How do you decide what movies and shows are actually good for you to watch? If you've got kids, the question doubles — is this something you're comfortable with them watching too?
I'm Hailey, a Christian millennial mom who loves movies, and this is the question this whole site exists to answer. There are a lot of movies out there — which is amazing, because I love so many of them. Some are beautiful, fun, hilarious, powerful, and inspirational. But if we're not careful, some can upset our minds, hurt our spirits, cause us to stumble, or negatively influence and scare our kids.
God made us creative. He gave us imagination, story, laughter, music, and beauty. Stories matter. And because stories matter, we should be discerning about the stories we let shape us.
Here's the simple, biblical framework I use to decide what to watch — and how I'm trying to teach my kids to use it too.
Start with Philippians 4:8 — the mental filter
One of the main verses I come back to is Philippians 4:8, where Paul says to think about whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise.
Now, Paul wasn't sitting there with Netflix open saying, "Let me give you the official Christian streaming guide." But he was giving us a filter for our minds. So when I watch something, I like to ask:
- Does this help me think about what is true?
- Does it make beauty look more beautiful?
- Does it make evil look evil?
- Does it celebrate courage, sacrifice, forgiveness, loyalty, and truth?
- Or does it make sin look glamorous, funny, harmless, or normal?
That last question is the one that catches more films than I expected when I first started asking it.
Permissible vs. helpful (1 Corinthians 10:23)
Another verse that comes up constantly is 1 Corinthians 10:23: "All things are lawful, but not all things are beneficial."
That's such a good word for entertainment, because we can ask:
Is this beneficial for my mind, my marriage, my walk with God, my kids, for the kind of person I'm becoming?
Something might be technically allowed, but still not wise for me. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Guard your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life." That verse reminds me that my heart isn't a garbage disposal. I can't just throw everything in there and assume it won't affect me.
Exposing darkness vs. celebrating it
This is where I think Christians need real nuance.
That guarded-heart principle doesn't mean we need to panic every time a movie has conflict, darkness, or broken people in it. The Bible itself is full of broken people and dark moments. But the Bible shows darkness truthfully. It doesn't celebrate evil as good.
So when we watch movies, we should ask:
Is this movie exposing darkness, or is it inviting me to enjoy darkness?
A movie can show sin without celebrating it. For example, a story might show betrayal, addiction, violence, greed, or pride in a way that reveals how destructive those things really are. That can actually lead to really meaningful conversations.
But another movie might show the exact same things and basically say, "Isn't this awesome? Isn't this freedom? Isn't this funny?" That's where discernment comes in. The question isn't only what content is in this — the question is also what is this movie asking me to love or celebrate?
This distinction matters most with scary movies, which is a question I get all the time. If that's you, I worked through it in detail here: Should Christians Watch Horror Movies?
Honoring your conscience (Romans 14)
And then there's conscience. Romans 14 is so helpful here, because Paul talks about believers having different convictions on certain issues. He doesn't say everyone must have the exact same personal rule about everything. But he does say we shouldn't violate our conscience.
So here's what I'd say:
- Don't watch something just because another Christian says it's fine.
- Don't condemn someone else if they're watching something you've chosen not to.
- Be honest before God.
If you feel that little check in your spirit, don't bulldoze it. Turning something off is not weakness — it's wisdom.
There have been multiple occasions where my husband and I get a couple episodes into a show and decide it's just not for us, either because of what it's celebrating or because it just left us feeling off. I've also watched movies I wish I really hadn't, because it was just too much and it left me thinking negatively about it for days or weeks afterward.
Things don't need to be perfect — but you can absolutely pray about it before and after. If you watch something you wish you hadn't, prayer and self-reflection about the thoughts it left you with is a great idea. No need to feel guilty or think you're not a good Christian. Just think about it next time you go to make a choice, and you'll probably be happier with where you land.
The Popcorn & Prayers Movie Filter
Here's the simple filter I like to use. You can remember it as the Popcorn & Prayers Movie Filter — four questions, in order:
1. Content
What is actually in this movie?
This is the surface-level layer — sexual content, violence, language, scary moments. It matters, but it's not the whole story. (Every review on this site breaks this down in detail.)
2. Celebration
What does this movie want me to cheer for?
What is the film holding up as good, beautiful, funny, free, or admirable? That's where the spiritual fingerprint of a movie really lives.
3. Conscience
Can I watch this with peace before God?
Not what your friend thinks. Not what another reviewer says. What does your conscience, shaped by Scripture and the Spirit, say to you?
4. Fruit
What does this produce in me afterward?
Because the question is not just what is the rating. The question is what fruit does it grow? Did I walk away encouraged, sharpened, softened toward my family — or anxious, lustful, cynical, distracted? Fruit doesn't lie.
For parents — you're discipling imaginations
For parents, this matters even more. Sometimes we aren't just choosing entertainment. We're discipling our kids' imaginations.
That doesn't mean our kids can only watch Bible cartoons or explicitly Christian shows (although there are some awesome ones out there). It does mean we should help them learn how to ask good questions:
- Was that character wise? What did they want?
- Did the story reward selfishness or sacrifice?
- What was funny, and should it have been funny?
- Where did we see courage, forgiveness, mercy, or truth?
That conversation, more than any rating, is what shapes the kind of viewer — and the kind of person — they become.
So… should Christians watch movies?
I think the answer is yes — Christians should watch with wisdom, with joy, watch with discernment, and watch with our Bible-shaped imagination turned on.
And sometimes, yes — watch with popcorn. But also watch with prayer. Because what we watch helps to form what we love, and what we love shapes who we become.
That's the heart behind every review on this site. If you want to see the filter in action, browse the reviews — every one is scored, content-noted, and run through these same four questions, so you can press play with peace.
What's one movie you love that actually helped you think more deeply about faith, courage, forgiveness, or sacrifice? Drop it in the comments below — I'd love to hear.