8 Sci-Fi Movies with Religious Meanings [Movies]

Prometheus (2012) – Engineer (Daniel James) dissolving

Religion is a controversial issue. One of the things science fiction
excels at is tackling tough issues. That’s why religion has been the
subtext of many sci-fi movies. While many believe science and religion
contradict each other that hasn’t stopped films from using spiritual
themes to give them a deeper meaning.

From sacrificial deaths, to Jewish symbols, see how filmmakers have subtly introduced religious themes
into eight of your favorite films.

1. Truman Show (1998)

Peter
Weir’s film about a man living in a TV studio touches on themes of
predestination and existentialism. Andrew Niccol’s was inspired by an episode of The Twilight Zone called “Special Service” about a man who’s life is broadcast on television
and wrote a spec script that was sold for almost a million dollars. Jim
Carrey stars as Truman Burbank who unknowingly grows up living in an
huge television studio. The entire thing is broadcast as the ultimate
reality show by Christof, played by Ed Harris. Laura Linney, Noah
Emmerich and Natascha McElhone round out the cast.

Christof runs
Truman’s world with almost god-like control and seems to enjoy
inflicting pain on Truman to make good television. The conversations
between Truman and Christof about his escape to freedom have been compared
to those between Moses and
the Pharaoh of Egypt. To really sell it, in one scene Truman walks on
water and falls
on a boat in the position of the cross. Carrey was always known for his subtlety.

2. Man of Steel (2014)

Superman has always had many Christian themes and Zach
Snyder’s
pushes the envelope. When planning to reboot the films Warner Bros.
Pictures took pitches from comic book writers, screenwriters and
directors. Henry Cavill stars
as Superman and follows his life from his birth on the planet Krypton
to his arrival at the city of Metropolis where he fights evil
Kryptonians led by General Zod.

The film follows the familiar theme of
a father sending
his only son from heaven to Earth to save Mankind. There’s even a scene
where Clark disappears for several years similar to Jesus’ sabbatical
in the wilderness. The studio used religious themes in its marketing
and created a Superman-themed sermon for pastors called “Jesus: The
Original Superhero.”

3. The Matrix (1999)

The Wachowski’s action film touches on themes of Buddhism,
Christianity, Gnosticism, Hinduism, and Judaism. The
idea of a prophesied  savior and a reincarnated hero are examples
of this classic of cinema. He has to clear his mind to perform many of the death defying feats and knows Kung-Fu. Plus, it has bullet time which is beyond
cool.

4. Battlefield Earth (2000)

Roger Christian’s film is based on the Scientology novel by L. Ron
Hubbard. Famed Scientologist John Travolta thought the film would be a
huge hit and even planned a sequel. While the film reportedly has no
connection to the teachings of the church there are some connections.

The villains are named “Psychlos” which is a play on psychologists
which Hubbard hated. The movie was released three days after the 50th
anniversary of the
publication of Hubbard’s book Dianetics. That day is a holiday for
Scientologists. The Church of Scientology got a cut of the toy sales
which were as popular as the film. Namely, they sucked.

5. Equilibrium (2002)

Director Kurt Wimmer made this film about an order of “clerics” that
help to maintain a society devoid of emotions. In this future dystopia everyone takes a carefully regulated regimen of drugs to surpress feelings. Christian Bale stars as John Preston who’s a policeman in this future world who accidentally misses a dose and starts having feelings. Wimmer compared the Clerics to the
Knights Templar who had taken an aesthetic religious vow and are
“Warriors of God.” He also compared them to the Japanese samurai and
their Bushido code.

6. Prometheus (2012)

Ridley Scott’s film was originally named
Paradise, after John Milton’s poem Paradise Lost. The crew is on a
search for God and the origin of life. The symbolism continues as the Engineer
sacrifices himself for humanity similar to Jesus’ death. Scott
referred to the Greek statue-like beings as “Dark Angels.” One of the characters has an
immaculate conception of an alien. The movie also has references to the
Greek mythology of Prometheus who fought the gods to bring fire to
mankind.

7. A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ 1962 novella A Clockwork Orange
has many religious messages. Alex (Malcolm McDowell), a juvenile
delinquent, is subjected to aversion therapy in a prison with many
religious symbols, the prisoners sing hymns and read from “The Big
Book.” A cleric presides over the group and eventually denounces the
removal of free-will.

8. The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)

Directed by Robert Fuest, this horror film starring Vincent Price as a
disfigured genius seeking revenge for the death of his wife. He kills
the doctors and nurses he holds responsible using methods based on the
Ten Plagues against Egypt in the Bible. He even wears amulets with the
ten Jewish Hebrew letters that relate to the plagues.

What do you think of these films? Can you think of any other films with subtle religious meanings?

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