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Three Christs

Three Christs

2017109 minRMidcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
Director
Jon Avnet
Starring
Richard Gere, Peter Dinklage, Walton Goggins, Bradley Whitford

Dr. Alan Stone breaks new ground for treatment of the mentally ill through an experiment on three paranoid schizophrenic patients who believe they are Jesus Christ.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Three Christs?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Three Christs streaming on AMC+ and Sundance Now via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Subscription

via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Three Christs?

Three Christs earns 4 badges, led by Guilty pleasure and Crowd Pleaser.

Reception

Is Three Christs worth watching?

Three Christs' Midcredits score is the 54th percentile of all films, from 8.9K ratings across 5 sources. 51% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

54th percentile

Better received than 54% of films

53rd percentile among Drama54th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)52nd
Approval (how many liked it)54th

62 /100

52nd percentile of all films

51st percentile among Drama52nd percentile among 2010s

Critics 39 · Audience 64

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.4 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

51% liked it

54th percentile of all films

52nd percentile among Drama54th percentile among 2010s
51% rated it 7–1049% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

87th percentile

8.9K ratings across platforms

89th percentile among Drama88th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 21% in 30 days

Box office

Domestic gross$37K
Worldwide gross$37K

24th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree that the cast delivers strong performances, especially the three leads, but the film's execution is uneven and fails to fully realize its interesting premise.

Fans praised

  • Exceptional performances from Dinklage, Goggins, and Whitford
  • Humane, compassionate portrayal of psychiatric treatment
  • Thought-provoking themes about identity and empathy

Detractors panned

  • Slow pacing and meandering second act
  • Overly sentimental, TV-movie-of-the-week tone
  • Shallow script reduces complex source to cliché

What stands out

ActingDivisive78

Cast uniformly praised; Dinklage and Goggins singled out as standouts

Emotional impactDivisive60

Fans moved by humane message; detractors find it manipulative

DialogueDivisive60

Some witty exchanges in therapy scenes but often uninspired

CharactersDivisive55

Three patients written as superficial anomalies rather than fully realized

EndingDivisive50

Final act over-the-top; satisfaction varies widely

Originality45

Derivative of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest genre; familiar tropes

Plot and storyDivisive42

Meandering story with repetitive therapy sessions and underdeveloped subplots

PacingDivisive32

First half aimless and slow; many viewers checked runtime

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 14 points higher than men.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 11 points higher than US viewers.

Watch experience

What is Three Christs like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something that leaves you smiling.

It takes its time, has a few laughs and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
ContemplativeTenseAbsurd
Heaviest: middle
Dark humor
Register
Melodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.Wry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its serious subject with earnest warmth and occasional dark humor, playing the drama straight while allowing wry moments.
The rideThe experiment's confrontational nature creates a tense and contemplative mood, with absurd moments from the patients' delusions; the heaviest emotional weight likely lands when their delusions are confronted in the middle.
StructureThe film is bookended by Dr. Stone dictating notes for a hearing, framing the linear narrative of his experiment.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulThought-provoking
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).RebirthHealing
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

13% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story centers on a humane psychiatric experiment that aims to heal three paranoid schizophrenics through empathy and group confrontation, aligning with the rebirth archetype's healing subtype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Redemption · 6% of filmsIdentity · 14% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on a doctor's attempt to redeem harsh institutional practices through human connection, while the patients grapple with their own identities.
StanceThe film celebrates the power of empathy and human connection over dehumanizing institutional treatments, focusing on Dr. Stone's pioneering approach.

The world

Mid 20th centuryInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Jeff Russo
SettingYpsilanti State Hospital, Michigan, 1959
MusicLikely a score that underscores the dramatic and tender aspects of the story without overwhelming the dialogue.

Content guide

Is Three Christs okay for kids?

R

Three Christs is rated R: “Rated R for disturbing material, sexual content and brief drug use” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (50/100), sexual content at mild (31/100), language at mild (17/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (22/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). Its violence, language, drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 4 other countries
  • UK15
  • Germany16
  • Brazil16
  • Netherlands16
Overall
Mild · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Moderate
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 26%
Profanity
Mild
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (2 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (23 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Three Christs have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Three Christs?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Richard Gere
as Dr. Stone
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Peter Dinklage
as Joseph
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Walton Goggins
as Leon
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Bradley Whitford
as Clyde
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Charlotte Hope
as Becky
Julianna Margulies
as Ruth
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Kevin Pollak
as Dr. Orbus
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
James Monroe Iglehart
as Benny
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Stephen Root
as Dr. Rogers
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Jane Alexander
as Dr. Abrams

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Three Christs?

Movies like Three Christs include Elmer Gantry (1960), A Million Little Pieces (2018) and Mr. Jones (1993). Of the 12 closest matches, several are stories of healing, and several are films set inside an institution.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

7 of these 12 share its story type: medical drama. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Three Christs?

311 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: medical drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.