconnected from traditional faith. Religion becomes a mockery of itself through his unconventional leadership. Christians appear as confused followers of an unstable, narcissistic religious leader with questionable spiritual authenticity.
True Detective (Season 1, 2014)
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Detectives Rust Cohle and Marty Hart doggedly pursue a serial killer connected to a secretive Christian cult in rural Louisiana, gradually uncovering ritualistic murders performed beneath crosses and religious symbols. God exists as a sick lie enabling violence; faith gets mocked through bloody crime scenes. Christians, particularly rural congregation members, appear as twisted potential psychopaths hiding behind religious respectability.
Easy Targets and Weak Pushback
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Hollywood’s hooked on mocking Christians, Jesus, and God. It’s their go-to move. Why? Christianity’s massive: 74% of Americans identify as Christian according to a Pew study, and 85% celebrate Christmas, says Gallup, making it a cultural bullseye writers know cold. A Media Research Center analysis found that 60% of religious jabs in U.S. media hit Christianity. Christians barely fight back: only 12% boycott offending content, per USC researchers. In contrast, Islam had global riots over Muhammad cartoons in 2005.
Power Plays and Profit Motives
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It’s also about power and profit. Christianity’s linked to clout: 51% of U.S. Congress is Protestant, according to Pew, and evangelicals drive 25% of votes, says PRRI. So, Hollywood’s liberal lean (70% of execs, notes Variety) loves the takedown. Christians are 63% of the box office crowd per Nielsen data, yet The Da Vinci Code still raked in $758 million despite gripes. Hollywood clearly knows exactly what sells.