Movies Like Elmer Gantry (1960)

Elmer Gantry is a 1960 drama film from Richard Brooks with a MovieMagicScore of 7.3/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Leap of Faith and The Miracle Woman.

Drama

Leap of Faith

1992

Jonas Nightengale is a fraudulent Christian faith healer who makes a living travelling around America holding revival meetings and conducting 'miracles' with the help of his friend and manager, Jane, and their entourage.

5.8

MagicScore

The Miracle Woman

1931

After an unappreciated minister dies, his daughter loses her faith in God, prompting her to open a phony temple with a con man. Can the love of a blind former aviator restore her faith and happiness?

6.7

MagicScore

Buck and the Preacher

1972

A wagon master and a con-man preacher help freed slaves dogged by cheap-labor agents out West.

6.3

MagicScore

The Godfather

1972

Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.

8.7

MagicScore

The Wolf of Wall Street

2013

A New York stockbroker refuses to cooperate in a large securities fraud case involving corruption on Wall Street, corporate banking world and mob infiltration. Based on Jordan Belfort's autobiography.

8.0

MagicScore

The Night of the Hunter

1955

In Depression-era West Virginia, a serial-killing preacher hunts two young children who know the whereabouts of a stash of money.

7.9

MagicScore

Vares: The Path of the Righteous Men

2012

The body of a young woman whose heart has been ripped out of her chest is found in a remote are in Finland. The finder of the body, a dismissed pastor, hires private investigator Jussi Vares to investigate the crime. Vares uncovers a criminal ring involved in extortion, religious scams, exploitation of minors and stock market speculation.

5.8

MagicScore

Paper Moon

1973

During the Great Depression, a con man finds himself saddled with a young girl who may or may not be his daughter, and the two forge an unlikely partnership.

7.9

MagicScore

Marjoe

1972

Part documentary, part expose, this film follows one-time child evangelist Marjoe Gortner on the "church tent" Revivalist circuit, commenting on the showmanship of Evangelism and "the religion business", prior to the start of "televangelism". Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2005.

7.7

MagicScore

#10

The Last Exorcism

2010

After years of performing “exorcisms” and taking believers’ money, Reverend Marcus travels to rural Louisiana with a film crew so he can dispel what he believes is the myth of demonic possession. The dynamic reverend is certain that this will be another routine “exorcism” on a disturbed religious fanatic but instead comes upon the blood-soaked farm of the Sweetzer family and a true evil he would have never thought imaginable.

5.7

MagicScore

#11

Sadie Thompson

1928

A young, beautiful prostitute named Sadie Thompson arrives on the South Pacific island of Pago Pago looking for honest work and falls for Timothy O'Hara, an American sailor who is unfazed by her unsavory past. However, Mr. Davidson, a missionary who arrived on the island at the same time, aims to "save" Sadie from her sinful life and petitions to have her separated from her beau and deported back to San Francisco.

6.5

MagicScore

#12

House of Games

1987

A psychiatrist comes to the aid of a compulsive gambler and is led by a smooth-talking grifter into the shadowy but compelling world of stings, scams, and con men.

6.8

MagicScore

#13

I Love You Phillip Morris

2010

Steven Russell leads a seemingly average life – an organ player in the local church, happily married to Debbie, and a member of the local police force. That is until he has a severe car accident that leads him to the ultimate epiphany: he’s gay and he’s going to live life to the fullest – even if he has to break the law to do it. Taking on an extravagant lifestyle, Steven turns to cons and fraud to make ends meet and is eventually sent to the State Penitentiary where he meets the love of his life, a sensitive, soft-spoken man named Phillip Morris. His devotion to freeing Phillip from jail and building the perfect life together prompts him to attempt (and often succeed at) one impossible con after another.

6.4

MagicScore

#14

Death of a Scoundrel

1956

A Czech refugee uses women to advance his business interest.

5.8

MagicScore

#15

Heretic

2024

Two young missionaries are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed, becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse.

7.0

MagicScore

#16

The Prom

2020

After the PTA of a conservative high school in Indiana bans same-sex couples from attending the annual prom, a gang of flamboyant Broadway stars try to boost their image by showing up to support two lesbian students.

6.1

MagicScore

#17

The Revival

2017

A secret love affair between a southern Baptist preacher and a young drifter challenges the equilibrium of a growing church.

5.2

MagicScore

#18

Happy, Texas

1999

Two escaped convicts roll into the village of Happy, Texas, where they're mistaken for a gay couple who work as beauty pageant consultants. They go along with it to duck the police, but the local sheriff has a secret of his own.

5.7

MagicScore

#19

Brain Dead

2007

A sleepy fishing port town is consumed with terror when a small crater crash-lands nearby and releases a slimy parasitic agent that transforms the residents into brain-eating zombies. Cornered in an abandoned fishing lodge, six strangers are forced to band together to stave off the blood-sucking monsters clawing the walls outside.

4.8

MagicScore

#20

The Neon Bible

1995

During a train ride, a teenager recalls his upbringing in 1940s small-town Georgia and the events that have led to this point.

6.0

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Elmer Gantry?

The top films similar to Elmer Gantry by MovieMagicScore are Leap of Faith (5.8), The Miracle Woman (6.7), Buck and the Preacher (6.3). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Elmer Gantry worth watching?

Elmer Gantry holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.3/10 from 189 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Elmer Gantry?

Elmer Gantry (1960) is a drama film directed by Richard Brooks, starring Burt Lancaster, Jean Simmons, Arthur Kennedy.

Where can I find more recommendations like Elmer Gantry?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more drama recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Leap of Faith Movies like The Miracle Woman Movies like Buck and the Preacher Movies like The Godfather Movies like The Wolf of Wall Street Movies like The Night of the Hunter

About movies like Elmer Gantry

This ranked list pairs Elmer Gantry (1960), a drama film from Richard Brooks, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Burt Lancaster take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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