Victoria EverleighWelcome to the current list of Catholic-themed TV shows and films you can watch online on sites like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO, and more!
I’m grateful we have channels like EWTN and CatholicTV, but sometimes you just want to escape and watch a fictional drama/comedy/sitcom. The List is constantly evolving and is listed in no particular order. Please contact me if you have others to add – I’m happy to give credit!
TV Shows
**New: The Sister Boniface Mysteries
- Where to watch: BritBox subscription
- If you’re a Father Brown fan, then this new show is right up your alley! Sister Boniface is a fictional nun in 1960s England with a knack for solving mysteries.
- The show starting streaming with a BritBox subscription in February 2022
- You can read more about the show here.
The Chosen
- Where to watch: Pay to watch via VidAngel
- From the show’s website: “The Chosen allows us to see Him through the eyes of those who knew him. No matter where you are at in your journey with Jesus Christ, this TV show is for you.”
- You can support the production of the show so that it can continue beyond Season 2
Father Brown
- Where to watch: BBC & Amazon Prime w/ BritBox subscription
- This is a series based loosely on G.K. Chesterton’s book series. Father Brown is a priest in 1950s England with a penchant for solving his town’s murders and mysteries, mainly by using his ability to read people very well. If you like mysteries, like I do, you’ll probably enjoy the show. I don’t usually solve the murder before the end of the show, but it’s fun trying.
- Overall each episode stands alone with different people involved in each mystery. The series is not sequential, so you won’t be left with a cliffhanger at the end.
- Season 9 is currently in the works!
The Young Pope
- Where to watch: Free with HBO Subscription, available for purchase on other streaming sites
- This is a fictional series about the first American Pope, played Jude Law. I haven’t watched it yet, but there are criticisms about how it portrays Catholicism. I think that will probably be the case with any fictionalized series. Nonetheless, it shows there is interest in our faith and I definitely plan on watching!
Fleabag
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime
- This is about a young woman’s grieving period while living in London.
- Fair warning, I haven’t seen this yet, so I can’t speak to how closely it represents the Catholic faith. If you do a search online, you’ll see various reviews from Catholic websites. I guess it begs the question: is the (flawed) integration of the Catholic faith into secular media, particularly entertainment, better than no attempt at all?
Living Biblically
- Where to watch: CBS online
- I first heard about “Living Biblically” on Catholic radio and was shocked that a major network (CBS) would air a pro-Catholic sitcom! Even cooler, apparently the other 2 major networks also wanted it.
- The premise is that this guy loses his best friend and finds out his wife is pregnant, so he decides to seek out God and live completely according to the Bible.
- Most interesting to me is that he’s living this out when practically no one else around him is, including his wife. The main character, Chip, is a witness to the faith in a genuine & lovable way even when it’s uncomfortable and counter-cultural.
- Some of the humor is crude, but it’s not coming from the main character. That said, I wouldn’t classify this as a “family show” altogether — some episodes have more off-color jokes than others.
Jim Gaffigan Show
- Where to watch: TVLand, plus Youtube/Amazon Prime for purchase
- I was totally in the dark about Jim and Jeannie Gaffigan being Catholics until I heard Jeannie on a few podcasts recently (October 2019) talking about her new book, “When Life Gives You Pears.” (It’s a funny memoir about her battle with brain cancer.) She referenced a particular episode called “The Bible Story,” which I found online and laughed through!
Blue Bloods
- Where to watch: CBS & Netflix
- Blue Bloods centers on an Irish-American Catholic family – the Reagans. The dad is the New York Police Commissioner, while his 2 sons are also cops and his daughter is an attorney. From what I’ve read, there is a lot of focus on family life.
- I’ve never seen this show, but I heard about it from a Catholic friend, who says the faith is woven into the series. In fact, one of the script writers and producers for the show, Siobhan Byrne O’Connor, did an interview with National Catholic Register about how her faith affects her work.
The Thorn Birds
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime for purchase
- This is a four-part mini-series based on a novel of the same name (written in 1977). It follows the story of a young woman and priest who fall in love. The series has won Emmys and Golden Globes!
Films
**New: Father Stu (2022)
- Currently only in theatres (as of April 2022). Watch the trailer!
Sister Act 2 (1993)
- Where to watch: Free on DisneyPLUS, for purchase on other platforms
- A Las Vegas performer pretends to be a nun to help a group of sisters who need to teach music to their students.
- This is a film I grew up watching multiple times! The music is just amazing, especially the vocals of Lauryn Hill. “His Eye is on the Sparrow” is stunning.
- Note: There is also the movie “Sister Act” which precedes this one. For some reason, I never saw the first film, but it is also available on DisneyPLUS.
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
- Where to watch: Free on Pluto TV, Amazon Prime
- The quintessential film about our faith!
Les Miserables (2012)
- Where to watch: Netflix
The Sound of Music (1965)
- Where to watch: Free on DisneyPLUS, streaming for a fee elsewhere
- This is my mom’s favorite movie, so growing up we watched it a lot! If you’re not familiar, it’s the story of a woman (Julie Andrews) who is discerning life as a religious sister. During her discernment, she is assigned to take care of a widowed Navy Captain’s seven children. It’s a love story filled with music, but I won’t spoil the end if you haven’t seen it.
Fatima (2020)
- Where to watch: Netflix, for purchase on other streaming sites
- The story behind the 1917 miracle at Fatima, where three young children experience apparitions of Our Lady.
The Little Hours (2017)
- Where to watch: Free on Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Sling TV
The Hidden Life (2019)
- Where to watch: Youtube, Amazon, Vudu for purchase
- This film tells the true story of Franz Jägerstätter, who is regarded as a Catholic martyr. He rejected the Nazi Germany ideals during World War II and refused to fight for them!
The Two Popes (2019)
- Where to watch: Netflix
- I haven’t watched this one yet, but I’ve heard good things about it!
The Lord of the Rings
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime & other streaming sites for purchase
- You’re going to cringe, but I’ve never seen this movie! So I’m not the best person to tell you how it’s laced with Catholic undertones and lessons, but I have heard from so many friends and Catholic speakers about this.
Unplanned (2019)
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime, DVD, for rent on AppleTV
- This is Abby Johnson’s real-life story – a Planned Parenthood clinic director witnesses an abortion in her own clinic, which ultimately leads her to quit her job and join the pro-life movement.
The Way
- Where to watch: DVD, for rent on Amazon Prime
- In this film, starring Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez (real-life father and son), a father learns his son has died while attempting to travel along the Camino de Santiago. So he sets out to finish the voyage his son will never be able to. You’ll find Catholic elements throughout, including the discussion of the father’s fallen-away faith, the arrival at Santiago de Compostela (the Camino’s final destination), and his encounter with a priest along the Camino. There are lots of articles/reviews about the film in Catholic outlets, including:
Full of Grace
- Where to watch: Amazon Prime & Youtube for rent
- This film explores what the Blessed Virgin Mary’s life was like after Jesus’ Resurrection and Ascension. Of course since the Bible doesn’t tell us the intimate details of what happened to her after these events, so this film has to take creative license in that respect.