Films about Sts. Thomas More, Thérèse, John Paul II, Giuseppe Moscati and Maximilian Kolbe showcase the heroic virtue of our friends the saints. Watch, and be inspired.

A Man for All Seasons (1966)

The witness of St. Thomas More is most inspiring: The courage of his convictions is masterfully brought to the screen by Paul Scofield in a film that has received Vatican accolades.

Pope Leo held up Thomas More as both a civic and spiritual model in an address during the Jubilee of Governments last year.

“During the Jubilee of the Year 2000, St. John Paul II indicated St. Thomas More as a witness for political leaders to revere and an intercessor under whose protection to place their work. Sir Thomas More was a man faithful to his civic responsibilities, a perfect servant of the state precisely because of his faith, which led him to view politics not as a profession but as a mission for the spread of truth and goodness. He ‘placed his public activity at the service of the person, especially the weak and poor; he handled social disputes with an exquisite sense of justice; he protected the family and defended it with strenuous commitment; and he promoted the integral education of youth’ (apostolic letter E Sancti Thomae Mori, Oct. 31, 2000, 4). The courage he showed by his readiness to sacrifice his life rather than betray the truth makes him, also for us today, a martyr for freedom and for the primacy of conscience.” 

The movie brings these papal insights into blessed light on screen.

View on platforms such as Roku. Contains thematic elements related to adultery and divorce and martyrdom.

Thérèse (2004) 

This film beautifully highlights the “Little Way” of St. Thérèse and her holy heart.

“Thérèse of Lisieux has a special gift for enchanting with the beauty of her soul,” Pope St. John Paul II observed during a visit to her hometown. This truth is exemplified in this film, which stars Lindsay Younce and Leonardo Defilippis.

Longtime Little Flowers devotees and those new to this dear saint alike will enjoy this movie.

Parental guidance suggested for some mild thematic elements. Watch via streaming platforms like Formed, Tubi and Roku. Also available to rent on AppleTV.

Karol: A Man Who Became Pope (2005 TV miniseries)

A Polish actor portrays the Polish Pope who was once an actor. Chronciling a life of faith amid hardship that brought Karol Wojtyla all the way to the papacy, this film highlights the saint-pope who confronted Nazism and communism and reminded us that with Christ we need not be afraid.

Not rated, but contains some thematic elements. Find the DVD at EWTN Religious Catalogue: KAROL: A MAN WHO BECAME POPE DVD - COMPLETE SERIES; rent on Amazon or watch via Formed.

(Also a good watch: the performance of Carl Elwes as a young John Paul II.)

St. Giuseppe Moscati: Doctor to the Poor (2007)

St. Giuseppe Moscati was an Italian physician and pioneer in the use of insulin who truly saw Christ in his patients. This biographical drama of a white-coat-wearing layman shows what it means to bring Jesus to work, for he attended to the needs of human souls as well as bodies.

As John Paul II said at the 1987 canonization Mass for this holy physician:

Moscati saw Christ himself in the sick man, who, in his weakness, in his misery, in his fragility and insecurity, turned to him asking for help; he saw the person before him as a person, a being in whom there was a body in need of care, but also a being in which dwelt a spirit also in need of help and comfort. ... [T]he human warmth with which Moscati solicitously visited the sick, especially the poorest and most abandoned, approaching them in the hospital and in their own homes, was such that people sought him out; his manner was rich with that respectful and gentle kindness that Jesus Christ spread around him when he walked the streets of Palestine doing good and healing all (cf. Acts 10:38).

Italian film with English subtitles; not rated but some thematic elements. Watch here or purchase on EWTNRC.com (watch EWTN listings for reruns).

Triumph of the Heart (2025) 

“Triumph of the Heart is truly a masterpiece of hope, an affirmation of life amid the horrors of a death camp,” according to Register staff writer Joseph Pronechen.

This moving movie about St. Maximiliam Kolbe powerfully depicts the World War II martyr with a Marian heart. Auschwitz prisoner No. 16670 shows indeed that a heart centered on Christ triumphs.

This film, which contains Nazi concentration-camp and Holocaust themes, is streaming on platforms such as Formed and Credo; also stream here. The DVD, released in December, includes a documentary.

READ THE REGISTER REVIEW:

BONUS PICK ABOUT A BLESSED:

A Hidden Life (2019)

I watched this beautiful film about Blessed Franz Jägerstätter as the COVID pandemic was first making headlines, and it has stayed with me ever since. So has this this line the martyr wrote in a letter to his wife before his death at the hands of Nazis:

“Even if yet more difficult things should come, all shall someday work out for the best for him that abides in love.”

His last recorded words speak volumes: “I am completely bound in inner union with the Lord.”

Find ways to watch; rated PG-13 for thematic material, including violent images.

MORE INSPIRATION

Be sure to check out all of the saint movies at EWTN On Demand. Other movie recommendations about saints and other subjects can be found at the Register here.

What will you be watching? What other films do you recommend?