SAMSON AND DELILAH (1996)
A biblical story of disobedience and redemption, best saved for adults.
Should You Watch It?
This nearly three-hour biblical drama has a worthwhile message but is too long and uneven to recommend as a family movie. It communicates the danger of disobedience and the forgiveness of God, showing how Samson’s sinful desires pull him away from the purpose God gave him.
The cost is substantial. The movie includes graphic violence, sexual situations, implied fornication, upper male nudity, drunkenness, and scenes involving the Philistines’ worship of Dagon. Its slow pace and distracting production choices add to the difficulty.
If you are an adult or older teenager seeking a biblical drama and can navigate those concerns, watch it at home, where you can control the experience. For children and young teens, choose something else.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESThe Israelites suffer under the harsh rule of the Philistines. After Mara and Manoa receive a promise from God, their son Samson is born and raised to deliver his people.
Samson grows into a man of extraordinary strength. But his lust, anger, and poor judgment repeatedly interfere with his calling. As the Philistines recognize his vulnerability, Samson must face the consequences of his disobedience and consider whether he will return to God’s purpose for his life.
Is It Any Good?
Two stars means this film has a meaningful biblical foundation but significant artistic weaknesses. The movie does a good job communicating the biblical lessons behind Samson’s story, especially the danger of disobedience and the forgiveness of God.
The production values often appear authentic, but fake-looking beards, wigs, and makeup can be distracting. The mixture of American, British, and Middle Eastern accents is also uneven, as is the casting, including an Irish-looking Philistine prince with pale skin and bright red hair and beard.
The movie parallels the biblical story for the most part, though some events are out of place and many characters are invented. Unnecessary scenes, longer scenes, and a slow pace make the movie feel as if it is dragging. Action scenes occasionally provide relief.
The Worldview
The film presents a strong biblical, moral, Christian worldview centered on Samson, a biblical hero who disobeys God and suffers because of his sin. It also shows characters repenting and seeking God’s forgiveness. The message is clear: sinful choices can have devastating consequences, but God’s mercy can still restore a person to His purpose.
The Philistines worship Dagon, a stone god, in their temple. That worship is rebuked rather than presented as spiritually true. The film’s invented characters and rearranged events serve its dramatic retelling, but they mean this is not a precise presentation of every biblical detail.
Samson’s story ultimately exalts repentance, dependence on God, and the possibility of redemption after serious failure. It aligns with Scripture in showing that God forgives those who confess their sins: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Very strong biblical, moral, Christian worldview about Samson, the biblical hero, includes characters repent for their sins and seek God’s forgiveness, and Philistines worship stone gods in their temple but it is rebuked; no foul language; strong violence with some blood includes man cuts his hand to draw blood, many battle scenes showing soldiers being killed with swords and arrows, a man cuts the throat of another man, a man has his eyes burned out, a man nearly throws another man off a cliff, a man wrestles with a lion and kills it, an angry man destroys property and kills other men, hundreds of people are crushed under the weight of falling stones; one scene represents a couple engaging in fornication, several scenes show a couple in bed together implying fornication, a man lusts after women and sleeps with them, and some dialogue between characters contains sexual innuendo; many scenes contain upper male nudity; a couple scenes show people drinking and behaving in a drunken manner; no smoking or drugs; and, a teenage boy bullies some other boys, a woman lies to a man and betrays his trust, a woman agrees to sleep with a man for money, a man disobeys God’s instructions and gets many of his people killed.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Samson’s desires repeatedly interfere with God’s plan for his life. What desires make it difficult for you to obey God?
James 1:14–16 · Galatians 5:16Samson’s disobedience harms other people as well as himself. Why does sin rarely affect only the person who commits it?
Romans 6:23 · Galatians 6:7–8The story presents repentance and God’s forgiveness after serious failure. What does genuine repentance look like?
1 John 1:9 · 2 Corinthians 7:10The Philistines worship Dagon, while Samson is called to serve the Lord. What competing loyalties can draw people away from God?
Exodus 20:3–5 · Matthew 6:24The Final Word
This retelling has a meaningful biblical message about disobedience, repentance, and God’s forgiveness. But its nearly three-hour length and troubling content make it unsuitable for children and young teens. Watch at home, if at all, with careful discernment. WAIT FOR HOME — ADULTS ONLY. For another option, see.
