Listers, a few movies for your consideration.

1. Of Gods and Men (2010)

There is no hesitation is stating that Of Gods and Men is a movie of superb quality and comes universally recommended. A movie marked by a certain solemnity, it chronicles the lives of Catholic monks reaching out in love and aid to Muslim villagers. The movie excels due to its ability to show distinctions within Islam, and in showing the monks as both deeply committed to Christ and truly troubled in their concerns toward the ever-approaching Islamic terrorists.

Eight French Christian monks live in harmony with their Muslim brothers in a monastery perched in the mountains of North Africa in the 1990s. When a crew of foreign workers is massacred by an Islamic fundamentalist group, fear sweeps though the region. The army offers them protection, but the monks refuse. Should they leave? Despite the growing menace in their midst, they slowly realize that they have no choice but to stay… come what may. This film is loosely based on the life of the Cistercian monks of Tibhirine in Algeria, from 1993 until their kidnapping in 1996.

2. The 13th Day: The Story of Fatima (2009)

With a low budget and a powerful narrative, The 13th Day does an exceptional job in drawing the viewers into the story of Fatima. It is easily a movie that can serve as the centerpiece to any family gathering, and should be watched by all those who want to understand and feel the story of Our Lady at Fatima.

In a world torn apart by persecution, war and oppression, three children were chosen to offer a message of hope. Based on the memoirs of Sister Lucia Santos and independent eye-witness accounts, The 13th Day dramatizes the incredible true story of three shepherd children from the village of Fatima in Portugal who experienced six apparitions with a Lady from Heaven between May and October 1917, which culminated in the final prophesied miracle.

3. The Rite (2011)

Overall, The Rite falls well below the standards of The 13th Day or Of Gods and Men, but it can serve a very particular purpose.

While The Rite is marketed as a horror film, it is actually a spiritual drama centered on a young seminarian’s journey of faith. If you want horror, it will disappoint. The movie can work as a bridge to non-Catholics and even non-Christians. Drawn in by Hollywood’s perfunctory embellishments, the story leaves the viewers with serious spiritual considerations. The Rite can certainly be a reference point for anyone looking to start a dialogue over Catholicism and spiritual realities.

The Rite is a 2011 American supernatural horror film directed by Mikael Håfström and written by Michael Petroni. It is based on Matt Baglio’s book The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist, which itself is based on allegedly real events with Father Gary Thomas. The film stars Anthony Hopkins, Colin O’Donoghue and Alice Braga. Shot in Rome and Budapest, it was released on January 28, 2011.