Movies Like The Cardinal (1963)

The Cardinal is a 1963 drama, history, war film from Otto Preminger with a MovieMagicScore of 6.6/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Léon Morin, Priest and Priest.

Drama History War

Léon Morin, Priest

1961

Barny, although a Marxist, is intrigued by the mysteries of religion. In confession, she teases a priest, Léon Morin, but he is a young and intelligent man and ready to discuss anything.

7.0

MagicScore

Priest

1995

The deeply held religious convictions of an idealistic young priest are challenged when he must face extraordinary events within his own congregation.

6.3

MagicScore

First Reformed

2018

A pastor of a small church in upstate New York starts to spiral out of control after a soul-shaking encounter with an unstable environmental activist and his pregnant wife.

7.0

MagicScore

Ryan's Daughter

1970

The wife of an Irish school teacher is branded a traitor when she falls for a British officer who is part of an occupying force in 1917 Ireland.

7.1

MagicScore

The Antichrist

1974

An Italian nobleman seeks help after his paralyzed daughter becomes possessed by the spirit of a malevolent ancestress.

6.1

MagicScore

In the Name of...

2013

The contemporary story of a priest who launches a centre for troubled youth in a small parish. He is a good priest and is well-liked by his congregation, which remains unaware of his complicated past.

6.9

MagicScore

The Iron Mask

1929

King Louis XIII of France is thrilled to have born to him a son - an heir to the throne. But when the queen delivers a twin, Cardinal Richelieu sees the second son as a potential for revolution, and has him sent off to Spain to be raised in secret to ensure a peaceful future for France. Alas, keeping the secret means sending Constance, lover of D'Artagnan, off to a convent. D'Artagnan hears of this and rallies the Musketeers in a bid to rescue her. Unfortunately, Richelieu out-smarts the Musketeers and banishes them forever.

6.7

MagicScore

Going My Way

1944

Youthful Father Chuck O'Malley led a colorful life of sports, song, and romance before joining the Roman Catholic clergy. After being appointed to a run-down New York parish, O'Malley's worldly knowledge helps him connect with a gang of boys looking for direction, eventually winning over the aging, conventional Parish priest.

6.7

MagicScore

The Priest's Children

2013

Don Fabijan is a young priest who comes to serve on an unnamed small island in the Adriatic. In order to help increase birth rate on the island, he decides to pierce condoms before they are sold. He therefore teams up with the newsagent Petar and the pharmacist Marin. After they abolish all forms of birth control on the entire island, the consequences become more and more complicated.

6.4

MagicScore

#10

The Left Hand of God

1955

A man in priestly robes, seemingly the long-awaited Father O'Shea, arrives at a little-frequented Catholic mission in 1947 China. Though the man seems curiously uncomfortable with his priestly duties, his tough tactics prove very successful in the Seven Villages, as around them China disintegrates in civil war and revolution. But he has a secret, and his friendship with mission nurse Anne (an attractive war widow) seems to be taking on an unpriestly tone.

6.3

MagicScore

#11

True Confessions

1981

A cop clashes with his priest brother while investigating the brutal murder of a young prostitute.

6.1

MagicScore

#12

When the Lights Went Out

2012

Yorkshire, 1974, the Maynard family moves into their dream house. It's a dream that quickly descends into a panic stricken nightmare as the family discovers a horrifying truth, a truth that will make the history books. The house is already occupied by the most violent poltergeist ever documented, a poltergeist that will tear you from your bed as you sleep and drag you helplessly into the darkness.

5.7

MagicScore

#13

House of Mortal Sin

1976

A troubled young girl goes to confession at the local church. Unfortunately, the sexually frustrated priest she confesses to becomes obsessed with her. At first, the priest stalks the girl, but later it is revealed that he will stop at nothing, including blackmail and murder, just to get close to her.

6.4

MagicScore

#14

The African Queen

1952

At the start of the First World War, in the middle of Africa’s nowhere, a gin soaked riverboat captain is persuaded by a strong-willed missionary to go down river and face-off a German warship.

7.3

MagicScore

#15

Exorcist: The Beginning

2004

Years before Father Merrin helped save Regan MacNeil’s soul, he first encounters the demon Pazuzu in East Africa.

5.4

MagicScore

#16

Hell Baby

2013

After she and her husband move into a haunted house, a woman gives birth to a demonic infant that wreaks havoc.

5.2

MagicScore

#17

Hostage to the Devil

2016

This documentary examines age-old questions about the existence of the Devil and good versus evil, through the life of controversial priest, Father Malachi Martin. It explores Martin's horrifying final case before his mysterious death.

4.9

MagicScore

#18

A Farewell to Arms

1932

A tale of the World War I love affair, begun in Italy, between American ambulance driver Lt. Frederic Henry and British nurse Catherine Barkley. Eventually separated by Frederic's transfer, tremendous challenges and difficult decisions face each as the war rages on.

6.1

MagicScore

#19

A Farewell to Arms

1957

An English nurse and an American soldier on the Italian front during World War I fall in love, but the horrors surrounding them test their romance to the limit.

5.9

MagicScore

#20

Winter Light

1963

A Swedish pastor fails a loving woman, a suicidal fisherman and God.

7.9

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like The Cardinal?

The top films similar to The Cardinal by MovieMagicScore are Léon Morin, Priest (7.0), Priest (6.3), First Reformed (7.0). Each shares drama/history/war themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is The Cardinal worth watching?

The Cardinal holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.6/10 from 44 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is The Cardinal?

The Cardinal (1963) is a drama, history, war film directed by Otto Preminger, starring Tom Tryon, Romy Schneider, John Huston.

Where can I find more recommendations like The Cardinal?

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 Léon Morin, Priest Movies like Priest Movies like First Reformed Movies like Ryan's Daughter Movies like The Antichrist Movies like In the Name of...

About movies like The Cardinal

This ranked list pairs The Cardinal (1963), a drama and history and war film from Otto Preminger, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Tom Tryon 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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