Freemasonry is an ancient and secretive society that has been the subject of mystery, speculation, and conspiracy for centuries.
It’s not surprising then that it features prominently in cinema.
Here are nine movies with Masonic references to get you started on your movie binge night:
- The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
- North by Northwest (1959)
- The Game (1997)
- The Da Vinci Code (2006)
- Hobson’s Choice (1954)
- National Treasure (2004)
- Sons of the Desert (1933)
- Are You a Mason? (1915)
- The Freemason (2013)
Spoiler alert: There might be some spoilers below. Proceed accordingly.
The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
This film is about Kipling’s characters Peachy Carnahan and Daniel Dravot who are members of the Freemasons.
The story follows their adventures as they travel to Kafiristan, a remote part of Afghanistan looking for treasure.
They become kings through trickery but eventually meet their downfall when an uprising leads them to flee the country.
North by Northwest (1959)
Cary Grant plays Roger Thornhill in this Alfred Hitchcock classic where he unravels mysterious goings on around him during his travels between New York City and Chicago while being chased across America by men connected with the advertising agency that he works at.
It turns out that one of his best friends has been murdered after stealing top secret information regarding U-Boat sightings during World War II.
After finding out that his best friend was murdered, he finds himself being chased by men who are trying to kill him too!
The film is an excellent portrayal of the Freemasonry values of brotherhood and secrecy as it follows Thornhill’s journey through many tests before being initiated into Masonry at the end of this movie.
The Game (1997)
The Game is a psychological thriller starring Michael Douglas. It follows his character, Nicholas Van Orten after he receives an unusual birthday gift from his brother – a game that quickly goes very wrong and begins to impact all aspects of his life in increasingly disturbing ways.
This film was inspired by the writings of Thomas Pynchon’s novel called The Crying of Lot 49 (1966), which also includes several references to Freemasonry throughout its content.
Nicholas’ best friend Gordon Gekko becomes involved with another secret society known as ‘the family’. This group turns out to be highly insidious because it operates under the guise of being charitable while actually running illegal businesses that are not only harmful but lethal for those who get caught up in them.
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
A best selling novel by Dan Brown, The Da Vinci code is a murder mystery based around the story of Jesus Christ and his secret life as an initiate in ancient Egyptian mysteries.
It follows Robert Langdon who arrives at the Louvre to find that one guard has been brutally murdered while another lies close behind him with a cryptic message carved into her skin.
As he examines the situation further it becomes clear that there are many people interested in keeping this information from getting out!
It turns out that these people are part of Opus Dei – a secretive organization within Roman Catholicism which was first introduced to mainstream audiences through this film adaptation.
This highly controversial topic discussed throughout The Da Vinci Code is a great example of how freemasonry is often portrayed in popular culture.
Hobson’s Choice (1954)
Another best-selling novel, Hobson’s Choice was adapted into a film and follows the life of William Hobson – a bootmaker who finds himself in an unfortunate situation when his daughter Maggie brings home three men she wants to marry.
He has no desire for any of them so he decides that they need to get out of their house by making one choice that will change all their lives forever!
The protagonist is played by Charles Laughton, while John Mills plays Henry Horatio Hobson III (Maggie).
This movie acts as another example of how Freemasons appear throughout history through allegory and symbolism; this time it’s about family values and unity based around Masonic traditions.
National Treasure (2004)
In National Treasure, Nicolas Cage plays Benjamin Franklin Gates – an American historian who goes on a quest to find the legendary national treasure that has been guarded by many groups throughout history.
Benjamin’s best friend Patrick Henry (Jurgen Prochnow) gets caught up in this secret society after receiving word from his dying father about something ‘very important’ he needs to search for during the coming months…
What follows is a series of clues hidden within America’s most famous landmarks all leading back to one very powerful secret!
This film helps us understand Freemasonry through popular culture while also being entertaining at the same time thanks to its mystery and intrigue.
Sons of the Desert (1933)
Sons of the Desert follows a group of men who are members of an organization known as ‘The Sons Of The Desert’. They meet at their local lodge every year to hold secret meetings where they discuss all sorts of topics related to life and society.
Their wives aren’t very impressed with them however because these guys don’t spend much time caring for their families! As punishment the ladies banish the boys from ever seeing each other again… but this doesn’t stop them!
With so many references made throughout this film it’s clear that Freemasonry plays an important role in popular culture – even during Hollywood’s golden era!
Are You a Mason? (1915)
Are You a Mason? was made in 1915 and follows the story of two men who are best friends; one is married while the other remains single.
They both love each other’s wives but they keep this information secret from everyone except for their own closest friend – another man named Albert (played by Charles Chaplin). When things get out of hand between these three it leads to an interesting turn-of-events that will change all their lives forever!
This film helps us understand Freemasonry through popular culture with its use of symbolism and allegory. It also acts as good example of how movies throughout history have used Masonic themes to represent morality or society at large.
The Freemason (2013)
This film follows one man’s journey through Freemasonry as he becomes initiated into his first degree and begins to face some difficult questions about morality that ultimately lead him towards enlightenment.
This best-selling novel by John Grisham was later adapted into a movie in 1993 starring Tom Cruise (as Andrew McAlister) and Gene Hackman (as Sebastian Rudd).
Andrew is an idealistic young attorney who works for Sebastian; however when this best friend/uncle figure gets accused of murdering two people everything changes – especially since there isn’t any real evidence against him!
While trying to clear Seb’s name Andrew gets caught up in a conspiracy with links to the Freemasons and ends up risking his own life because of it!
The Problem With Freemasonry In Hollywood Movies
While those are just some of the most popular movies which involve Freemasonry as a part of the story, it’s not an exhaustive list by any means.
One thing you should know though is that “Hollywood” likes to play on the “mystery and Illuminati” connection (even though the latter is not true).
The reason for this is because it makes for great cinema.
So while I hope you enjoyed this list, please note the information represented about Freemasonry in these movies and others is not always correct and a true representation of what Freemasonry is.
Which Movie Should Be #10? (What Movies Did We Miss?)
I’m sure there are many others, so if there’s a movie you know which you think will make for a great addition to this list, be sure to let us know in the comment section below.
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