Favorite films of the faithful: 'Batman vs. Superman,' 'Frozen' & 'Creed'?

LOS ANGELES (Christian Examiner) – A landmark survey of the movie-going habits of Christians and others in the religious community shows that they are more likely than the general population to say their favorite films are superhero movies such as Batman vs. Superman and animated films like Frozen -- and less likely to list the Hunger Games or Harry Potter series.

The poll of 751 people, conducted online by the National Research Group for VidAngel, found that the "values audience" comprises 37 percent of the population, a number that is higher than the somewhat religious (27 percent) and the not very/not religious (36 percent).

The research placed someone in the values category if faith was extremely important to their lives and they had purchased or rented at least one TV show or movie in the past six months. More than 80 percent of the values audience self-identifies as born again, evangelical, Protestant or Catholic.

When examining the movie choices of the values audience, the poll found they are:

• 161 percent more likely than the general population to say Batman vs. Superman is their favorite movie.
• 79 percent more likely to list Big Hero 6.
• 56 percent more likely to list Frozen.
• 34 percent more likely to list X-Men.
• 29 percent more likely to list Captain America.

But it's not simply superhero and animated films. The values audience also is more likely to list Creed (135 percent), San Andreas (124 percent), the Home Alone series (79 percent), the Indiana Jones series (56 percent) and the Bourne series (39 percent) as a favorite film. They're also 213 percent more likely to list God's Not Dead. (See chart for full list.)

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Significantly, the survey also found that the values audience is more digitally savvy than the general population, with 29 percent of the values audience having bought a TV show or digital movie within the past six months compared to 18 percent of the general population. Additionally, 57 percent of the audience says it is "very important" to know about explicit content before deciding whether they or their family will watch a TV show or movie, compared to 34 percent of the general population.

"This survey will fundamentally change the way values entertainment projects are marketed," said VidAngel spokesman Matthew Faraci. "Rather than simply identifying so-called faith-based folks who might be interested in family entertainment—as in previous surveys—VidAngel wanted to identify with precision the most engaged values entertainment consumers."

The values audience, he noted, comprises 52 million people.

"The values audience is more diverse, younger, more likely to be parents, and more tech savvy than the general audience," Faraci told the Christian Examiner. "As such, they are keenly interested in content for the whole family, and want to consume entertainment in the way that works best for them. They're not just looking to pass the time and be entertained. They want films and TV shows that reinforce the values they are instilling in their kids at home, and wholesome content that speaks to ideals like honesty, integrity, selflessness and character."

The survey was conducted May 25-31.