The search for meaningful and wholesome family entertainment is often a difficult one. Our culture is flooded with movies that are crude, ugly, and immoral. Finding high quality films that support your values and steep you in an atmosphere of truth and beauty is paramount because the entertainment we consume forms and shapes us. Pro-life movies constitute one such wholesome genre, a genre that celebrates the value of human life.
If you’re tired of endlessly scrolling through Netflix, trying to find something worthwhile to watch, look no further. Here’s a list of pro-life movies that promote family bonds and the sanctity of life. With films for kids, teens, and adults, this list has something for everyone, and will aid you in the search for movies that align with your values and communicate a wholesome vision to your children [1].
Family-Friendly Pro-life Movies
[2]This film tells the story of eleven-year-old musical prodigy Evan Taylor who was–seemingly–abandoned by his parents as an infant. The sensitive and dreamy Evan, however, insists that his parents always wanted him and that he can find them if he “follows the music” he hears buzzing all around him–in the wind, the trees, the telephone wires, the sounds of a city street. So the young boy runs away from his orphanage to New York City to search for his parents–who are, in turn, looking for him. Evan and his parents weave their way through the crowded streets of New York desperately searching for one another, trying to make their family whole again.
The film has themes that readily qualify it as a pro-life movie. In flashback scenes, Evan’s grandfather speaks of his daughter’s pregnancy with Evan as a “problem” that’s going to interfere with her career as a professional cellist. There are strong implications that he’s pressuring her to have an abortion [3], although this isn’t stated outright. The mother, Lyla, wants the baby, but when she has an accident that causes premature labor, her father lies to her, telling her the baby died. For him, the baby is an inconvenience that must be gotten rid of somehow, so he places it in an orphanage.
The film powerfully depicts the bonds between parents and children, a bond that nothing can break. On top of that, the movie is beautifully filmed, well-acted, and has a magnificent soundtrack.
Storks (2016) [4]
[4]Storks is a hilarious, kid-friendly animated feature film about birds and babies. In the world of the film, storks used to deliver babies to human families that ordered them, but the storks have since switched to delivering packages for a megalithic corporation. But when the baby factory produces one last baby, the top delivery stork, Junior, and his human friend, Tulip, must rush to deliver the baby before the boss finds out and they lose their jobs.
For all the laughs, there’s some surprisingly profound commentary on the way that American culture tends to prioritize career and material goods over children–and the damaging effects of those disordered priorities. The movie celebrates the joy of babies and parenthood and in one particularly powerful sequence, reminds us that a whole life of dreams, aspirations, and joys is contained in potentiality in every infant. All this makes the film a great pro-life movie for kids.
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) [5]
[6]It’s a Wonderful Life is not only a classic Christmas movie, but also a fundamentally pro-life movie [7]. It tells the life story of George Bailey, how he’s raised, falls in love, and starts a family in small-town America. But when things begin to fall apart in George’s middle-age, he attempts suicide. George’s guardian angel, Clarence, saves him and then decides to change his heart by showing him what the world would look like if he had never been born, thus revealing to him the profound significance and import of his life.
The fact this is ultimately a pro-life movie is expressed by one of Clarence’s key lines: “It’s strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?” It’s a Wonderful Life dramatically demonstrates that no one is dispensable. In addition, the film is a beautiful celebration of family life, traditional values, small-town America, and, of course, Christmas. The backdrop of Christ’s birth only serves to strengthen the pro-life presuppositions and basis of the film.
Pro-life Movies for Teens
[8]October Baby tells the fictional story of Hannah Lawson, a survivor of a failed abortion, a narrative inspired by the real-life story of abortion survivor Gianna Jessen [9]. Hannah contends with both physical and emotional scars from her past. When Hannah learns the truth about her past, she sets out on a road trip to find her birth mother, learn the full story, and come to terms with what almost happened to her.
The pro-life themes here are clear. Hannah is a beautiful person with a beautiful life that might have never existed. The story highlights for audiences the profound tragedy of the loss of each person who might have lived a full and happy life, as well as the deep scars left on both mothers and babies via abortion–even a failed one. In addition, this pro-life movie includes uplifting themes of self-sacrificial love, healing, and forgiveness.
The Giver (2014) [10]
[10]Based on the beloved novel by Lois Lowry [11], The Giver is a science fiction film set in a dystopian future. The film’s protagonist, Jonas, lives in a colorless, sanitized, controlled reality, completely cut off from the past. Only one member of the society–The Giver–is permitted to preserve the memories of the community and understand its secret past. When Jonas encounters The Giver, he begins to discover the truth about the false reality he’s been raised in and the importance of escaping it.
In this “perfect” society, scientists try to ensure that only “perfect” babies are born through genetic engineering. But if a child is not “perfect,” he or she will be “released to Elsewhere”–a euphemism for murder. In the most disturbing scene of the film, an infant is killed by means of lethal injection. The moment drives home the horror of infanticide and the trampling of innocent life.
The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019) [12]
[12]In some countries, almost 100% of babies with Down syndrome are aborted. [13] Yet people with Down syndrome have just as much value and importance as any other human being. One film that helps highlight that fact is The Peanut Butter Falcon. Though not often on lists of overtly pro-life movies, it nevertheless foregrounds the beauty, value, and talents of people with Down syndrome. The story centers on a young man with Down syndrome named Zak who runs away from his nursing home to become a pro wrestler. Zak touches each soul he encounters, transforming the lives of his caregiver and an outlaw he meets on the road.
Evidently, this is true of the Down syndrome actor Zack Gottsagen who plays Zak, as well. In interviews, his co-stars speak feelingly [14] about what a wonderful person he is to work with.
The eccentric, whimsical style of the film will delight and charm audiences while gently bolstering our understanding of the irreplaceability of every person, however small or insignificant they may at first appear.
Crescendo (2011) [15]
[15]Crescendo is an award-winning, 15-minute short film about a woman living in an abusive marriage who is tempted to take the life of her unborn baby. According to Catholic News Agency [16], Crescendo is based on the diary of Maria Beethoven, the mother of the famous composer. Fortunately for the world, Maria chose not to destroy the life growing inside her, and as a result the world has been blessed by the genius of her child. “Every little thing can become something great,” says one character near the beginning of the film, reminding us of the value of every preborn child. This pro-life movie can be viewed for free here [17].
Pro-life Movies for Mature Audiences
Unplanned (2019) [18]
[18]Among the most directly pro-life movies on this list, Unplanned is based on the true story [19] of Abby Johnson [20], who was one of the youngest Planned Parenthood clinic directors in the country and an avid supporter of so-called “reproductive rights” until she was asked, one day, to assist with an actual abortion. Witnessing the gruesome procedure firsthand shook her to her core and turned her life upside down. The traumatic experience transformed her into a champion of the pro-life cause.
The film is well-done, although its creators are (understandably) more focused on communicating a message than creating a great work of art. Still, it holds up pretty well even on artistic terms. Fair warning: the abortion scene is quite hard to watch.
Bella (2006) [21]
[21]This is an exquisitely beautiful story, artistically rendered. One of the most moving pro-life movies you’ll ever watch, Bella tells the narrative of an unmarried young woman, Nina, who discovers she’s pregnant and–due to her own troubled past and difficult current circumstances–decides she wants to abort the child. However, a fellow co-worker, Jose, takes her under his wing and gently tries to persuade her not to go through with it. Most of the film takes place over the course of a single day, tracking the wanderings of Jose and Nina through the streets of New York and then at Jose’s parents’ home, on the beach. Little by little, Nina and Jose reveal their inner lives to one another, and the goodness of Jose’s heart, his own prior trauma, and the warmth of his family begins to change Nina’s life.
This is a slow-paced, spiritual, deeply moving film superbly acted and directed. It has rightly won multiple awards. It is profoundly pro-life without being preachy.
Arrival (2016) [22]
[22]Arrival is a thought-provoking, artistic, atmospheric science-fiction film from director Denis Villeneuve. Ostensibly about humanity’s first contact with aliens, the film is really more about family relationships, loss, grieving, and the unconditional affirmation of life despite its sorrows. Though not often classified among pro-life movies, the implications of the film’s conclusion are nevertheless strikingly pro-life.
The aliens teach the main character, Louise Banks, a non-linear, circular experience of time that allows her to essentially know the future (or the past, depending on how you look at it). This knowledge reveals to her that her daughter will die young, yet she chooses the pregnancy anyway, recognizing the value of life, however brief and difficult it may be.
Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer (2018) [23]
[23]Tragically, this pro-life movie is based on a true story: the story of serial killer and abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell [24]. Gosnell was convicted of murder for killing infants who were born alive [25], involuntary manslaughter for the death of a woman undergoing an abortion procedure, and 21 counts of illegal late-term abortions. The film chronicles the efforts of investigators and prosecutors to bring Gosnell to justice. The dark subject-matter of the film makes it best suited for older teen or adult audiences, although little graphic gore is actually shown onscreen.
Nefarious (2023) [26]
[26]This dark yet fascinating film depicts the final hours of a prisoner on death row. A psychologist is called in to make a final evaluation of the prisoner’s sanity–and therefore his eligibility for execution. There’s just one problem: the prisoner claims he’s a demon, an assertion that becomes increasingly believable (even to the skeptical doctor) as the film progresses.
The movie, which occurs mostly in a single room, includes some brilliant dialogue and powerful acting from Sean Patrick Flanery. It takes an unflinching look at the nature of evil–including the evil of abortion. The demon, speaking through the prisoner’s mouth, asserts that “all hell rejoices” at each abortion, which he calls “murder” and even a “sacrifice” to the demonic world. Note that this is not a movie for kids: it includes adult themes and disturbing images, including a graphic execution scene. It’s not your typical pro-life movie, but it’s effective at communicating that message nonetheless.
Amazing Grace (2006) [27]
[27]While not a film directly related to the abortion issue, Amazing Grace still bears significant relevance to the pro-life cause. The historically-based film recounts the battle of William Wilberforce and William Pitt to abolish England’s slave trade. Amazing Grace reminds us of what’s possible: despite setbacks, a horrific practice that is socially and legally sanctioned can, in fact, be ended.
Informing and Inspiring Pro-Life Documentaries
The Drop Box (2015) [28]
[28]This pro-life movie is a remarkable documentary about South Korean Pastor Lee and his wife who’ve dedicated themselves to saving unwanted children. They set up a “baby drop box” at their home for parents who choose not to raise their children.
At the time of the film’s making, Lee and his wife had taken care of over 350 children, mostly with moderate to severe disabilities. [29] They were led to this incredible ministry through the experience of parenting their own disabled children, which taught them the beauty and meaning of life, even and especially a life restricted by severe handicaps.
The immense sacrifices the Lees made to take care of people no one else will is deeply inspiring and moving, and the well-made film amply demonstrates the precious value of every single human life.
The Matter of Life (2021) [30]
[30]This well-researched pro-life documentary exposes the true nature of abortion and the abortion industry. Using interviews with doctors, activists, historians, and former abortion workers, the film describes the controversy, history, process, and effects of abortion in America. In an evenhanded manner, the film covers abortion’s dark origins in the eugenics movement and the machinations of Margaret Sanger [31], the shady history of the abortion movement in America, the clear scientific conclusion that life begins at conception, and the horrifying realities of the procedure itself. It’s difficult to imagine someone watching the film and not coming away with unshakable pro-life convictions. Note that the documentary includes graphic images of aborted babies and detailed description of abortion procedures, so viewer discretion is advised. The film can be found for free here [32].
40 (2013) [33]
[33]Another excellent pro-life documentary, this film explores the Roe v. Wade decision and its dark legacy. Although released on the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, before the overturning of the ruling in 2022, it still offers loads of relevant information and arguments surrounding abortion and the abortion industry. Enriched with striking statistics and interviews from pro-life activists, lawyers, and women impacted by abortion, the film takes viewers through the intricacies of the controversy and the real-world effects of this devastating crime. You can watch the documentary for free here [34].