the chosen movie review 2022

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Christian series ‘the chosen’ hits big screen, outpaces multiple hollywood films at box office.

Dallas Jenkins, left, directs Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in "The Chosen." Episodes one and two of the third season of the streaming series will premiere in theaters Nov. 18. (Photo: Angel Studios)

Questions, struggle, pain, fear, and an overwhelming commitment to follow Jesus through it all: welcome to “The Chosen” season three.  

The first two episodes of the third season of “The Chosen,” named “Homecoming” and “Two by Two,” hit the big screen on Friday, kicking off a five-day theatrical release in more than 2,000 theaters worldwide. The Angel Studios production is a dramatic narrative of the ministry of Jesus and his disciples. Season one first premiered in 2019, and season two in 2021, both on streaming services .  

The latest release of “The Chosen” marks the first time one of its seasons has premiered in theaters, and judging by its performance, it won’t be the last.  

Box Office Mojo reports the two episodes made $3,484,674 on opening day, well on the way to hitting an estimated $10 million during opening weekend, according to Deadline . Friday ticket sales came in just behind the comedy horror thriller “The Menu” and outpaced sales for Warner Brothers’ film “Black Adam,” Universal Pictures’ “Ticket to Paradise,” and the just released “She Said,” a film about the #MeToo movement. 

“The Chosen” season 3 episode 1 & 2 is outpacing several Hollywood movies at the box office this weekend, including Universal Pictures’ “She Said.” Stay tuned for my review on @DailySignal . pic.twitter.com/ybhrSpGDUj — Virginia Allen (@Virginia_Allen5) November 19, 2022

“’The Chosen’ is capturing the imagination of moviegoers around the country,” Neal Harmon, CEO of Angel Studios, said in a statement Sunday. Harmon added that “a strong showing [is] anticipated on Sunday night” that will likely exceed Friday’s box office sales. 

“The Chosen” began as an entirely crowd-funded series, with season one becoming the “highest crowd-funded entertainment project of all time,” according to the show’s website. Episodes from the first two seasons have gained more than 420 million views.  

Director and creator of “The Chosen” Dallas Jenkins told The Daily Signal during a recent podcast interview that filming season three was “the most challenging” thing he has done in his career, a sentiment he shares with viewers before the lights dim at the theater.  

“It’s been a crawl to the finish line to get here,” Jenkins said during a video introduction of episodes one and two.  

The challenge and struggle the director says he faced in filming amid COVID-19, supply shortages, and extreme weather conditions feel appropriate, however, after viewing the season’s start.  

The shows latest seasons dives headfirst into the struggles and difficult questions the disciples likely wrestled with as they followed Jesus. Despite the challenges looking different in some cases, the hardships are ones most Christians still struggle with today – earning the show five stars for relatability.  

Fans of “The Chosen” will remember that season two ended with Jesus beginning to deliver the Sermon on the Mount, his disciples looking on among the crowd of thousands listening to Christ’s words. The latest season picks up at this same moment, and viewers watch as the words, today found in Matthew 5-7, pierce the hearts of the disciples, addressing their own sins and hurt. The way the disciples listen to their teacher, and then the actions they take to put Jesus’ words into practice following the sermon, drives home the fact that the show is just as much, if not more, about the followers of Jesus as it is about the Messiah himself.  

The humanity of the disciples, their insecurities and shortcomings, is used both as comic relief and to give viewers the opportunity to find themselves in the pages of Scripture now brought to life through the show.  

The emphasis on the human nature of the disciples is not new, but season three takes it a step further.  

Season three attempts to answer the “WHY GOD” question.  

Jenkins says the apostles are asking questions like, “‘Why are bad things still happening? Why are we still being oppressed by Rome?’ In the case of Simon, ‘Why is my marriage still struggling?’ Little James who’s handicapped, ‘Why am I still handicapped?’”  

The disciples are asking questions, and Jesus is answering, he is present with them in their struggle, and yet many of the hardships remain.  

Jenkins’ decision to display the reality of the challenge of following Jesus, right alongside the joy and love of doing so, is both risky and refreshing. The director chose to ask questions in season three neither he nor the cast can fully answer, except with the word of Christ’s promise and invitation found in Matthew 11, “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”  

The narrative storytelling and production quality remain just as high in the show’s new season, which was mainly filmed in Midlothian, Texas, about 25 miles south of Dallas. The talent of Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus; Shahar Isaac, who portrays Simon Peter; and Elizabeth Tabish, who plays Mary Magdalene, is a refreshing reminder that Christian television can be just as good, if not better, than Hollywood series like “ The Lord of the Rings ” or “Yellowstone.”  

Fans can binge the first two seasons of “The Chosen,” which has been translated into more than 50 languages, for free through “The Chosen” app. Episodes one and two of season three are playing in select theaters through Thanksgiving .  

This article was updated Sunday to include the quote from Neal Harmon.

Have an opinion about this article? To sound off, please email [email protected] and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.  

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4 Things to Know about The Chosen: Season 3 Movie

• Michael Foust Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
• Updated Nov 18, 2022

If you’ve never watched The Chosen – the multi-season television series about Jesus and His followers – there’s a good chance someone around you has.

An estimated 100 million people worldwide have seen it, with total views now topping 440 million. The Chosen is, perhaps, the most popular faith-based media project since 2004’s The Passion of the Christ .

And now it’s on the big screen.

The Chosen: Season 3 (Episodes 1 and 2) gives moviegoers the opportunity to experience the story on an epic scale. It also gives fans a chance to watch the first two episodes of the new season before it lands on The Chosen app.

Season 3 picks up with Jesus preparing to send the disciples out in pairs of two. ( Mark 6:7 .)

Here are four things you should know about  The Chosen movie:

Photo courtesy: ©The Chosen, used with permission.

1. It’s What Our Divided Culture Needs

The Chosen is the gospel-infused tonic our polarized, hate-filled, name-calling culture needs. Love, grace and mercy fill every inch of the plot.

Jesus’ followers argue ... yet quickly reconcile. They are threatened by the Roman authorities … but respond with kindness. They place the needs of others first … and their own needs last.

In one scene, a disciple is ostracized by his own parents, only to be welcomed back into the fold when they, too, are transformed by the words of Jesus.

In another scene, a different disciple approaches Mary Magdalene after becoming convicted by Jesus’ teachings on love, asking her to forgive him for the hurtful words he had spoken.

2. It Includes Judas, John the Baptist and Much More

The character of Judas gets his first major on-screen action. So does John the Baptist (more on that below).

Of course, we know Judas as the traitor. (Every reference to him in Scripture calls him as such.) Jesus’ followers, though, apparently were not suspicious ( John 13:27-30 ). The Chosen presents Judas as an energetic follower of Christ who is willing to walk away from his comfortable life in order to follow Jesus. (“I believe You are going to change the world,” he tells Jesus.)

The film includes several major New Testament stories and events: Jesus’ Beatitudes sermon, Jesus’ citing the Lord’s Prayer , and Jesus’ sending out the disciples among them.

The films take artistic liberties while remaining true to Scripture. It also – smartly – often places the words of the Old Testament in the mouths of Jesus and the disciples. (We hear Jesus cite Numbers 6:24-26 “the Lord bless you and keep you,” and the disciples cite Psalm 3 , “You, oh Lord, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head” – citations that technically are not in the New Testament but are plausible.)

Photo courtesy: ©The Chosen

3. It Was Filmed at a New Set in Texas

The movie was filmed at the series’ new 900-acre home in Midlothian, Texas, which includes a village that looks like it was teleported straight out of first-century Judea. The vintage-like village has a food market. It has a blacksmith shop. It has stables. It also has the homes of Peter, Matthew, Andrew and many others.

The new set has helped improve the on-screen product, the cast says. Paras Patel, who portrays Matthew, said the set allows actors and actresses to easily picture the first-century world for their roles.

“You just thrice as an artist. … You’re living the moment, you’re [smelling] the smells,” Patel told Crosswalk. “… The set is magnificent.”

Said Jordan Walker Ross, who portrays Little James, “It feels so real. … It really helps.”

The set was built in partnership with the Salvation Army and its Camp Hoblitzelle, an adjacent property.

4. It Packs an Emotional Punch

The Chosen series is known for scenes that tug at your heart, convict your soul and even make you cry. The movie has that, with three or four of the most powerful scenes in the project’s history.

“Little James,” who was born with a limp, asks Jesus why he is being asked to heal others when he himself has not been healed by Christ. (Little James is told that he was chosen to be a disciple – in part – because of his disability.)

The 12 disciples sit alone in a room with their leader, Jesus, as He calmly yet confidently sends them out two-by-two and tells them they may die for their convictions. (“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul,” Jesus says.)

The film’s final two minutes had guests at the Atlanta premiere crying. (If you’re curious, it’s not necessary to watch the first two seasons in order to follow and enjoy the movie, which spans about two hours.)

Millions worldwide have watched the series. When you watch the movie, you’ll understand why it’s so popular. The script is brilliant – and the accompanying musical score matches every scene perfectly.

It’s one of the best films of the year.

The Chosen is not rated but likely would garner a PG rating. It contains no violence or coarse language. We see a married couple kiss and embrace (Peter and Eden). Seconds later, their kissing is interrupted when another disciple knocks on the door and says he needs to sleep at their place. He also implies he knows what is happening between Peter and Eden (he’ll put a pillow over his ears, he says).

Entertainment rating : 5 out of 5 stars.

Family-friendly rating : 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

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‘The Chosen: Season 3’ success smashes box office expectations

The christian series outpaced other hollywood flicks at the pre-thanksgiving box office.

By Madison Selcho

“The Chosen: Season 3” had unexpected success at the pre-Thanksgiving box office last weekend.

The first and second episodes of the religious series grossed more than $8 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter .

Hollywood in Toto reported that both “The Chosen: Season 3” and dark comedy “The Menu” beat the New York Times-based story, “ She Said, ” at the box office.

Why was Season 3 released to theaters?

The Deseret News reported that there were many reasons why producers decided to show the episodes in theaters.

“There’s so much visual detail that is lost in small-screen format. I think it’s what the show deserves,” Roumie said. “I think it’s just going to look stunning. So I’m really, really excited to see it in theater, and I think it will attract more attention to the series, and by proxy, to Jesus and his story.”

Another reason why producers chose to release the new season in theaters was to give better access to people who may not think to watch it on other platforms.

“At the end of the day, that’s my personal goal, to get more people familiar with who Christ was, what he stood for and what he meant to the world,” Roumie said.

Where did ‘The Chosen’ rank against ‘She Said’?

Hollywood in Toto reported that “The Chosen,” along with “She Said,” which depicted the story of the journalists who uncovered Harvey Weinstein’s predatory crimes, was shown on about 2,000 movie theater screens across the U.S.

Despite both films taking up so many theaters, “The Chosen” ended up grossing $8.2 million, while “She Said” ended up with $2.3 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter .

Box Office Mojo reported that the two episodes made $3.5 million on Friday, $2.6 million on Saturday and closed the weekend out with $1.9 million on Sunday.

Why was there box office success for The Chosen?

“I think our community especially loves gathering. We are a very fan-centric show. ... So the opportunity to gather for something like this, I think, is really important,” Jenkins said, according to the Deseret News .

The Daily Signal reported that due to the first-time success of releasing the series in theaters, this may not be the last time the series appears on the big screen.

“Seeing it on the big screen is also something cool because the themes of Season 3 especially are significant. I think it demands a little bit more of a bigger stage. And maybe a theater, as opposed to a home, allows it to just reach more people,” Jenkins said.

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The Chosen is a historical drama based on the life of Jesus and those who knew him. Set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Israel, the series shares an authentic look ... Read all The Chosen is a historical drama based on the life of Jesus and those who knew him. Set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Israel, the series shares an authentic look at Jesus' revolutionary life and teachings. The Chosen is a historical drama based on the life of Jesus and those who knew him. Set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Israel, the series shares an authentic look at Jesus' revolutionary life and teachings.

• Dallas Jenkins
• Shahar Isaac
• Elizabeth Tabish
• Jonathan Roumie
• 3.7K User reviews
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• 6 wins & 5 nominations

Episodes 35

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• Trivia "The Chosen" is the largest crowdfunded media project of all time.

[from season 3 trailer]

Pharisee : Jesus, if you do not renounce your words, we will have no choice but to follow the law of Moses.

Jesus : I am the law of Moses.

• Connections Featured in 2023 Illuminate - Angel Studios (2023)

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• April 21, 2019 (United States)
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Jesus Christ, Streaming Star

“The Chosen,” a TV series about the life of Jesus, pulls off a crowd-funded miracle: a hit with a Christian fan base that is breaking into the mainstream.

By Ruth Graham

Listen to This Article

MIDLOTHIAN, Texas — In the biblical account of the miracle of the loaves and fishes, Jesus uses two fish and five loaves of bread to feed a large crowd. The small amount of food supernaturally multiplies to satisfy 5,000 people who have gathered to hear him speak near the Sea of Galilee.

Re-enacting that scene for television could be viewed as a miracle of its own: 9,000 extras gathered over the course of three days at a Salvation Army camp south of Dallas this summer. They were not paid actors, but devotees of the television show they were making. Many of them had traveled from across the country to stand in the Texas heat, a reward for giving up to $1,000 each to fund the show.

“The Chosen,” a surprise hit television series, is billed as the first multi-season show about the life of Jesus — and one of the biggest crowd-funded media projects ever produced . The show’s third season will begin streaming online in mid-December.

Conceived by a little-known creator, featuring no major stars and funded primarily, at first, through small contributions without the support of a Hollywood studio, the series began on an obscure proprietary app and is now given away for free. Its I.P. is 2,000 years old. But despite the long odds, the faith-based drama series has become a bona fide phenomenon in many parts of Christian culture, attracting a fervent ecumenical fandom while remaining almost invisible to others.

Globally, 108 million people have watched at least part of one episode of “The Chosen,” according to an analysis prepared at its producers’ behest by Sandy Padula, an independent consultant. The show now also streams on platforms including Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, and, as of last week, Netflix. Producers recently announced that the third season of the show would also be available on a new “The Chosen” app.

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Let’s Talk About . . . ‘The Chosen’ (Seasons 1–2)

by Christian Standard | 11 November, 2022 | 10 comments

We typically review movies in this format, but today we will review a streaming series. As always, we provide talking points and questions to help explore spiritual topics and to share your faith experience with family and friends.  

The Chosen (Seasons 1-2)  

Unrated • 2017 • Historical Drama • 16 one-hour episodes   

Starring: Jonathan Roumie, Elizabeth Tabish, Paras Patel, Shahar Isaac   

——– 

By Andrew Wood  

Every generation needs to rediscover Jesus and tell his story in a way that touches not only the head but the heart. The multi-season streaming series The Chosen takes enormous artistic liberties with the historical facts of the Gospels. However, it convincingly portrays Jesus as enigmatically both human and divine. 

HARNESSING 21ST-CENTURY MEDIA  

The Chosen was produced and marketed in a unique way that takes advantage of 21st-century media to take the message of Jesus to new audiences. It was designed as a multi-season series of one-hour episodes, intended to be binge-watched much like similar programs on online streaming services.  

Distributer Angel Studios is a video streaming company that is paying for the series’ production through crowdfunding—online donations from people who believe in the project. Contributors can be included as extras in future episodes. To date, the project has raised over $40 million, making it the most successful crowdfunded television project in history. 

ACCURATE JESUS, ACCURATE SETTING  

In some ways, the Jesus of The Chosen seems like the best cinematic depiction of the Messiah to date. American actor Jonathan Roumie portrays him with a tension between approachability and regality, simplicity and mystery, gentleness and strength. Watching him, it’s easy to imagine wanting to be in the presence of this charismatic man, yet at the same time feeling some trepidation at what unexpected thing he might do or say. It feels very much like the reaction we might have at meeting the real Jesus. 

The cast of this production is diverse, including talented actors of Indian-American, Israeli-American, and other ethnicities speaking accented English. This is not just a nod to modern sensibilities; it’s actually a more historically authentic way to think of the cosmopolitan environment of first-century Israel under Roman occupation. Similarly, while the series is filmed in Texas and Utah, it succeeds in replicating a convincing Middle Eastern setting that feels deep, rich, and historically accurate.  

This is no accident. The Chosen has three script consultants: a Roman Catholic priest, a Messianic Jewish rabbi, and an evangelical New Testament scholar (Dr. Doug Huffman of Biola University). Two members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints founded the production company that produced the series, but rumors that The Chosen promotes or benefits that church are unfounded. 

AN IMAGINATIVE STORYLINE  

The plot of The Chosen is another matter. While adhering to the general outlines of Jesus’ life and ministry, the script takes huge artistic liberties to create fictional backstories and drama for other characters.   

Some of these seem generally consistent with the biblical account. We’re introduced to Mary Magdalene (Elizabeth Tabish) from the beginning of the series, and learn a little about her as a child, as an adult of questionable morals battling demon possession, and then her transformation into a devout woman after encountering Jesus. Other biographical story arcs stretch credulity, such as an intrigue that sees Peter (Shahar Isaac) informing on fellow Jews to Roman authorities to try to erase his debts.  

It’s easy for those familiar with the Gospels to pick out the fiction; not so much for those who are biblically illiterate. The Chosen is perhaps best seen as Jesus in an “alternative universe”—how would he interact if the characters of the Bible actually did these things? From that perspective, the viewer can enjoy the story as a work of fiction while being inspired to consider the character and example of the real Jesus, and how he might interact with us individually today. 

This does create a dilemma when showing the series to children or adults with poor knowledge of the Gospels. It can be a useful tool to inspire interest in Jesus but that should be followed up with intentional Bible study to help viewers distinguish fact from fiction. 

HOW TO VIEW THE CHOSEN  

Seasons 1 and 2 of The Chosen are available free for anyone with a computer, smartphone, or smart TV. Access episodes through the studio’s website ( www.angel.com ) or via multiple streaming services, including Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, and others. You can also download the app—The Chosen: Stream the Series. 

The first two episodes of season 3 will be released in theaters nationally Nov. 18. Look for a review of those new episodes here at christianstandard.com in the coming weeks. 

If you’d like to take your discussion of this series with others to a deeper level, try some of these questions: 

• How relevant do you think Jesus’ story is to our lives today? 
• What qualities do you find appealing about Jesus as portrayed in The Chosen ? 
• How does this picture of Jesus compare to your previous ideas, including those you were raised with? 
• Did you notice any inaccuracies in the movie when compared with the Bible? 
• Did the series make you more interested in learning the real story of Jesus? Would you like to read it together? 

Andrew Wood, a former missionary to Ukraine and professor at Nebraska Christian College, is a freelance writer.    

Christian Standard

10 comments.

As a woman who believes in Christ… guys.. I loved what you did. I have scored music for major feature movies. That said, where are the women in your production & writing team? There would be so much more you could have brought to the story through the women’s experiences. Since scripture states (written by the spirit through male hands) that women were brave enough to be at the cross when the apostles hightailed it into hiding (which is appreciated when we humans are not living up to who we all should be in our faith). Then again, scripture recording that women were the 1st to experience, be spoken to, spend time w/ the resurrected Christ.. THE event that created a direct connection to our creator. If scripture records such bravery & significant experience by the women… does it not merit putting women in as writers & producers to include their experiences?

I watched The Chosen tonight. Disappointed, it is not historically accurate. They told a vegetable joke about corn. It was almost 1,500 years after Christ before corn left the Americas.

In response to Blue Huxley: What does the fact that the Bible records women being the first to arrive at Jesus’ tomb have anything at all to do with including women as writers and producers in a Christian streaming series in the 21st century? I am a female Christian as well, but to make EVERYTHING about women these days is getting more than a little monotonous. Did you ever consider that the creator of the series just found the right “people” for the various roles he hired them for, regardless of their biological gender? . . . Not every decision in life boils down to feminism.

I love the show so far. It makes learning about Jesus much more approachable . . .

LOL ! The corn comment!

It’s good. I never realized he had such a large group of immediate followers. Let alone so many women in the group. But everything has to be ‘Inclusive’ these days. Because of that a lot of time is spent fleshing out things that are made up. Alsi I don’t think anyone used the word “weaponized’ of Jesus saying “You Got this”. Thw list could go on. Where’s Bartholomew?

I loved The Chosen; I feel much more closer spiritually as a Catholic. I am left with better understanding! I love every cast member that played an excellent part in the story. Truly got me is the best story movie show, I’ve seen about Jesus that got to the point and I understood it. Thank you! I’m telling everyone to watch it and they are and have! That’s what the Lord wants. Spread and share his love the truth to all his children. God Bless you all!

I hope it goes further than I ever imagine because I think that we really need that as a society. We need this right now. We need more of God and the culture. We need people to know that they are Loved as different as we all are. We are all children of God how can we teach our to those who are hiring and are in pain and if a TV show is able to kind of help, encourage people and and make them feel closer to Jesus and and more loved by God. And you know that’s that’s my ministry right there. – Jonathan Roumie (Jesus) The Chosen! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I am just now finishing up series 3. Of all the comments I have read, no one gets that this series has a “Jesus is a prophet and all-around great guy” motif. It is an amalgamation of New Testament statements about Jesus and his ministry. The one glaring omission that no one seems to understand is that Jesus has been lowered to be shown as a prophet and not the Son of Man. There is no statement about him being in conflict with the devil and that his ministry, in bringing the Kingdom of God to the earth, is to overthrow the hold that the forces of evil have on human history. He casts out demons but this is shown as just one of the things he does along with healing. The statements about the contrast between a person who wants to be dedicated to God and those who don’t are softened. Just read the Gospel according to Mark. The Jesus in that Gospel is not the Jesus on the screen. Very good human drama, but a wimpy representation of the Jesus of the Gospels.

In response to Jack Hess, I feel that you are sadly mistaken. Jesus repeatedly states that He is THE Son of God, and talks directly with The Father – No PROPHET would ever make this specific claim!! Season 4 makes this even more abundantly clear – He is By No Means simply a “Prophet and all-around great guy!” Throughout the series, He regularly shows His power and unequivocal faith requirements. Additionally, he is repeatedly questioning, guiding, testing, and admonishing his own deciples, as well as the Religious Leaders of His time.

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Review: The Chosen (Seasons 1 and 2)

Last night we finished season two of The Chosen, a television show about the apostles. Mrs. Greenbean got so enthralled that every evening she would say, ‘I can’t go to bed until I see Jesus,’ which, taken out of context is fascinating. What she meant was — I need an episode. All in all, this is a fabulous show and given the high volume of garbage on the streaming platforms, this one is a real keeper I highly recommend for people of all ages. Here are some big picture take aways, and be advised, there are spoilers.

REMEMBER: I TOLD YOU THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW

Things They Get Right

The biggest win for this production about Jesus is the tone. I believe they have the exact right tone of Jesus, his followers, the enemies, the seekers, and just about everyone else who was involved. The feel is real.

The acting is also right. The man who plays Nicodemus, Eric Avari, should win an Emmy. No lie. He won’t, of course, but he should. Jonathan Roumie is nearly magical playing Jesus, who is the most impossible character to embody. Literally. I also really like the nasty Roman Quintus (Brandon Pottery) and Paras Patel as Matthew. They are all so good. The woman playing Mary Magdalene started off strong for me, but has turned into a bit of a stale character, but that could be writing and not acting.

I love the episode with the kids — I think it is the second one of season one. It is like Jesus goes to children’s camp. I adored that episode.

Things They Wobble On

It is a small list, as I admit I love the show, but they make leaps in narrative that are not grounded in scripture at all. An example is the supposed fraternal relationship of Simon the Zealot and the man healed at Siloam. The Siloam healing is a major moment in John’s gospel, one of the seven signs, and nowhere is it told us that he was related to Simon. It is a fictionalization, I recognize that, but many people will watch the show and assume it is biblical. I don’t mind imagination engaging in the Bible (indeed, I do a lot of that myself) but I’m queasy on this kind of projection. The same is true for the early ‘interrogation’ of Jesus by Romans.

Along the same lines, I am very uneasy about the conflagration of differing stories into one. The most notable of these is the miraculous catch of fish. In the Bible, this is one story of Peter recognizing Jesus’ power. In The Chosen, it is connected to the idea of Peter having back taxes, which sounds like the famous story where Jesus tells Peter to go look in the mouth of a fish and he found coins to pay the temple tax. Jesus tells him to pay the tax for both of them. The television show pushes these into one, and the miracles draught of fish is used to pay off the debt. Clever story telling, but very loosey goosey with the biblical material.

Things They Get Completely Wrong

As I said earlier, the tone is right — Jesus as a man who does things only God can — but I feel like their Jesus is not as in control as I perceive the Jesus of the New Testament to be. I have a hard time thinking of him fretting over the right wording of the Sermon on the Mount, as the show portrays, or him encouraging the work of promoting this sermon with handbills (more on this later) and advertising as if Jesus were on the first leg of an arena rock tour. Jesus didn’t beg the crowds to come. They came because he was preaching and healing. My take on the preaching of Jesus is that the SOTM is essentially Jesus stock sermon he preached everywhere, which is why we have it in Luke as well, although slightly altered. Which is kind of the point.

This is nitpicky, I know, but I also don’t read the biblical material as thinking of Jesus being forever making camp in wide open places. For certain they did that when traveling, but lodging would have most certainly been available and they would have taken it.

One more thing. I perceive Jesus would not have dressed as a homeless man living under the bridge. He was a rabbi, people addressed him as a rabbi, and he carried himself as such. I think he would have dressed as any other rabbi in the first century world.

Okay, now one more thing for real. The age of the apostles is important. My understanding is they would have all been, with the exception of Peter (who is notable for having a wife), been between the ages of fifteen and eighteen. Young men attaching themselves to a teacher. As such, the cast of this television show should more closely resemble the cast of Stranger Things.

Okay okay, one more. Mary Magdalene is never described as a prostitute in the Bible. Never. That is a kind of slur that has been held over her reputation to minimize her, but the text of the Bible only says Jesus healed her of seven demons.

Things That Make Me Scratch My Head

This show has them using way too much paper. There just wouldn’t have been that much paper — certainly not for passing out like flyers promoting a sidewalk sale.

Roman secret police? Yes, the frumentarri were a thing, but not nearly this active at this time period. It wasn’t until Hadrian, as I understand it, that they took a more active role and likely did participate in espionage against some Christians but at the time period of Jesus, Palestine were hardly cause for concern.

Numbers! When the Roman soldiers move about, there would have been more than a half dozen going to arrest Jesus or doing anything. This as an occupying force in a hostile land. Rome used overpowering numbers.

Why no baptism scene? Why!

Final Evaluation

Looking forward to Season Three — even with its holes and faults, it is the kind of television I want to be watching.

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‘The Chosen’ sets Nov. 18 debut for season 3, internationally in 2000+ cinemas

TV series and global phenomenon goes to the movies

thechosen.tv/3

DALLAS — The Chosen – the global phenomenon, multi-episode television drama based on the life of Jesus – will launch the first two episodes of its highly anticipated third season in more than 2000 movie theaters across the United States and in English-speaking territories. 

With more than 420 million episode views from around the world, The Chosen is a fan-supported, seven-season television series that creates an authentic and intimate picture of Jesus’ life and ministry, seen through the eyes of the people who knew him. 

“The theme of Season 3 is ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest,’” said series Creator Dallas Jenkins. “The honeymoon phase is over, now the characters all have to deal with the costs and occasional confusions of following the Messiah.” 

Distributed through Fathom Events and beginning Nov. 18, The Chosen will show at least 10 times per theater over five days with extended runs possible both domestically and in the U.K., Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Tickets are on sale now. For a complete list of theaters visit TheChosen.tv/3 . 

“Having partnered with The Chosen team last year on a record-setting event for Fathom – CHRISTMAS WITH THE CHOSEN: THE MESSENGERS – we’re thrilled to be working with them again,” said Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events. “Fathom is excited to be bringing the Season 3 premiere to the big screen for their legions of eager fans via 2000+ theaters worldwide.” 

Over the course of its first two seasons, the series has garnered praise from critics and fans alike for its historical and biblical accuracy, playful spirit, stirring drama, genuine humor and disruptive impact. It has been translated into 62 languages (and counting) and is consistently one of the top-searched shows on streaming platforms. The Season 3 trailer premiered last Monday and was the No. 1 trending item on YouTube for two days. The Chosen is completely free to watch on mobile or smart TV apps with no fee or subscription necessary. 

“The stakes are way up for Angel’s first original scripted series,” said Angel Studios Chief Content Officer, Jeffrey Harmon. “ The Chosen has moved from an experimental project to a world-wide phenomenon and fans have high expectations for the next chapter.” 

About The Chosen   The Chosen completed filming of its third season in September 2022, continuing its unprecedented success as the largest fan-supported entertainment project of all time. It has been translated into 62 languages and counting. With no fee or subscription required, it’s completely free to watch and available as both a standalone mobile and TV app, plus available on multiple streaming services. Viewer support enables the show to remain free around the world. The Chosen , an Angel Studios Original, is produced by Loaves & Fishes. 

About Fathom Events Fathom is a recognized leader in the entertainment industry as one of the top distributors of content to movie theaters in North America. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC); Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK); and Regal, a subsidiary of the Cineworld Group (LSE: CINE.L), Fathom operates the largest cinema distribution network, delivering a wide variety of programming and experiences to cinema audiences in all of the top U.S. markets and to more than 45 countries. For more information, visit FathomEvents.com .

Contact: Morgann Delaney 130 Agency 214-755-9008 [email protected]

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Religion News Service or Religion News Foundation.

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The Chosen, the Christian megahit about Jesus, explained

The Chosen’s Christian nepo baby roots — and other ways the hit drama might surprise you.

by Aja Romano

In this age of endless streaming cancellations , it’s a rare thing for a show — even one with a cult following — to last multiple seasons, let alone thrive while doing so. Yet The Chosen , the popular Christian TV series about the life and times of Jesus and his disciples, has carved out an exception for itself on multiple fronts.

The show, funded with the help of Utah-based Angel Studios, lately of Sound of Freedom fame , has gained some grudging praise from reviewers and enormous loyalty from legions of fans who stream the show on the Angel website and other platforms. In November 2022, when the first two episodes of The Chosen ’s third season were shown by Fathom Events, which distributes special releases to movie theaters, it became Fathom’s highest-grossing event of all time . Its massive success led the CW to pick it up, elevating the show from a word-of-mouth streaming hit to a proper network television gamble.

When the show debuted on linear TV on July 16, it did so to 500,000 viewers — a shave off the reported 100 million global viewers who’ve streamed the series, but not a bad start for the CW. Later in July, as the dual WGA/SAG strike got underway, The Chosen made headlines when SAG granted it an exemption as an independent production to wrap up filming its fourth season in Midlothian, Texas . The CW plans to air the entire series over the next six months, with the season three finale scheduled to air on Christmas Eve. After that, the network will be primed to premiere season four to an even bigger audience. With the SAG exemption, it may in fact be one of the few scripted shows to air in 2024.

• Sound of Freedom wants to raise awareness about child trafficking. Here’s what it’s really doing.

The crowdfunded show is interesting from a business standpoint, and also a cultural one. Is it possible to faithfully represent the story of Christ — a figure whose personal politics would probably alienate most modern-day Christians — in a way that’s honest enough to feel truthful, yet anodyne enough to avoid driving away the show’s enormous, right-leaning fan base? The Chosen is trying. Thanks to an emphasis on humanizing its many characters and directly engaging its fans, it has flourished — and with the show’s producers planning on seven seasons, its cultural imprint has only begun to be felt.

What, exactly, is The Chosen ? And is it any good?

The Chosen is a show about Jesus Christ, adapted from the four books of the Bible known as the Gospels, which each tell the story of his birth, life, and death through the varying viewpoints of their writers. All three seasons are available to stream on Angel’s website, as well as Peacock and The Chosen app; the first season can be found on Netflix , too.

Creator Dallas Jenkins has steadfastly reiterated in interviews that his primary goal with the show is to “accurately represent the character and intentions of Jesus and the Gospels” without “think[ing] too much about who it appeals to.” Jenkins brought his project to Angel Studios, where he was able to raise over $10 million for season one and a combined $30 million for seasons two and three. After facilitating the crowdfunding, Angel had exclusive rights to distribute The Chosen through November 2022, but now acts as a licensor for the show. During this time, Angel Studios has seen annual revenue of over $120 million ; crowdfunding contributors received a stake in The Chosen LLC and are supposed to earn back their investment plus 20 percent, though it’s unclear whether anyone has actually received profits.

The show itself makes clear, via a disclaimer in the first episode, that “all Biblical and historical context and any artistic imagination are designed to support the truth and intention of the Scriptures.” If this all sounds like a very serious undertaking, then consider that to much of its audience, fictionalizing the Bible is one of the most serious tasks there is.

The Chosen devotes a fair amount of screen time to world-building, helping its audience understand the sociopolitical context in which Christ was born. The Roman Empire, straining under its own weight, faced increased resistance and rebellion from an overtaxed population in the Middle East. Persecution of Jews grew more intense during this period, while competing Jewish factions created dissent and division among the group.

The show’s focal ensemble characters in the first several seasons are not entirely who you might expect. Rather, they include a number of figures who rarely get much, if any, significant attention in mainstream biblical adaptations. There’s religious leader Nicodemus (Erick Avari); Matthew (Paras Patel), a tax collector, whom The Chosen presents as being on the autism spectrum; hotheaded Simon, a.k.a. Peter (Shahar Isaac), and his brother, brooding fisherman Andrew (Noah James); and Mary Magdalene (Elizabeth Tabish), a sex worker dealing with alcoholism and addiction even after she meets Christ. The show’s fascination with Mary Magdalene follows innumerable depictions of her as a redeemed “fallen woman” who still continues to possess an erotic mystique, a kind of slutty muse; The Chosen , at least, humanizes her beyond merely traversing the virgin/whore divide and giving her an unrequited crush on Jesus.

Issues that plague the modern Christian church get their fair share of attention in the series. Poverty is a constant reality for the disciples and most people they meet. Multiple episodes focus on the racial tension between the Jews and Samaritans , with Jesus roundly castigating his followers for their own prejudices. Throughout the show, as in the Bible, he embraces people who are sick, disabled, and outcast, despite his disciples’ clear discomfort with his actions. At the same time, the disciples grapple with their own issues: perpetual money problems, relationship concerns, and jealousy and competitiveness — we might even say toxic masculinity — among the group.

This everyman approach to the story feels novel, especially among the pantheon of biblical adaptations that emphasize Christ’s larger-than-life divinity. That’s not to say that such moments aren’t present — there are entire episodes devoted to Jesus’s miracles, which he performs accompanied by a chorus of swooning vocals. But for the most part, The Chosen circles slowly around its ensemble, letting their relationship to each other, to the world, to religion , and finally to Jesus himself unfold little by little.

How much you care about all of this arguably largely hinges on how much you’re already primed to care about these people. As biblical figures, they’re already familiar to much of The Chosen ’s audience. As characters, however, the Chosen leads don’t really scream charisma, and the screenwriting from Jenkins and Ryan Swanson can feel plodding and laborious rather than character-driven and narratively inspired.

The cast, while diverse, also produces a slightly discordant effect. Few Jewish actors are in the main cast, though the production pays careful attention to Jewish rituals and culture. Characters are played by actors who are ethnically Arab (including Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus), Latin, North African, and South and Southeast Asian; Roman centurions speak with British accents, while other characters have American or Indian accents. The credits are a fusion of rock and gospel set over visuals that recall midcentury (Jewish) designer Saul Bass, lest you forget that the team behind this production are all thoroughly American, with a thoroughly American understanding of what it means to love and follow Jesus.

That’s because The Chosen ’s origins — not its biblical origins, but its capitalist ones — lie in nothing less than a good old-fashioned nepo baby backstory.

The Christian nepo baby roots of The Chosen

The Chosen was something of a (pardon us) Hail Mary for Angel Studios. The studio began as the streaming filter company VidAngel, which made a splash by allowing Christian audiences to watch sanitized edits of mainstream movies and TV shows. The problem was that all of this was illegal and resulted in VidAngel having to pay $62 million in a copyright lawsuit. After its subsequent bankruptcy, the company rebranded itself as simply Angel, a studio for crowdfunded Christian projects.

Enter Dallas Jenkins. Jenkins is the son of Jerry B. Jenkins, who with Tim LaHaye wrote the mega-selling Left Behind franchise that galvanized Christian fiction during the ’90s and ’00s. Those books, with their emphasis on revelation and Christian martyrdom , pushed a narrative of Christ as a powerful figure of vengeance and retribution. That image fully aligned with the evolving version of evangelical Christianity as a reflection of patriarchal values , with a strong authoritarian man heading up every family, made in the image of a macho version of God himself.

LaHaye, along with other religious conservatives like Jerry Falwell, was a celebrity Christian leader who helped turn evangelical Christianity toward the political far right. Jerry Jenkins has defended his co-writer LaHaye (who according to Jenkins did none of the writing, but rather served as a “biblical consultant”) against a litany of charges related to fundamentalism and bigotry. But Jenkins, like his Left Behind books, arguably pushes a belief in dispensationalism — the worldview that Christians are currently in the end times, which underlies much of Christian extremism.

It’s unclear how much of his father’s beliefs Dallas Jenkins has carried forward, but Jerry Jenkins is directly responsible for his son’s breakthrough success. After graduating from a small Christian college in Minnesota, dad set son up with “our own little production company and staff.” In his early years as a filmmaker, Jenkins made several short film projects for the Chicago-based Harvest Bible Chapel megachurch. When one of them, The Shepherd , became popular with parishioners in 2017, Jenkins’s mission to turn the film into a series ignited interest from Angel.

The Chosen , Jenkins’s pet project — and an idea he says he received from God, who he claims told him , “my people deserve good stuff” — was the first crowdfunding initiative that Angel launched following its rebirth. With its first season raising about $11 million from around 16,000 donors, the series has been widely touted as the most successful creative crowdfunding project of all time.

Angel’s business model is simple, and a bit novel: The focus is on cultivating loyalty and grassroots financial contributions from fans. The company considers those who contribute to a crowdfund as having “paid it forward” for other viewers to watch; when you stream a show on its platform, you’re encouraged to write a public thank-you note on every episode in response. Viewers can also post commentary in episode sidebars. According to the Wall Street Journal, Chosen extras paid (not were paid) $1,000 just to be present for the filming of the Sermon on the Mount. You can’t buy that sort of mystique, not when it comes hand-wrapped in a divine package.

Even with The Chosen striking lucrative deals with Netflix, Peacock, Lionsgate, and the CW, the show remains crowdfunded. When the crowdfunding goal between seasons three and four jumped dramatically from $18 million to $40 million , the show’s fans helped pay to bring the show to every language on earth.

The show certainly has the gloss of an expensive historical drama. It’s just that, unlike most productions, this one has Bible verses inscribed onto the sets.

So what’s the theology behind all of this? Good question!

It’s worth asking what exactly audiences are getting when they consume The Chosen . Among the most novel aspects of the series is its careful lack of sermonizing. As Catholic World’s Paul Senz put it , “One of the notable achievements of The Chosen is that Jenkins’ theological positions are nearly impossible to discern from the show.” The show’s lack of sermonizing has won praise from audiences for being diverse but not “ woke ” — for, essentially, not shoving the impact of identity down viewers’ throats.

That doesn’t mean theologies haven’t been duly imposed upon it. In May, the show received backlash because some fans spotted a crew member sporting a Pride flag in behind-the-scenes footage. Jenkins was at pains to downplay both the flag itself and political factions on set, explaining in a YouTube video, “Our cast and crew have wildly different beliefs. They run the spectrum. Sometimes they wear T-shirts or hats that go across the spectrum from a Pride flag or a MAGA hat or a ‘Jesus Saves’ shirt. No one on our set has been triggered, and no one on our set minds.”

The response from conservative media like the Daily Wire , which had fueled the backlash, was to reluctantly detach from blaming The Chosen itself for the degeneracy of a single crew member in order to support the work of the show overall. Others weren’t so forgiving; one critic castigated the show for suggesting that being gay is acceptable, including by making Jesus (entirely accurately) “a long haired, hippy, effeminate who goes to bars.” The question of how Christ himself might have responded to a Pride flag in his midst rarely came up.

Therein lies the true power of The Chosen : Its depiction of Christ is pleasing enough to summon this kind of loyalty from fans. But despite the themes it engages with, its avoidance of politics is so deft that it never does the Christlike work of challenging its audience’s concepts of unconditional love, government oppression, and what it means to truly embrace the marginalized.

As The Chosen reminds us, Jesus once said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” The show’s larger message — and Christ’s larger message — seems to be getting lost in all the noise.

Clarification, August 2, 1 pm ET: A previous version of this story was unclear about the current relationship between Angel Studios and The Chosen. The Chosen raised funds for its first two seasons through Angel Studios’ services and Angel had exclusive distribution rights through November 2022. It is now simply a licensor of the show.

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Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Chosen’ On Netflix, A Danish Sci-Fi Drama About A Teen Who Digs For The Truth About A Meteor Strike

Where to stream:.

• Chosen (2022)
• science fiction

Is 'Afraid' Streaming on Netflix or HBO Max?

'dark matter' renewed by apple tv+ for season 2, is 'alien: romulus' streaming on netflix, hulu, or prime video, stream it or skip it: 'time bandits' on apple tv+, taika waititi's remake of the '80s film about a kid with a gang of time-traveling thieves.

We’ve seen shows where teens who don’t feel like they belong in the town they live in find a like-minded group and then investigate a grand mystery in their small town. But have we seen that married to an alien invasion story? That’s the idea behind the new Danish series on Netflix.

CHOSEN : STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: Shots of a nebula in space. A young woman’s voice says “Outer space. It’s all around us.”

The Gist: Emma (Malaika Mosendane) is a tour guide at a massive crater in the town of Middelbo. Seventeen years earlier, a meteor crashed in the sleepy shipping town, right in the middle of a supermarket owned by a man named Hussein (Shahbaz Sarwar). The resulting curiosity about the crater and the meteor has fueled tourism to the town and revived it — and has made Hussein insanely wealthy.

However, that surge is starting to wane, and the crowd that Emma is touring is just a school group. A particularly annoying kid wants to touch the meteor, and under threat, Emma relents. His light touch pushes it over and it breaks. Emma is fired, of course, but when she picked up a piece of the broken rock, she sees it’s made of glass. Meteors aren’t made of glass, are they?

In the meantime, scientists at a local satellite station are hearing an unusual signal coming from outer space. They find it even stranger when the signal and response are in the vicinity of Middelbo.

The glass shard bothers Emma, but she can’t get anyone to take her seriously, including her boyfriend Jonas (Magnus Juhl Andersen). She hates being in Middelbo and looks for more meds from her doctor, Susan (Magnus Juhl Andersen), to help her cope. She decides to call Hussein about what she found, and he invites her to his mansion for a talk. What he essentially says is that there was no meteor, at least not one that stayed intact upon impact, but he thought the town needed something tangible to look at. Suffice to say, the very moral Emma isn’t satisfied with that answer. He offers her drink tickets for the fair to buy her silence.

Her mother invokes something Emma wrote when she was 13 to persuade her to go to the annual meteor-themed fair with her on Emma’s 17th birthday. At the fair, Hussein introduces Thomas Damborg (Ken Vedsegaard), who intends on reviving the port that has been dormant for decades. During that intro, a drunk Emma screams that it’s all a lie.

She goes back to the museum, but falls asleep outside of it. A group of teens — Marie (Andrea Heick Gadeberg), Mads (Albert Rudbeck Lindhardt), Frederik (Andreas Dittmer) and Hussein’s son Elvis (Mohamed Djeziri) — bring her into the museum and let her know that they’re looking into the meteor crash, keeping an eye on anyone they knew was there. They think that what actually crashed was an alien ship, and something is communicating with it.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of?   Chosen  feels like  Nancy Drew mixed with  The X-Files . Seriously.

Our Take: Chosen,  created by Christian Potalivo and Jannik Tai Mosholt ( The Rain ) has the good fortune of taking two seemingly different genres — the awkward-teen-investigating-a-mystery genre and the alien invasion drama — and melds them rather seamlessly. We don’t know everything that’s going on in Middelbo, but we know that enough strange things are going on that someone will come along and find out. We’re glad that it’s the set of characters at the center of this series.

We don’t know a ton about the boys in this group, except for the fact that they’re super-serious about this investigation. Emma seems to connect with Marie the strongest at the outset, as they bond while staking out Emma’s doctor, Susan. According to the boys, Marie is “90% vampire,” and she admits that she likes to watch people and see them reveal their secrets to reassure her that “everyone is as fucked up as me.” That seems to be Emma’s point of view, too, so her curiosity about the meteor plus her sense of belonging to this group will help keep her interested in this conspiracy.

The adult characters aren’t particularly well-defined at this point, but there’s supposed to be a bit of mystery surrounding who they are and what they know. It’s pretty obvious that a lot of people are keeping secrets, and what lengths they’ll go to to keep those secrets is what’s going to drive the teens’ investigation and the show’s story in general. It does help that the show displays a bit of a wry sense of humor when needed, so the entire exercise doesn’t just seem like yet another dirge-y piece of Scandi noir, just with aliens.

Sex and Skin: None in the first episode.

Parting Shot: As Emma and Marie see Susan sneaking out of her house to talk to Emma’s biology teacher, Hans (Henrik Prip), we see an odd-looking figure emerging from the wreckage of what originally looked like a plane crash.

Sleeper Star: Gadeberg is certainly creepy — in a fun way — as Marie. But it does look like she and Emma will become fast friends.

Most Pilot-y Line: Right after Jonas calls Emma a pain in the ass for contacting Hussein, he yells “I love you!” as she justifiably pedals away from him in anger. Kinda funny, but boy what a jerk he is.

Our Call: STREAM IT.  Chosen has a number of places to go with its story. It can lean heavily on the alien invasion piece, or lean more towards the teen-finding-her-people piece. Either way, it looks to be a fun ride.

Will you stream or skip the Danish sci-fi drama #Chosen on @netflix ? #SIOSI — Decider (@decider) January 28, 2022

Joel Keller ( @joelkeller ) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com , VanityFair.com , Fast Company and elsewhere.

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Year In Review 2022: ‘The Chosen,’ Chaos, Cruise and (Surprise) Catholic Content

I didn’t watch everything in 2022, but I did watch a lot, especially if Christianity in general — and Catholicism in particular — was involved.

As a former full-time entertainment journalist (the former being why I don’t watch everything anymore), I also watch the industry.

Here’s some of what I saw in 2022, and what I had to say about it (just click on the purple links).

The Rise of The Chosen

After being the talk of Christian circles since its premiere on Christmas Eve 2017, the Gospels-inspired series   The Chosen has become a verified hit and made Catholic actor Jonathan Roumie, who stars as Jesus, a major celebrity with Christian audiences.

The first two episodes of season three premiered in theaters as a Fathom Event in early December and made a big box-office splash . The third episode premiered on Christmas Day; all are available online .

Some or all of the show’s first two seasons now stream on Peacock, Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.

ICYMI, here’s my interview with Jordan Walker Ross, who plays Apostle Little James:

Like The Passion of the Christ in 2004, The Chosen ‘s success proved impossible for legacy media outlets to ignore. The series also landed on more mainstream media platforms than most independent Christian productions can even dream of.

Along the way, it’s helped to pioneer a method for producers to bypass the usual funding and distribution models — and the gatekeepers that control them.

The Chosen launched through the crowdfunding efforts of Utah-based Angel Studios, which, as I wrote last February, …

… took advantage of a provision in the 2016 JOBS act, which allowed startup companies to sell ownership — a k a equity  — stakes in their businesses.

Angel also created a free app that sent the show directly to the audience, which has lapped it up.

Late this year, The Chosen debuted a new app , along with the announcing the support of the new  Come and See Foundation , which is looking to boost the show’s funding and reach a billion viewers worldwide.

The 2021 Christmas episode,  The Messengers , which premiered in theaters,  even aired on Friday , Dec. 23, on The CW broadcast network.

Speaking of The CW…

Known as the home of sexy vampire dramas and woke superhero shows, The CW — launched in 2006 as a co-venture of CBS Entertainment Group and Warner Bros. Entertainment — is now (since October) under the majority control of Nexstar, which owns local TV stations across the country.

This has resulted in most of the network’s shows being axed.

From TVLine.com :

[Nexstar CFO and EVP Lee Ann Gliha said:] “Over the course of the next year, we’re really working to develop our slate, which will come online in the 2023-2024 broadcast season. “We will have some carryover commitment for the CBS (Paramount) and the WBD (Warner Bros. Discovery) programming in that year,” Gliha said, “but it’s minimal at that point.”

So, what’s next for The CW? Read on.

The CW and The Waltons

In November 2021, before all this, The CW aired The Waltons: Homecoming , a remake of the 1971 TV movie The Homecoming: A Christmas Story , which launched the series The Waltons.

With its squeaky-clean, faith-forward script, it was a weird fit for The CW at the time, but credit then-network-head Mark Pedowitz for greenlighting it (click here for our email conversation on the topic).

It did good ratings for the network, garnering the largest numbers The CW had seen for 2021 since the previous April.

The new management followed suit in November 2022 with a second offering, A Waltons Thanksgiving . I attended a screening and event for the film (read all about it here ), where a rather amazing thing happened.

And I quote myself:

Before the screening, held at the Garland Hotel in Studio City, California (founded by  My Three Sons  star Beverly Garland), Channing Dungey, chairman of the Warner Bros. Television Group, said a few words. Among her comments were congratulations to  The Waltons: Homecoming  on winning awards from both The Christophers and Movieguide, both of which honor uplifting — including faith-based — productions. While these awards are considered prestigious among those who produce faith-based and family programming, it’s rare to see the head of a mainstream studio tout winning them as major accomplishments.

This movie didn’t quite hit the ratings of its predecessor, but The CW still seems to be pursuing that family audience.

Last Sunday, The CW aired the 25th Annual Family Film Awards (no, I haven’t heard of them, either), which was on cablenet REELZ last year.

So, what’s up with The CW? There’s been no big announcement of a definite new direction yet, but we could be seeing the birth of an actual family-friendly broadcast network. Stay tuned.

Cruising to Success With Top Gun: Maverick

Say what you like about Tom Cruise, the man is a bona fide movie star.

In a year that saw post-pandemic box-office numbers still lagging , and mergers  and acquisitions shaking up showbiz executive ranks — not to mention a lot of media layoffs at all levels — Cruise delivered the biggest bright spot of 2022.

Top Gun: Maverick , the high-octane follow-up to Cruise’s 1986 hit Top Gun , barreled through the box office, with its rip-roaring tale of Navy aviators on a mission in an unnamed foreign land.

Now available to stream on Paramount+ (and for digital rental or purchase on other platforms), the film combined excellent, authentic filmmaking; a restrained, grown-up romance; enough rah-rah, nostalgic patriotism for original Top Gun fans; and the right mix of diversity and technical whizbang for the younger set — delivered with humor, zing and zero wokeness.

All this wrapped in a PG-13 package suitable for teens and up.

While the slap heard round the world may have jerked the 2021 Academy Awards back to relevance, if the 2022 edition (to air Sunday, March 12, 2023, on ABC) doesn’t give Top Gun top honors, Hollywood’s no-longer-that-big night may shrink even further than it already has.

Oh, Look, Catholics!

It’s always a mixed bag for Catholicism in mainstream entertainment. Why should 2022 be any different? Some quick takes …

Sister Boniface Mysteries

Streamer BritBox premiered Sister Boniface Mysteries , a spin-off of the hit British Father Brown series, loosely based on Catholic writer G.K. Chesterton’s tales of a crimesolving priest. Sister Boniface is a 1960s crimesolving nun, and while her theology is sometimes shaky, the show is charming.

Catholic actor/producer Mark Wahlberg’s outstanding, R-rated biopic Father Stu bothered some with its rough language and raw honesty about the pre-conversion life of Father Stuart Long (but it was later released in a cleaned-up-ish PG-13 version). Nonetheless, it was one of the most Catholic movies I’ve ever seen (click here to know why), and the first of what I hope are many similar projects from Wahlberg — who told me that’s his plan.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Season one of Amazon Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, inspired (however loosely) by the writings of Catholic author J.R.R. Tolkien, ground to its first-season finale, groaning under the weight of scrutiny, expectations and its own bad choices . But, it looked pretty, so there’s that.

Catholic-Themed Fathom Events

Distributor Fathom Events found solid footing in 2022 with Catholic audiences, with a documentary on the Eucharist , and with The Saint Series , including movies about   St. Anthony Claret , St. Michael the Archangel and Saint Teresa of Kolkata, a k a Mother Teresa.

Minions: The Rise of Gru

The latest installment in the hit Minions franchise committed an unforced error with an unnecessarily insulting character that looked like a Catholic nun.

Billy the Kid

EPIX brought us season one of Billy the Kid , who, as it turns out, was the son of Irish Catholic immigrants (and who, in real life , had an encounter with one tough nun).

Also from EPIX, the horror series From featured a Catholic priest as one of the heroic characters. Unfortunately, this mystery-box show failed to solve even one mystery at season’s end, so, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. I won’t be back if there’s a second season.

Becoming Elizabeth

Season one of Starz’s Becoming Elizabeth traced the teen years of Queen Elizabeth I. Most films and TV about the Protestant Tudor monarch portray the Catholics around her, especially her half-sister Mary, as villains. Refreshingly, Becoming Elizabeth (reviewed here ) was quite fair to Mary and surprisingly honest about the persecutions of Catholics instituted under Henry VIII’s short-lived son, vehemently Protestant young King Edward VI. Sadly, there won’t be a second season, and that’s a shame.

Yellowstone and 1923

Lastly, Paramount Network’s hit modern Western Yellowstone has featured some surprise Catholic elements but nothing negative. The same can’t be said for the latest prequel, Paramount +’s 1923 , which. so far, portrays the nuns and priest running a residential school for Native Americans as universally cruel, perverse and sadistic. In his treatment of the often violent Dutton family of Montana ranchers, creator Taylor Sheridan has managed to sympathize with, and humanize, people who do terrible things. The same can’t be said yet of how he’s treating Catholics in 1923 .

Image: Adobe Stock

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'The Deliverance' Is A Mess Of A Movie

Senior Culture Editor, HuffPost

Culture Reporter, HuffPost

Senior Culture Reporter

Netflix ’s “The Deliverance” is one of those films that leaves you with a lot of questions — and not in a good way. The horror movie, directed by Lee Daniels, boasts a star-studded cast that includes Andra Day, Mo’Nique, Glenn Close, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Omar Epps and Caleb McLaughlin. Tasha Smith, Demi Singleton, Miss Lawrence and impressive newcomer Anthony B. Jenkins also appear.

Much of the press around the movie notes the reunion of Daniels and Mo’Nique, who ended their yearslong feud after he publicly apologized to the Oscar-winning actor in 2022. Octavia Spencer, who was originally cast in the film, had scheduling conflicts, and Daniels asked Mo’Nique to replace her in the movie. The duo also worked together on another horror flick, “The Reading,” which was released on BET+ in 2023.

However, there’s a lot more to say about “The Deliverance.” The film is loosely based on the true story of Latoya Ammons and her three children, who claimed to be possessed by demons in Gary, Indiana, in the early 2010s. Their story — which started with flies, just like in the film — was deeply reported by The Indianapolis Star . Initially, few wanted to believe Ammons.

The plot of the film is almost just as bizarre. Set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2011, Day portrays Ebony Jackson, a struggling single mother of three kids (McLaughlin, Singleton and Jenkins) who recently moved from Philadelphia into a house haunted by an evil spirit. Close is cast as Alberta, Ebony’s churchgoing mother who, as Daniels said , personifies the white woman “every Black person knows.” She has cancer, wears a cropped mop of a wig and looooves her a young Black man. (We’ll get into more of that later.) Mo’Nique’s character, Cynthia, is a social worker who is tasked with checking in on the Jackson family since their absent father/husband has petitioned for custody of the children. Ellis-Taylor plays the Rev. Bernice James, who is determined to help the family exorcise their demons.

The horror-thriller is not particularly scary nor thrilling, but somehow we got through it all to tell you more about how absurd it is. In this chat below, we discuss what makes “The Deliverance” one of those films that you can’t believe ever made it to the screen.

OK, So First Let’s Give Our Initial Thoughts On The Movie

I didn’t have high expectations going into this film. I watched Lee Daniels and Mo’Nique’s previous foray into horror with “The Reading” last year. It’s been odd to watch the conversations about “The Deliverance,” as they are being framed around this reunion, when … “The Reading” came out first. Now, there wasn’t as much promotion for that film, which doesn’t surprise me since that seems to be par for the course with BET+ productions. Anyways, the cast is what pulled me into this film: I find Andra Day’s Hollywood trajectory to be fascinating; I love seeing Mo’Nique on-screen; Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is a real force. Caleb McLaughlin and Demi Singleton are young and talented. And Glenn Close is GLENN CLOSE. But the writing on this film does not come together at all, and the plot is pretty flimsy. The religious framing of it all is just … snooooooze. I finished the film with so many questions, and I hate that. — Erin

I went into watching “The Deliverance” only knowing that it was a horror flick starring Andra Day, Glenn Close, Mo’Nique, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Caleb McLaughlin. (Omar Epps in that role was quite a shocker.) No shade, but I didn’t have high expectations for a Lee Daniels movie in this genre. However, I knew it’d still be entertaining on some level, and I was right because I found myself laughing way more than I should have at a “scary” movie. At one point, I wasn’t sure what film I was watching anymore because the plot drags so much in the beginning and nothing remotely terrifying happens until Anthony B. Jenkins’ character climbs up a hospital wall backward. (Even that was mild jump scare.) The movie overall doesn’t offer a good enough setup for a suspenseful horror film to revive my faith in the genre, and the writing itself is oftentimes too cringe to take seriously. I’m also not a fan of scary movies that try to wrap everything up with a happily-ever-after ending after a hellish climax. The most enjoyable part of “The Deliverance” was Mo’Nique, which is sad when you have greats like Ellis-Taylor and Close who were grossly miscast. Perhaps knowing it was based on a true story before the end of the movie would’ve lured me in more. — Njera

I went into this with very low expectations, considering much of Lee Daniels’ track record — “The Paperboy” and “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” for example, are both outrageously awful movies — and, honestly, I can say that those expectations were met. Included in this potpourri of terrible storytelling and directorial choices are caricatures instead of actual characters, bearing no resemblance to how human beings actually behave. I watch a lot of horror and realize modern American horror is not in the greatest place right now. So some of what happens here (totally expected plot twists and a hyperfocus on message instead of story) is stuff I’ve seen in other films. But, it’s the caricature part of it all that really stands out to me.

I also have to point out that David Coggeshall and Elijah Bynum co-wrote this disaster with Daniels. So, he can’t bear all the blame for what we see here. Coggeshall does not have the greatest track record either. (His credits include the ill-advised “Scream: The TV Series.”) And as one of very few people who actually watched “Magazine Dreams,” Bynum’s last directorial effort, at the Sundance Film Festival last year, I can kinda see that he has really great ideas. But they don’t always come together. I’m not sure which idea(s) in “The Deliverance” is/are his, but man … it’s just a bad look all around.

Once I read that the character of Alberta is entirely made up and not in the true story at all, which was after I watched the movie, I got irrationally upset about it. So, you just add a white trailer-trash mom rocking Kate Gosselin’s old lopsided do, who walks around in clothes that no one else in the movie wears, and randomly has all the Black dudes INCLUDING ONE PLAYED BY OMAR EPPS on the block sprung over her — for funsies? I’m insulted on behalf of the poor white trash community. — Candice

Old. Lopsided. Do. I am screaming!!!! — Erin

Did The Cast Perform Well, At Least?

You know, I actually thought Andra Day was really good in this movie. She was bringing everything she possibly could to the role, despite how weak the plot is. The youngest son, Dre, portrayed by Anthony B. Jenkins, was pretty phenomenal in this as well. I was legit scared of him and his character when he gets possessed. Caleb McLaughlin and Demi Singleton were just … there. They didn’t seem to have much to work with other than McLaughlin’s character getting bullied and then both of them being possessed later on in the film. I’ll save all my thoughts for Glenn Close in this next section. She deserves a lot of words. — Erin

For a cast full of buzzy names, “The Deliverance” doesn’t make much use of them. The only real standout in the movie is Day, whose performance wasn’t half-bad despite the writing not being up to par. Again, Mo’Nique was a favorite, but only because she was her usual funny, no-nonsense self — I refuse to believe a social worker actually behaves like that when checking on a family. I still have many questions as to why Epps was cast to play the nurse/boo thang for Close’s character because … why? Wasting Epps’ talent as a weak supporting character was just a stupid decision. Same for Ellis-Taylor’s character, who gets no clarity until the latter half of the movie. I’m starting to believe most of these actors were cast to make “The Deliverance” sound better than it actually is. Whatever the plan was, it wasn’t a success. — Njera

The cast is really great — 10/10 on the cast. Lots of great talent here, including Day, who I think is a much better actor than she might be given credit for — but she really needs to stay away from Daniels’ movies. They’re not doing her any favors, obviously. The performances … I have to blame the director for each of them, because there is just no way this film should have wrapped when you got Close acting like a whole cartoon character, Day’s Ebony half-written and almost completely confusing, and Ellis and Mo’Nique looking like spoofs of clergy and social worker characters. I do not believe their performances for one moment, and only because none of their choices makes any sense. And their trajectories, especially Cynthia’s, don’t make sense. They all deserve better. — Candice

Yes, that’s a good point about Ebony. We never really learn what all of her demons are and what kind of trauma she experienced. We only hear Ebony constantly telling Alberta how she didn’t raise her right, let bad things happen to her and wasn’t a great mom either. I kept wanting one of the many flashbacks to actually explain what’s really going on. — Erin

We Have To Talk About Glenn Close And... That Wig

You really have to laugh at this to keep from being enraged about it. As soon as I saw the trailer for this film, I was like, “What is Glenn Close doing here?” She’s in this blond wig that looks like it came straight off of a beauty supply store mannequin. She’s wearing shirts with the cutoff shoulder parts AND AND AND jeans with ripped holes throughout them. Her character, Alberta, is the mother of Ebony; she loves to smoke cigarettes (though she has cancer), and she loves Black men. (She’s dating Omar Epps, who is also her nurse at the clinic where she gets chemo. Suddenly he’s at her granddaughter’s birthday party, and he and Alberta are a thing.) Like, Candice said this person was invented for this movie (there is no Alberta in the real story), and the fact that she’s a caricature of a person is just … too much to handle. Again I ask, why???? — Erin

When I read that Daniels described Close’s character as the white woman that “every Black person knows,” everything I witnessed in “The Deliverance” made total sense. From the blond asymmetrical haircut to the lust for Black men, she played a caricature that added not an ounce of depth to the movie — which, again, makes sense considering that she’s not based on an actual person, but rather an idea that Daniels felt compelled to bring to life, although the director does the opposite. Alberta acts so ridiculous throughout the movie that all you can do is laugh through the nonsense. — Njera

Mo’Nique Is A Very... Scary Social Worker

I don’t know much about social workers. But I felt like Mo’nique’s portrayal felt … like a bookie looking for her money more than anything. I kept thinking she was about to shake down Ebony for cash at any moment. When she leans back in that reclining chair and props her feet up, I was like, what is going on here? — Erin

I kept thinking a lot about one of my friends, who is a social worker and would likely be very offended if she saw this. Not all social workers are the same. But I think I can say confidently that they don’t roll up into people’s homes like corrupt cops looking for a drug fix. Why is Cynthia so mean? So unprofessional? And, like, maybe borderline criminal with some of the things she does? Maybe she needs to be investigated? Hello, five-O? — Candice

I imagine if my mother, a former social worker, behaved the way Mo’Nique’s character, Cynthia, did on the job, she would no longer have one. I’ve never known a social worker to act like a loan shark collecting debt when on a family visit, so I truly wonder how Daniels and Mo’Nique arrived at this portrayal for “The Deliverance.” The few moments where we see Cynthia show some compassion toward Day’s character prove that some thought went into Mo’Nique’s performance, but it still wasn’t convincing enough. — Njera

What’s Up With Ellis-Taylor’s Character?

So, I watched “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat” the other day, and it reminded me how much I looooove when Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor gets in her bag in a really, really good role with a built-out character. She’s phenomenal in that film. But in “The Deliverance”? Her character, Bernice James, is introduced in the oddest way. She just kind of lurks in the background with Ebony questioning who she is, once Mo’nique’s Cynthia leaves the house. Then she explains the backstory of that haunted house the family lives in, with some confusing-as-hell flashbacks that don’t really help me fully understand what’s going on. THEN, she half-handles the exorcism — excuse me, the deliverance — before dying in the middle of it all. What a waste of her talent. — Erin

Not a damn thing with her character makes sense. And you know right away that there is no way she can actually survive this foolish plan. — Candice

I’ve always been a fan of Ellis-Taylor as an actor because her film performances never disappoint. However, and to no fault of hers, her character in “The Deliverance” left much to be desired. It doesn’t help that the movie fails her from the jump by introducing her as the strange woman lurking outside Ebony’s house with no context. Even the McDonald’s scene and the flashback story she tells don’t fully explain who the hell she’s supposed to be and why she’s drawn to Ebony. Killing her off during her hero moment was just a waste of time since Ebony ends up being the one to save the day. On behalf of Ellis-Taylor, I’m offended that her time in this movie was completely wasted. — Njera

There Are Very Few Moments That Work

The special effects moments were pretty good. Dre walking up the wall backward was wild; Ebony bending over backward with every joint in her body basically cracking one by one was great. And I was surprised by how good Day was in this considering the material. That’s probably all I got for what actually worked. — Erin

I was honestly going to skip over this section, because I don’t think any of this works. But Dre flipping up the wall like that was DOPE. — Candice

It was the one moment that made me go: “Oh, shit! Now we’re talking!” — Erin

I’ll give it up for some of the scene transitions because they actually felt somewhat true to the horror genre tone. The special effects didn’t look cheap either. But other than Day’s performance and the few unintentional laughs the movie offers, it’s hard to say what else actually worked in its favor. — Njera

There Are Some Truly Crazy Lines In This Movie

So there are SEVERAL lines in this film that make you say, “Now who the hell wrote this?” Some of them are so bad they’re laughable, like when Ebony’s evil spirit is pleading with real Ebony and says, “We all we got, girl!” Like, actually evil Ebony, you gotta go! Then there’s the random racist-as-hell line that Ebony says to an exterminator who is Asian. I won’t even repeat it here because it was so unnecessary. Then there’s Alberta doing this after she dies and inhabits the evil spirit of Dre (I guess that’s how the plot is going at that point?): “I can smell your nappy pussy,” she says to Bernice James. “And you, you fucking half-breed whore, I should have flushed your ass down the toilet when you were just a blood clot.” When I find out which of these male writers wrote that line about a nappy pussy? I need him to be investigated. — Erin

I fully forgot every single line in this movie, including those! The “nappy pussy” line was so incredibly stupid, now that I recall. — Candice

There are several ridiculous lines in the movie that either made me cackle or gasp. I’m not of the generation that curses at their parent, so Ebony telling her mother to “shut the fuck up” at the dinner table and that she’s “knocked bitches’ teeth out for less” took me aback for a second. Cynthia telling Ebony and her “cockeyed mother” to have a good day made me holler. However, “nappy pussy” definitely takes the cake. — Njera

The Ending Is Awful

I rewatched the beginning of this film last night. And I couldn’t believe I didn’t put it together that this movie was definitely going to have a huge religious slant to it. The opening song is the gospel hymn “I Know Who Holds Tomorrow.” And by the end of the film, they might as well have put all the kids on a cross like Jesus because there was so much resurrection energy happening. The ending was perhaps the biggest eye roll. The movie never fully reached the darkest depths it could have gone, but then wrapped up with this happy-go-lucky ending where the whole gang is getting back together again. We never even really found out what was going on with the missing dad/husband. A mess. — Erin

I do not believe that a man who refuses to talk to his wife for reasons that are never explained, and won’t even see his kids — like, he can’t even be bothered to show up one time in this film — ends up inviting them all back into his life at the end of this movie. No. Get out of here with that. — Candice

There’s nothing more frustrating than a movie ending that leaves you with too many unanswered questions. After rewatching the conclusion of “The Deliverance,” I still have no idea why Ellis-Taylor was brought in to perform an impossible exorcism that Ebony was magically able to pull off, or why her youngest son was chosen as the demon’s host. Don’t even get me started on whatever the other kids are going through while all that is happening. The odd religious undertones and that weird crucifixion reference only left me confused about how the film would end. The written update about Ebony eventually getting her kids back felt too good to be true in this series of strange and unfortunate events. It’s still hard to believe this screenplay is actually based on a true story — I suggest Googling “Latoya Ammons” before tuning in. — Njera

“The Deliverance” is now available to stream on Netflix.

From Our Partner

More in culture & arts.

Azure sky, clear waters, and a blindingly-white beach surround the all-inclusive Dominican resort where a French-Cameroonian woman named Emma (co-writer Clarisse Albrecht ) unwinds at the beginning of the Dominican Republic’s Oscar hopeful “Bantú Mama” from director and co-writer Ivan Herrera. Her relaxation is cut short when she receives a phone call saying a dubious meeting has been moved up a week today. Suddenly she’s checked out, her luggage thrown into a sugar cane field, and back at the airport with an identical case and a little excess baggage. When things go awry after she’s arrested, Emma finds herself rescued by a trio of semi-orphaned kids who hide her in the most dangerous neighborhood in Santo Domingo. 

Through this setup, writer/actress Albrecht uses her own experiences living in France, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, and the Dominican Republic to explore the inexorable cultural connections between Africa and the Caribbean. Director Herrera proves to be an apt partner, bringing a strong visual acumen to the film, creating a lively world, and coaxing unforgettable performances from a cast of mostly first-time actors. 

Through visual cues and smart dialogue, the film hints at the pull between the worlds that reside within Emma. She shares her apartment with a parrot named Coco, her walls decorated with traditional raffia masks. As she leaves for the airport she spins a bronze statue, its arms outstretched as if reaching in two directions. Later, an immigrant working at the resort braids Emma’s hair. While chatting Emma says she’s from “France … and Cameroon.” The woman responds, “I would love to go to Africa one day.” “Me too,” she replies, a wistful look on her face. 

How and why Emma has found herself smuggling drugs is left intentionally obscured, though cross-cutting to visions of another idyllic ocean implies it’s a means for Emma to make her dream of Africa a reality. Albrecht’s psychologically complex performance renders total clarity unnecessary. We’re in it with her as she waits for her flight to board, when security randomly pulls her aside, and again when she’s arrested. Herrera keeps his camera focused on Emma, centered in the frame, her face projecting all her fears and dashed hopes.

Although the means of Emma’s escape and later discovery by T.I.N.A. (Scarlet Reyes) and her older brother $hulo ( Arturo Perez ) is a bit contrived, her connection with the kids is natural and unforced. Reyes in particular is a force of nature as a girl who has had to grow up and take charge of her life, and that of her brothers, way too young. Euris Javiel as Tina’s youngest brother Cuki gives one of those authentic kid performances that transcend precociousness, serving instead the honest sweetness that children of that age naturally possess. 

Awaiting some falsified papers and transport to a French-associated island like Guadalupe, Emma bonds with the children, whose mother is out of the picture and whose father has recently been jailed. Over breakfast on their first day together they learn of dishes shared by both their cultures. While discussing Africa, Cuki asks how she can be French and Bantú at the same time, to which she responds “One doesn’t exclude the other.” She teaches T.I.N.A. how to wear a scarf in her hair “like a queen.”

As she brings African culture into their lives, all three children brighten and begin to dream of a world across the Atlantic where more possibilities might await them. Yet, even with these dreams across the ocean ever present, the film takes care to show that Santo Domingo has a vibrant culture of its own. Emma shops for fresh food at an outdoor market. T.I.N.A. and $hulo observe boys riding dirt bikes through the streets. Unfortunately, also present throughout the neighborhood are drug raids and callous cops who frisk people on the street for their identification, rounding them up if they do not. 

Although she’s grown a tough exterior for herself, T.I.N.A. knows the future has already been written for her and $hulo. But through their connection with Emma, a new path may have formed for the gentle Cuki, and she’s willing to sacrifice everything to make that future happen for him. The scenes in which T.I.N.A. makes her plans for her brother clear to Emma allow both Albrecht and Reyes to showcase their capabilities for raw and complex emotional depth. In their final scene together, Herrera holds on Reyes’ face, her eyes like the ocean reflecting great sadness and great hope simultaneously. 

It’s no accident that the sea is shown as a savior throughout the film. The sea brought T.I.N.A.’s family to the islands, just as they brought Emma’s to France. The sea connects both places, and to the coast of Africa. It’s a bittersweet connection, fraught with a bloody past, but also the possibility of a brighter future. Cinematographer Sebastian Cabrera Chelin captures its contradictory nature throughout the film, displaying its bright blue hues during the day and its shimmering darkness at night. 

Ultimately, “Bantú Mama” is a film that finds the light in the darkest place, preferring to believe in hope above all else. Co-writers Albrecht and Herrera have a deep connection to its setting in the Dominican Republic, to the island’s past, present, and its future. They also deeply feel the ever-present current of African culture that persists throughout the post-colonial diaspora. They see the beauty and the complexity of feeling as though you belong in two places, to two cultures equally and at the same time. 

Now playing on Netflix.

Marya E. Gates

Marya E. Gates is a freelance film and culture writer based in Los Angeles and Chicago. She studied Comparative Literature at U.C. Berkeley, and also has an overpriced and underused MFA in Film Production. Other bylines include Moviefone, The Playlist, Crooked Marquee, Nerdist, and Vulture. 

• Clarisse Albrecht as Emma
• Euris Javiel as Cuki
• Scarlett Reyes as T.I.N.A.
• Donis Taveras as the Lawyer
• Arturo Perez as $hulo
• Jarold Santos as Cuñao
• Boddhi Satva
• Clarisse Albrecht
• Iván Herrera
• Israel Cárdenas

Cinematographer

• Sebastian Cabrera Chelin

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As The Chosen continues to gain momentum, it’s set to challenge Reacher for a spot in Prime Video’s coveted Top 10 list. The groundbreaking series, which has captivated audiences with its unique portrayal of the life of Jesus and his disciples, is making waves in the streaming world. With its growing fanbase and critical acclaim, The Chosen is positioning itself as a serious contender among Prime Video’s top shows, threatening to unseat Reacher from its current position.

The show’s success can be attributed to its fresh take on biblical stories , bringing a level of depth and humanity to the characters that resonates with a modern audience. Unlike traditional portrayals, The Chosen delves into the personal lives of Jesus and his followers , exploring their doubts, fears, and triumphs in a way that feels relatable and authentic. This approach has struck a chord with viewers, leading to a surge in popularity that is reflected in its streaming numbers.

As The Chosen continues to climb the ranks , Reacher faces stiff competition. The action-packed series, based on the popular novels by Lee Child , has enjoyed a strong run on Prime Video, thanks to its intense storylines and compelling lead character. However, the rising popularity of The Chosen suggests that viewers are increasingly drawn to its more contemplative and character-driven narrative.

Prime Video’s Top 10 list is a dynamic space, and with The Chosen gaining traction, it’s only a matter of time before it poses a significant challenge to Reacher, currently lying just one place behind the mega-hit starring Alan Ritchson . For fans of both shows, this makes for an exciting time on the platform, as each series brings something unique to the table, catering to different tastes and interests.

What is 'The Chosen' About?

Created by Dallas Jenkins , The Chosen is a fresh take on the life of Jesus Christ , but it doesn’t just focus on Him—it dives deep into the lives of those around Him. The series shows how Jesus's teachings and actions impacted His disciples and others who crossed His path. It's character-driven, really focusing on the personal struggles and growth of each figure. The show has been a hit for its emotional storytelling and relatable portrayals, making it stand out among other faith-based series.

As The Chosen continues its ascent, viewers can expect to see it competing more fiercely with Reacher and other top contenders on Prime Video. Whether it will ultimately secure a spot in the Top 10 remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: The Chosen is a series on the rise, and it’s coming for the top.

The Chosen is a historical drama based on the life of Jesus and those who knew him. Set against the backdrop of Roman oppression in first-century Palestine, the series shares an authentic look at Jesus' revolutionary life and teachings.

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Cast & Crew

Christian Potalivo

Jannik Tai Mosholt

Malaika Berenth Mosendane

Andrea Heick Gadeberg

Andreas Dittmer

Albert Rudbeck Lindhardt

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‘babygirl’ review: nicole kidman and harris dickinson embrace every dangerous turn in a dark thriller about unruly desire.

A tightly wound CEO finds release through a torrid affair with an intern in director Halina Reijn’s second English-language feature, following 2022's ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies.’

By David Rooney

David Rooney

Chief Film Critic

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'disclaimer' review: cate blanchett and kevin kline lead alfonso cuaron's dazzling and occasionally silly apple tv+ thriller, angelina jolie opens up about 'maria,' her operatic life and her bold return.

Kidman plays Romy Mathis, CEO of a New York automation firm whose latest development is a goods delivery system for Amazon-type warehouses. She has two teenage daughters, Isabel (Esther McGregor) and Nora (Vaughan Reilly), and a successful theater-director husband, Jacob ( Antonio Banderas ), whom she straddles naked and rides to a gasping climax in the attention-getting opening scene.

We soon learn that part of Romy’s role in the bedroom is performative, when she flits down the hall after Jacob falls asleep and brings herself to orgasm watching daddy porn. In a later scene, she encourages her husband to be more aggressive in their sex play, which mostly makes him giggle with embarrassment.  

Romy is all about careful control, so she’s caught off guard when Samuel ( Harris Dickinson ), a fresh recruit in the intern program, puts her on the spot with a question about the compatibility of automation and sustainability. Samuel has already caught her eye outside the office, when she watches him step in and calm a barking dog that’s off its leash and scaring everyone else on the sidewalk. While it’s slightly on the nose, that dog incident will be wryly echoed in developments to come.

Subsequent encounters with Samuel confirm, in both his loose body language and his blunt words, that he’s not intimidated by Romy’s position. At the office holiday party, he informs her that he’s chosen to partner with her in the mentor program, and despite her insistence that she’s too busy to participate, Romy shows up for their scheduled 10-minute meeting.

As Samuel questions her about how she got her start and what path brought her to where she is today, the subject of power comes up. He throws her for a loop when he casually observes, “I think you like to be told what to do.” That inappropriate remark ends the meeting, but Samuel blocks her at the door with a kiss.

Reijn knowingly teases out this setup like a ‘90s sexual stalker thriller — an inspiration furthered by DP Jasper Wolf’s sharp visuals — but keeps upending those expectations. Working with great discipline and with zero timidity, the writer-director is unafraid to provoke feminist indignation by revealing Romy’s complicity in her subjugation. Watching Kidman hike up her elegant gown to get on all fours and lap up a saucer of milk is both horrifying and funny.

Samuel should, by rights, be a creep, but his cocky behavior is also awkward and uncertain, with nervous laughter when she doesn’t immediately comply with his demands. As their sexual trysts become more frequent, he shows sensitivity toward her vulnerabilities and an instinct for her needs, eventually exposing a few of his own.

Dickinson’s unforced intensity makes him a magnetic screen presence and although he imbues Samuel with an element of threat, the actor never lets us mistake him for a predator or crazy control freak. He hasn’t exuded this much undiluted sexuality since Beach Rats .

The winking song choice, George Michael’s “Father Figure,” is one of a handful of punchy needle drops, along with Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own” and INXS’ “Never Tear Us Apart,” that augment a fabulously eclectic, mood-shaping score by Chilean-born Canadian composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer.

Eventually, the stop-start clandestine relationship does threaten to destroy what’s dearest to Romy — at home when she makes a partial confession to Jacob, talking evasively of having dark thoughts in her head since she was a child, and at work after it emerges that Samuel is also seeing Esme.

Wilde, the Australian discovery from Talk to Me , brings sly notes of humor to Esme’s power play when she uses knowledge of her boyfriend’s other relationship for her own advancement and starts blending corporate-speak with virtue-signaling buzzwords like “radical self-honesty.”

Someone’s life normally gets destroyed in the standard template for movies like this, but here even the most potentially explosive situations unfold in unanticipated ways — notably when Jacob and Samuel come face to face in a physical clash, in one of two moments when Banderas’ gentle-natured nice guy fires up into rage.

There are lovely moments between Romy and her daughters, particularly Isabel, a cool young lesbian with a bleached mullet who fooled around on her own girlfriend and uses that experience to reassure her mother that forgiveness is attainable. The brief scene is a very sweet child-parent role reversal.

Kidman also gets to show chilly command in a delicious encounter with an oily HR manager (Victor Slezak) who insinuates having compromising knowledge as a stepping stone to hooking up with Romy.

Ultimately, Babygirl is about a woman coming to accept that her full spectrum of desires is legitimate and no cause for shame, and that control can be pleasurably elastic, rather than something to be held in a vise-like grip. What makes it entertaining is not just the actors’ skilled navigation of every tricky challenge but also the script’s refusal of judgement and rigid moral codes. The film doesn’t go terribly deep and could stand to be 10 minutes shorter, but it’s perverse, juicy fun of a kind we don’t get much of anymore.

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