This is the Seattle Atheist Church’s list of our top 10 favorite Atheist movies of all time. Don’t see your favorite atheist movie? Object to one of our selections? Add a comment below.
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Movie #1 — Inherit the Wind
Spencer Tracy and Gene Kelly star in this movie about the Scopes Monkey Trial. A teacher is put on trial for teaching Darwin. This classic film is a must-see.
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Movie #2 — The Invention of Lying
Ricky Gervais invents religion at his mother’s deathbed. Funny, sad, and not entirely family appropriate.
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Movie #3 — Touching the Void
True story of a climber who falls into a crevasse and, facing almost certain death, climbs back to camp with a broken leg fueled only by his atheism.
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Movie #4 — Creation
This film stars Paul Bettany as Charles Darwin and focuses on the personal cost of discovering the theory of evolution. I can’t say much without spoiling the film.
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Movie #5 — Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
If you’d like to fantasize about being a naturalist exploring Galapagos Island in the time of Charles Darwin, this film is for you. The ship captain is played by Russell Crowe and the naturalist is played by Paul Bettany. It won Best Cinematography for beautiful views of the ship on the sea and features gorgeous violin music by Boccherini.
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Movie #6 — Agora
This movie is about Hypatia the Greek mathematician. During the Roman Empire the knowledge of antiquity is threatened as the Christians burn Greek libraries. Hypatia makes a scientific discovery and is declared a witch. Rachel Weiz, who plays Hypatia, said this of the film’s relevance in the modern world ”In terms of people killing each other in the name of God, fundamentalism still abounds. And in certain cultures, women are still second-class citizens, and they’re denied education.” A good one for Women’s History Month.
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Movie #7 — Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
A documentary about Scientology. This low key documentary offers a rare look inside a church that is massively more powerful than many realize.
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Movie #8 — Jesus Camp
A documentary about the mania inside a camp for young Christians. Are children being brainwashed? You decide.
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Movie #9 — The Mist
Marcia Gay Harden plays a fundamentalist Christian whose response to a mysterious horror event is worse than the actual event. Based on a Stephen King Novel.
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Movie #10 — The Stoning of Saroya M.
A journalist learns the story of a young girl forced to marry against her wishes and the powerful men that force her to make unacceptable choices. The story comes to a very unhappy end. Based on true events.
