Every movie that Angel Studios has released in theaters from their first release in early 2023 until now, and the significance of each of those releases.

Angel Studios announced on March 9, 2023 that they had acquired the rights to and were set to release “His Only Son” (2023), which marked the first time in entertainment history that a theatrical release was entirely crowdfunded, according to the studio. The movie is based on a Bible story found in Genesis 22, when Abraham is commanded by God to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, which deeply tests Abraham’s faith.  It premiered on March 31- which was very close to that year’s Easter Sunday holiday the following weekend, April 9. The studio hoped that audiences would be especially interested in a film based on a Bible story in the days leading up to the massive religious holiday.

“Sound of Freedom” (2023) is Angel Studios’ most consequential release to this point, because the film debuted to much online controversy- but also massive box office success. It grossed approximately $250 million worldwide amidst a competitive summer theatrical film slate that included “Barbie”(2023) and “Oppenheimer” (2023). While it may not have overtaken those two blockbusters, “Sound of Freedom” did outperform “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One” (2023) and “Indiana Jones and the Dial Of Destiny” (2023) at that summer box office despite a modest budget of $14.5 million. It is considered one of the most successful theatrical releases for an independent film of all time- and a proof of concept for Angel Studios that they could be theatrically competitive with major film brands.

“After Death” (2023) was Angel Studios’ first theatrically released documentary film. The film features interviews with survivors of near-death events, which are then analyzed by different authors and scientists, in an effort to form theories about what may happen to people after they die. It was released in 2,730 theaters and grossed over $9 million, which Angel Studios claims makes it the highest-grossing documentary to hit the big screen since the COVID-19 pandemic (meaning since 2019).

“The Shift” (2023) boasts arguably Angel Studios’ most compelling concept in the history of their theatrical releases. Amidst a filmography filled with movies that are more literal retellings of Christian Bible stories, or films that are based on true stories of more modern-day heroes, this film is completely outside of the box for Angel Studios in regards to genre.  “The Shift” is a science fiction thriller and a more loose, symbolic retelling of the Biblical book of Job. It also features several established Hollywood stars, such as Neal McDonough and Sean Astin. Despite these intriguing elements, the film was only moderately successful at the box office, grossing only $12.2 million against a budget of $6.4 million, and received mostly negative critical reviews, with a 34% on Rotten Tomatoes. The main criticism of the film is that the sci-fi world building is underdeveloped and the film “tells” rather than “shows” its Christian themes, which is not what audiences hoped when the film’s bold concept was initially advertised.

“Cabrini” (2024) is a biopic of the Italian Catholic missionary Francesca Cabrini and her life in New York City. The film was released on March 8, International Women’s Day, and is considered an uplifting film for both women and immigrants. Its budget of $50 million makes it the most expensive Angel Studios film to this point by far. That investment certainly resulted in critcal success, as the film recieved a 90% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes with 92 reviews, the highest in the studios’ history to this point. But, the film lost a decent bit of money at the box office, grossing only slightly over $20 million.

Another biopic, “Sight” (2024) marked the second consecutive Angel Studios film to lose money at the box office despite strong critical reviews, and the second straight biopic-style film. The film recounts the true story of a world-renowned eye surgeon’s quest to give a blind orphan the ability to see.

“Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot” is also inspired by a true story, of a community in Texas that ignites a movement for adoption. A-list actress Letita Wright of “Black Panther” (2018) fame served as executive producer on the film. The film also had a marketing partnership with The Daily Wire and Ben Shapiro.

Angel Studios’ fourth straight nonfiction/biopic film, “Bonhoeffer” (2024) follows the story of German Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who is famous for being staunchly anti-Nazi. He was arrested and eventually hung for allegedly participating in a plot to assassinate Hitler. The film garnered attention (and controversy) in the media because the poster for the film depicted Bonhoeffer holding a gun — despite his nonviolent nature and lack of direct participation in the assassination plot. Critics, including living family members of the late pastor, asserted the gun’s inclusion was sensationalist and harmful to Bonhoeffer’s true legacy. However, they later endorsed the film upon seeing it, and felt it fairly portrayed Bonhoeffer’s moral conflict upon participating in a plot to end someone’s life, even if that person was particularly evil. Given that it covered such a consequential figure in modern history and especially Christian history, the studio gave it a modestly high budget by their standards of $25 million. But like Cabrini, the film suffered a significant loss, grossing only $12.2 million.

In a return to bolder, more fictional concepts, “Homestead” (2024) is a post-apocalyptic action film depicting a group of people that escape the dangers of the apocalypse in a remote mountain community, but have to face the dangers of the outside world. Neil McDonough returned to the film to bring it some A-list starpower. The film recieved very mixed reviews critically but did well commercially, making $20.7 million against a budget of $8 million, making it the studio’s most successful fiction film to date. Banking on the fact that audiences are interested in the greater universe of “Homestead”, the film has also received a spinoff TV series on the Angel Studios streaming service. Two episodes have released to date and more are supposed to come out this year. According to film critic William Bibbiani, the theatrical feature film doesn’t come to a definitive resolution and functions more as the pilot episode for the TV show, inviting audiences to subscribe to the Angel Guild and view the TV series if they want to find out what happens.

“Brave the Dark” (2025) had Angel Studios’ smallest budget for a theatrical release to date, only $200,000. The film is based on a true story and explores the impact a teacher had on a troubled student. It grossed $4.4 million.

“Rule Breakers” (2025) is about Afghanistan’s first female robotics team. The film brought more star power to the studio, with A-list actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge in a starring role and Oscar-winning director Bill Guttentag at the helm. It was the second annual International Women’s Day weekend theatrical release for the studio. The film recieved generally positive reviews (83% on Rotten Tomatoes) and was called inspirational.

“The King of Kings” (2025) follows the story of Jesus as told by Charles Dickens. Angel Studios’ first animated theatrical release, the film has debuted to rousing success. The film’s is the highest-grossing biblical animated feature film of all time and the highest-grossing Korean film in the United States of all time.The film has also received near-unanimous audience praise. The film’s success is likely at least partially due to an incredibly well-known voice cast, including A-listers Oscar Isaac, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Forest Whitaker, Uma Thurman, Ben Kingsley, and voice acting legends Jim Cummings, Dee Bradley Baker, and James Arnold Taylor.