movie review on killing jesus

Film Review: Killing Jesus (TV)

Written by: Jay Heilman (3/26/2015)

When I first got the screener for Nat Geo’s Killing Jesus , I had high hopes. I was hoping that a TV movie/event would bring justice to its adaptation of the greatest story ever told. The film is based on the book by Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly (O’Reilly Factor) and author Martin Dugard. I got about 45 minutes in when I realized that the film was already missing the mark – big time. With a story line that is loosely based on Scripture, with many creative liberties taken, Killing Jesus was a disappointment.

The major problem I had with it was the portrayal of Jesus Himself. In the film, Jesus is confronted by his cousin John The Baptist, and it’s though John has to reveal to Jesus what He was there to do. Jesus in the film is clueless and even denies that He is there for the purpose in which God clearly states in the Bible. Wait a minute… I don’t remember that part in the Bible? Later scenes in the film including the crucifixion are rather “bloodless”. It doesn’t even look as though Christ has been beaten, only a few drops of blood on his brow and face along with some marks on His back. The crucifixion is much more disturbing and bloody as told in Scripture and I think that the lack of here almost diminishes what Christ’s death was about. He was taking the sin and punishment of the world on Himself. I don’t know if the lack of this in the film was done on purpose on part of the producers, who may have wanted the film to avoid coming across or hit viewers like the scenes of Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ did in 2004.

Personally, the graphic scenes of Passion were enough to make me realize just how much torture and pain Jesus went through on my behalf. Positives of the film are that it was shot well and has wonderful scenery as well as great performances by well-known actors like Kelsey Grammar (Herod), Rufus Sewell (Caiaphas) and John Rhys-Davies (Annas), but I just couldn’t get past the film’s portrayal of Jesus denying His own deity. Christians shouldn’t be surprised by this though, at least I wasn’t. The film was based on a book written by Bill O’Reilly, rather than the Bible itself, and since I hadn’t read the book prior, I didn’t know how accurate it would be to Scripture. I love the National Geographic Channel, and alongside ESPN, it’s the two channels most watched in my house. I have also been a fan of the magazine as long as I can remember, but I know that when documentaries on Jesus, God or the Bible have aired on the channel in the past, I watch with caution.

Overall, I was quite disappointed in the film. I was hoping that this would be an opportunity to portray the real Christ of the Bible since Easter is coming up, but Killing Jesus just makes Christ look like He’s clueless to what His meaning of life is. If you’re looking for a strong story and a way to share the true Jesus with friends and family – this is not the one you will want to point them to. It misses the mark horribly and I would suggest maybe telling them to check out something out – or just read the Bible itself. You can never go wrong there. So I give Killing Jesus 2/5 stars solely on the production/scenery.

Released: March 29, 2015 (Television)

Running Time: 132 Minutes (National Geographic Channel)

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Killing Jesus

2015, History/Drama, 1h 30m

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Killing jesus photos.

The intimate details of Jesus' life and the political conspiracy that preceded his death; how his message led to his persecution and execution by those who saw him as a threat.

Genre: History, Drama

Original Language: English

Director: Christopher Menaul

Producer: Aidan Elliott , Mark Huffam

Writer: Walon Green

Release Date (Streaming): Dec 6, 2015

Runtime: 1h 30m

Production Co: Scott Free Productions

Cast & Crew

Haaz Sleiman

Kelsey Grammer

Stephen Moyer

Pontius Pilaet

Rufus Sewell

Emmanuelle Chriqui

Tamsin Egerton

John Rhys-Davies

Eoin Macken

Herod Antipas

Christopher Menaul

Walon Green

Screenwriter

Aidan Elliott

Mark Huffam

Executive Producer

Bill O'Reilly

Charlie Parsons

Ridley Scott

Heather Moran

Trevor Morris

Original Music

Ousama Rawi

Cinematographer

Xavier Russell

Film Editing

Elaine Grainger

Tom McCullagh

Production Design

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2015 Emmy Nominees Ranked By Tomatometer

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Review: In ‘Killing Jesus,’ the secular outweighs the spiritual

Haaz Sleiman as Jesus of Nazareth in National Geographic Channel's Killing Jesus. Credit:

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Like its predecessors “Killing Lincoln” and “Killing Kennedy,” “Killing Jesus,” from the book by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, has become a National Geographic Channel TV movie. It premieres Sunday, surely not by coincidence a week before Easter.

As in their other books, the authors go for a you-are-there approach, writing in the present tense, with intermittent allusions to how many years, months or days their subject has left to live. They fill in their narrative with sections about Roman politics and daily life in old Israel, but much of what they include has for authority only the Bible, and while this is the only authority some need, there is, let’s say, room for scholarly argument.

Nevertheless, the film, like the book, except for some marveling at prophecies fulfilled, sticks mostly with what might be called Jesus’ human activity. There is no Annunciation, no animal-attended Nativity, no jousting with the devil in the wilderness. There is some minor wonderment, but the more miraculous miracles — walking on water, loaves and fishes, raising the dead — remain offstage, invisible and legendary.

Though it presumes to know the mind of its characters, the book does stick to biblical sources for its dialogue. A movie is a different animal; the authors of the Gospels did not write long scenes full of banter and psychology.

Walon Green, who wrote “The Wild Bunch,” followed by many episodes of various cop shows, has been hired to supply the spoken words. Sometimes they’re funny, when they are probably not meant to be, as with Salome and her scheming mother (Stephanie Leonidas and Emmanuelle Chriqui), who come off like something out of an upper-income reality show, or at the aborted stoning of the adulterous woman:

One man hands another a stone: “Here, kill her.”

The other man hands it back: “You kill her.”

Lesson learned.

Kelsey Grammer is Herod, in a long wig and beard. Rufus Sewell as the high priest Caiaphas gets the most out of his part by never breathing hard, plus he’s given at least a decent motivation — he’s trying to protect his people by helping to maintain order. He is not merely an excuse for a couple of thousand years of anti-Semitism.

Pilate (Stephen Moyer, from “True Blood”) is, as usual, let halfway off the hook, succumbing reluctantly and a little petulantly to the demands of the crowd (the Barabbas episode is missing), then lighting out quick as you may for the sea breezes of Caesarea with his hot wife, Claudia (Tamsin Egerton).

Lebanese American actor Haaz Sleiman plays Jesus, and it is nice at least to see a Jesus of color and more or less local origin (he was born in Beirut, 150 miles from Bethlehem) instead of the white, sometimes very white, Christ so often offered. He is a little unprepossessing for a man who stirred the multitudes, but this is true generally of the film.

Indeed, one of the problems of an “authentic” approach, barring a vision commensurate with the original material — even one that argues with the material — is that you risk killing the poetry that makes it fly in the first place. Jesus hits a few of his main talking points (first stone, do unto others, turn cheek), but only a fraction and not the most subtle of them. And neither Sleiman nor the script nor director Christopher Menaul lifts the story off the ground.

There is some drama worked up in spots — the overturning of the tables of the moneylenders, the scourging, the Crucifixion — but mostly we are left to fill in the spiritual blanks. Some viewers will doubtlessly be moved, but it will be more from what they bring to the table than what has been laid out for them.

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‘ Killing Jesu s’

Where: National Geographic Channel

When: 8 p.m. Sunday

Rating: TV-14 (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 14)

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Killing Jesus (2015 TV Movie)

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Killing Jesus

More By Andreas Köstenberger

More than a century ago, Albert Schweitzer famously chronicled 19th-century Lives of Jesus in his volume The Quest of the Historical Jesus . Anyone perusing Schweitzer’s work—or the religion section in their local Barnes and Noble—will quickly realize there’s no end to biographies of Jesus. (They will also realize such works often tell us at least as much about the modern-day author as they reveal about the person of Jesus.) So when the dust jacket of Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard’s work boasts that Killing Jesus: A History tells the story of Jesus “as never told before,” one wonders: Can this claim really be true? You can decide after reading this review (if not the book itself).

This is now the third “Killing” book written by these authors (future possibilities are almost limitless). The first two were Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy , both New York Times bestsellers. Both writers are journalists, adequate credentials for producing the first two “Killing” books. But what is their theological pedigree? O’Reilly, anchor of the highest-rated cable news show in the United States, The O’Reilly Factor , and Dugard, a prominent history author, are both Roman Catholics but beyond this seem to have no formal theological training. They helpfully list their major sources at the end of the book (an excellent list, including many evangelical contributions). Still, moving from chronicling the circumstances surrounding the Lincoln and Kennedy assassinations to investigating what led to the crucifixion of Jesus is a major step up, as the authors acknowledge.

What kind of work is this? The authors claim it’s “a history,” meaning they tried to “separate fact from myth” (273) and to follow reliable historical sources. Miracles are not reported as having actually happened but simply as having allegedly occurred; for example, at one point the raising of Lazarus is simply called a “legend” (199). Roman sources are used extensively (and for shock effect), and the book typically oscillates between Roman and biblical history, with occasional flashbacks. Frequently a series of events or interchanges is taken virtually verbatim from one of the Gospels without any chapter or verse reference. There is no source documentation throughout the book (other than the aforementioned global reference to sources at the end), though there are helpful summaries of important background information in unnumbered footnotes. The authors follow the “Jesus of history”/”Christ of faith” distinction by relegating his messianic identity strictly to the time following his (presumed) resurrection.

Embarrassing Gaffes

A few embarrassing gaffes remind the reader that the authors are not biblical scholars or historians (though they have tried to research their subject). Among the more egregious errors is the claim that the northern kingdom of Israel fell in 722 BC to the Philistines (it should be Assyrians). Other claims are doubtful, such as that Jesus singled out four fishermen because people in that profession must be conversant in Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek, and a little Latin. Even if it were true (for argument’s sake) that Galilean fishermen must be trilingual at a minimum, to argue this is why Jesus chose four fishermen as apostles is an argument from silence at best, since this is nowhere stated in Scripture. And how do we know Herod the Great had an inflamed big toe (11)?

Killing Jesus: A History

Bill o’reilly and martin dugard.

At times, the authors’ Roman Catholicism or possible political correctness rears its head. An example of the former is when they discuss the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox views on Jesus’ siblings and then state what “other Christian sects” believe—which apparently includes all religious groups not Roman Catholic or Eastern Orthodox. Also, Roman Catholic doctrine is simply reported without comment, including dogma on Mary and papal infallibility (265). Political correctness may be evident in comments on the part Jewish authorities played in Jesus’ crucifixion. O’Reilly and Dugard affirm that putting Jesus on the cross was Pilate’s responsibility (246). In one sense, this is true in that Pilate rendered the final verdict, but the statement lacks balance and lets the Jewish authorities off the hook a little too easily. The Bible says putting Jesus on the cross was the joint responsibility of Jewish and Gentile authorities (Ps. 2:1–2, cited in Acts 4:25b–26), and the Gospels show Pilate acquiescing to Jewish demands while the Jewish leaders press the charge against Jesus and manipulate Pilate to get what they want—Jesus crucified.

The authors begin every chapter with a precise location and date (e.g., Chapter 1: BETHLEHEM, JUDEA, MARCH, 5 B.C., MORNING). This is effective, and at places may be correct, but it does raise the question as to the accuracy of dates, particularly with regard to Jesus’ birth and crucifixion. The authors place the birth of Jesus in the spring of 6 or 5 BC, which is approximately accurate (fall may be more likely). However, regarding the date for the crucifixion, they only consider AD 27–30 but not what some view as the most likely date, AD 33. They settle on AD 30 and accordingly place the beginning of John the Baptist’s ministry in AD 26 and date the various chapters on Jesus’ ministry between AD 27 and 30. If AD 33 is the correct date, however, all those dates between AD 27 and 30 are wrong. In dating the beginning of the Baptist’s ministry to AD 26, the authors fail to deal with the information provided in Luke 3:1 that the Baptist began his ministry in the fifteenth year of Tiberius’s reign (ruled AD 14–37), which can hardly be AD 26 and is most likely AD 29 (14 + 15 = 29).

Readers may also be interested in the authors’ take on other commonly debated scholarly issues regarding the story of Jesus and the Gospels. They do not take a position on Matthean versus Markan priority, dating Matthew in the 70s (103). They include two temple cleansings, one at the beginning (John) and one at the end of Jesus’ ministry (the Synoptics). They hold to the apostolic authorship of John’s Gospel, though regrettably state that the phrase “the disciple Jesus loved” is an example of boasting and grappling for prestige and power (22) when more likely it indicates authorial modesty. Also, they repeatedly assert Jesus was 36 when he died (e.g., 251). But even if Jesus was born in 6 BC (rather than 5), he would have been 35 at the most in AD 30 (barely, if born in early spring), not 36, since there was no year zero.

With regard to Jesus’ final week, the treatment is fairly conventional. The triumphal entry takes place on Sunday; the cursing of the fig tree and the second temple cleansing on Monday; dinner at Lazarus’s house on Tuesday; various questions by the Pharisees with Jesus’ response on Wednesday; the Passover and Gethsemane on Thursday; and the trial and the crucifixion on Friday. The authors inaccurately cite Annas’s involvement as an instance of illegality (but Annas does not pronounce the formal death sentence). They claim Judas betrayed Jesus to force his hand (a popular theory). They posit Jesus’ real offense is interfering with the priests’ commercial interests (there may be some truth in that).

Killing Jesus ends with the posting of the Roman guard and the women at the empty tomb.

The resurrection is relegated to an “Afterword,” which includes an interesting overview of the fate of the various characters in Jesus’ story (the twelve, Pilate, Tiberius, Caiaphas, Antipas, Roman-Jewish relations, and so on). This is followed by a personal “Postscript,” which is the authors’ attempt to highlight Jesus’ continuing effect on subsequent history, particularly American history (they mention George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and Ronald Reagan). However, ending the “History” of Jesus with the empty tomb is deeply problematic. The biblical storyline makes no sense if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead—from a literary standpoint, the Gospels quickly get us to the road to Jerusalem, because that’s where the story is headed. So readers (and writers!) cannot remain ambivalent on the whole point of the story. As C. S. Lewis wrote, “You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon, or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”

Fair and Balanced

Nevertheless, on the whole I was pleasantly surprised by this book. This is no Da Vinci Code ! There’s much interesting and valuable information in the volume, mostly regarding the Roman background. O’Reilly and Dugard seem to try to be fair and balanced and to keep an open mind with regard to the sources and historicity. The book is readable and will no doubt find an interested audience. At the same time, this is obviously not a scholarly work and does not substitute for responsible academic research. In fact, the treatment of the Bible is fairly tame and unremarkable. The authors do not seriously grapple with some of the major hallmarks of Jesus’ ministry, such as his messianic identity, his claim to deity (e.g., the “I am” sayings), and his miracles, to name but a few. Also, they are highly selective in what they include, omitting most supernatural feats of Jesus and extended teaching portions such as the Farewell Discourse.

O’Reilly and Dugard state at the outset they didn’t set out to write a religious book but are only interested in telling the truth about important people. However, this may be easier to do with Lincoln and Kennedy (who didn’t exert any messianic claims or perform supernatural feats) than with Jesus. As it is, Killing Jesus only scrapes the surface of who Jesus truly was. The detailed recounting of lurid details regarding the moral excesses of various Roman emperors doesn’t make up for the lack of spiritual depth in probing the life of the most important person who ever lived. Because of his uniqueness, Jesus cannot easily be reduced to a one-dimensional portrait of a “historical” person stripped of his most essential attributes and calling. The reductionism inherent in such a quest renders this book, like its many similar forebears, of limited value in coming to terms with the compelling character that is Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah and Son of God.

Andreas Köstenberger is cofounder of Biblical Foundations and theologian in residence at Fellowship Raleigh . He is a distinguished evangelical scholar and author, editor, or translator of close to 60 books and numerous scholarly articles and reviews . He served as professor at various institutions for 29 years and as editor of the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society for 22 years.

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Killing Jesus

Dove review.

“Killing Jesus” is a spectacle of scenery and big scope and features solid acting regarding the life of Christ. It features some big names in the cast, such as Kelsey Grammer and John Rhys Davies. It is also a mixture of Biblical stories centering around the life of Jesus, and the movie manufactures a few variant ways of portraying certain events. In some cases, it offers abridged versions of the biblical text. For example, during the climatic scenes of Jesus being turned over to Pontius Pilate, the people cry out, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” And Pilate simply hands Jesus over to the Roman guards for that very deed to be carried out. He doesn’t offer to set a prisoner free, which is what happens in scripture when the people choose Barabbas over Jesus. Another example of changing the scriptural story is when Joseph tells Mary they must simply flee to Egypt when Jesus’ life is in danger. The film shows no exposition of his dream, a warning from an angel of God to flee to Egypt for the child’s life. Certain scenes seem “incomplete” or possibly even “edited” from the biblical story.

Ever since “The Passion of the Christ,” that the bloodiness of many of the biblical films seems to have increased. This film is no exception. A man’s slit throat is plainly visible, as is blood on a child, murdered by one of King Herod’s henchmen. The same goes for the flogging of Jesus. His back looks like ripped pieces of flesh and the scene is very graphic. The crucifixion scenes are, too.

Due to the strong violence, we are awarding this film our Faith Based Seal. Jesus, especially in the beginning, is portrayed as not being sure of who he is and reluctant to accept his role. The film does, however, feature many moments from the Gospels, including the preaching of John the Baptist (as well as a graphic scene of his head being carried after his beheading), Jesus teaching the Beatitudes, the teaching to love one’s enemies, his forgiveness of the woman caught in adultery, the overturning of the money changers’ tables, his death and his resurrection. The clarity of the high definition on the Blu-ray is amazing. This is a gritty and edgy telling of the life and death of Jesus.

Dove Rating Details

Soldiers kill babies, and blood is visible on swords; a dead baby lies on the ground, covered in blood; a dead man's slit throat is visible, and it is bloody and graphic; blood visible on a woman's mouth; man is beheaded and, though not visible, blood splatters the executioner's face; man's severed head is carried around, and some blood is visible on bottom of the head; Jesus overturns money changer's tables in righteous anger; a bloody dead animal; it's said a jackal ate the head of John the Baptist in the desert; a guard's bloody ear is visible after it is sliced with a sword; Jesus is punched and flogged, and his back is bloody and shows ripped flesh; nails driven into Jesus' feet and the crucifixion scenes of Jesus and two thieves are bloody; spear is cast into Jesus' side and blood comes out; Judas is seen hanging and a close-up shows his blue lips from his death and is graphic.

The talk of a ruler bedding his brother's wife; the comment about a man's lust for his new wife's daughter; woman dances sensually; ruler licks dancer's knee a couple of times.

Jesus calls the religious leaders "vipers," and rightfully so!

The drinking of wine in several scenes; a comment about drunkenness.

Man's bare chest is visible; shirtless man seen in pool and woman's bare shoulders; cleavage.

Boils are seen on a man; some of the Biblical events, such as Joseph and Mary fleeing to Egypt with baby Jesus, are abridged; Jesus sets free a demon-possessed boy who foams at the mouth; some wonder if Jesus heals due to sorcery; a man says the meek shall not inherit the Earth, even though Jesus said the contrary; mocking of Jesus.

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Review: ‘Killing Jesus,’ Biblical Tale Retold, Softer on Its Politics

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By Neil Genzlinger

March 26, 2015

If you’re a devotee of a particular religion, you probably don’t want the story on which its whole belief system rests told by someone facing challenges to his credibility. But that’s not even the main problem with “ Killing Jesus ,” which has its premiere Sunday on the National Geographic Channel and is based on a book by Martin Dugard and the embattled Bill O’Reilly. The main problem is that this three-hour affair is unrelentingly drab. The program dramatizes the life of Jesus, culminating, of course, in his crucifixion. Mr. O’Reilly and Mr. Dugard turned the tale into a best seller in 2013 with “Killing Jesus: A History,” part of a franchise that has also seen them kill Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy and Gen. George S. Patton.

Lately, Mr. O’Reilly has been fending off accusations that he has exaggerated his experiences covering the war in the Falklands in 1982. The “Killing Jesus” book, too, had its detractors , who claimed it contained inaccuracies and was shallow and slanted. But at least the book, which was written in a breathless, ticktock style, tried to have a pulse. The television adaptation turns what an earlier film called “The Greatest Story Ever Told” into one of the snoozier stories ever told.

Haaz Sleiman doesn’t make much of an impression as Jesus and certainly doesn’t come across as a man who would inspire a world-changing movement. The book tried to put Jesus’ story in the broader context of the politics and practices of the day, but here the account is largely pared down to the biblical rendition, with Jesus casting out a demon, preventing the stoning of a woman accused of adultery and delivering the touchstone teachings that all Christians know by heart.

The power of these messages is somehow lost here. The story has been adapted for screens large and small so often at this point that any new effort has to make clear why it needed to be made and what it’s bringing to the task that we haven’t seen before. This one never does.

It is telling that in a program about Jesus, the most interesting character might be Pontius Pilate ( Stephen Moyer ), the Roman prefect. Much of the power politics on display here involves his being pressured by the religious leaders of Judea to arrest and execute Jesus, a fight he wants no part of. After the “cast the first stone” incident, the priests fail to convince him that Jesus somehow broke the law, so instead one tries to get him worked up about the fact that Jesus has also been stirring people up about taxes.

“If I were to crucify every Jew who rails against our taxes,” he responds, “I would have to level the cedars of Lebanon for wood. His crime must be an attack against our emperor, our rule.”

Aside from Pilate’s scenes, the machinations nudging Jesus toward the cross aren’t developed well enough to be absorbing, and neither are characters like Judas (Joe Doyle), whose stories ought to be rich in psychological drama. There is, however, a sort of game offered for those in the mood: find Kelsey Grammer. He may be the best-known actor in the large cast, but unless you know who he’s playing (King Herod), you may have trouble recognizing him under all the hair.

Mr. Grammer’s get-up is symbolic of the problem with this three-hour movie: It’s a costume pageant devoid both of the reverence that has made some previous film versions work and of the intrigue that might provide a secular “Game of Thrones”-like appeal. More effort went into the jewelry and headwear than into the storytelling.

Some consumers of this type of fare seem most interested in Jesus’ suffering, and those people, at least, won’t be disappointed. There is graphic bloodshed and anguish when the time comes. For many Christians, though, Easter is about the resurrection, and about hope. This rendition of the story stays true to its title. Once Jesus is killed, the proceedings wrap up quickly, with only a glimmer of the part of the story that ought to be the whole point.

Killing Jesus

National Geographic Channel, Sunday night at 8

Directed by Christopher Menaul. Written by Walon Green. Produced by Scott Free Productions. Bill O’Reilly, Mr. Green, Mary Lisio, Heather Moran, Charlie Parsons, Ridley Scott, Teri Weinberg and David W. Zucker, executive producers.

WITH: Haaz Sleiman (Jesus), Stephen Moyer (Pontius Pilate), Kelsey Grammer (King Herod), Rufus Sewell (Caiaphas), Joe Doyle (Judas) and John Rhys- Davies (Annas).

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‘Killing Jesus’ review: National Geographic…

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‘killing jesus’ review: national geographic movie more like a crime show than theology.

IT’S LONG been a core element of Christian faith that Jesus was nailed to a cross.

“Killing Jesus” sets out to nail the perps.

It succeeds reasonably well in that goal, distilling the story of Jesus’ life into a tale of political and theological intrigue that could fit comfortably into a contemporary TV procedural.

That’s not to suggest “Killing Jesus” is casual or irreverent in any way — just that many of the characters feel as if they could have stepped out of a modern-day action-adventure drama.

This two-hour condensation of Jesus’ life starts with the paranoid King Herod ( Kelsey Grammer ), who orders all male children killed because he has heard one of them may someday seek to challenge him.

But the ultimately fatal threat to Jesus ( Haaz Sleiman ) comes from the High Priests of Jerusalem’s Great Temple, who see Him as a threat to their power and their alliance of convenience with the ruling Romans.

Caiaphas ( Rufus Sewell ), most powerful of the High Priests, ultimately brings Jesus down by slipping Judas 30 pieces of silver to betray Him.

Even then, Caiaphas has to do some judicial shopping. Pontius Pilate ( Stephen Moyer ) at first isn’t interested in the charges against Jesus and sends the case to Herod’s son Antipas (Eoin Macken), who also finds no crime.

Finally Caiaphas convinces Pilate that Rome is better off with Jesus dead.

As all this suggests, “Killing Jesus” focuses less on theology than the political and strategic forces by which Jesus’ enemies finally won the day.

It also notes that while they won the day, they lost the next couple of millennia. Even though most of Jesus’ disciples were also eventually killed, today there are more than 2.2 billion Christians.

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Review: Killing Jesus

The Good: The presentation of Jesus was refreshingly genuine, personal, and ethnic. Rather than the stale, stiff, Eurocentric casting and presentation of Jesus, Haaz Sleiman depicts Jesus as a middle eastern man who exhibits genuine emotions including a sense of humor and a true connection with the people to whom he ministers. In contrast to many other presentations of Jesus as distant and disconnected, Haaz’s Jesus is the Word who truly became flesh, living among us, as us.

The Bad: In contrast to the casting and acting of Haaz, Stephen Moyer’s casting and presentation of Pilate, and Tamsin Egerton’s presentation of Pilate’s wife Claudia, is forced and out of place. Additionally, in stark contrast to most of the scenes and dialogue of Jesus, the scenes depicting life in Pilate’s house and Herod Antipas’s family is cheesy, having more of the feel of a late night offering from Cinemax rather than a serious narrative of the life and death of Christ.

The Ugly: The inaccuracies of scriptural accounts are startling and confusing. While one expects some speculation of non-canonical filler material, what is not expected, nor should it be tolerated, in a project that is presented as “truth revealed,” are changes to events narrated in the Gospels. In Killing Jesus there are too many major changes to Scriptural accounts and actions.

As depicted in Killing Jesus there was no divine expression, no voice or indication of the Holy Spirit to Jesus or those witnessing his baptism. Unlike Gospel accounts the baptism indeed was private, with only Jesus and John participating. In contrast to the presentation in the film, there is no indication in John’s Gospel that the woman accused of adultery had been found guilty by a high court. In the Gospel, she was about to be stoned by a mob without a trial. The Gospels narrate that it was Pilate’s guards who put the crown of thorns on Jesus and mocked him, not Herod’s palace guards as is presented in the film. In Matthew’s Gospel, Judas returned the 30 pieces of silver to the Temple, or in Acts purchased a field. Killing Jesus depicts Judas using the money to purchase the rope from which he hangs himself from a shepherd boy who then uses the money to purchase a white horse.

At best these and other changes to the Gospel accounts are distracting to people who know the story and, at worst, become the story to people unfamiliar with the texts. Though some may consider such changes as minor and not important, students of Scripture, as well as literature and film, know that there is meaning behind every element, action and word. To make such changes is to alter the meaning of the story.

Overall Killing Jesus is a mixture of mistaken use of scripture and a script that contains many eye rolling, cringe worthy lines and scenes, sprinkled with occasional poignant depictions of a fully fleshed Son of God. Had Mr. O’Reilly reviewed this film at the beginning of his career when he was a movie and entertainment critic, I cannot see that he would have given this film anything but a very poor review.

One final mystery is the fact that this flawed film stands in contrast to the usually stellar, fact based and accurate programming on the National Geographic Channel.

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Killing Jesus

Reviewed by: Charity Bishop CONTRIBUTOR

Is Jesus Christ a man, or is he God? Answer

If Jesus is God, how could he die? If Jesus died on the cross, then how can he be alive today? Answer

Was Jesus Christ God, manifest in human form? Answer

Is Jesus Christ really God? Answer

If Jesus was the Son of God, why did He call Himself the Son of Man? Answer

TRINITY —How can one God be three persons? Answer

How did Jesus Christ die? Answer

JESUS’ CHARACTER —Is Christ’s character consistent with his high claims? Answer

“The Jesus Seminar”—Are their criticisms of the gospels valid? Answer

“The Jesus Seminar”—Who do they really speak for? Answer

Jesus Christ: His Identity, Life, Death andResurrection

T hough one of the first films to have an ethnic middle-eastern cast, Killing Jesus is a clunky, boring and at times offensive depiction of the events leading up to the most famous execution in history.

King Herod ( Kelsey Grammer ) is suffering delusions of grandeur—and fear of a coming messiah , as indicated by ancient Jewish prophecy . He intends to murder the child if he can find him. And at two years old, baby Jesus is drawing a surprising amount of unwanted attention from people in the small village of Bethlehem . So much so that, fearing repercussions, his father bundles him and Mary onto a donkey and takes them to Egypt for their own safety. Many years later, Herod is dead and his son, Herod Antipas (Eoin Macken) desires to claim the throne.

To do so, he must make peace with the Romans through their new governor , Pontius Pilate (Stephen Moyer). New to the area, he is not all that fond of Judean uprisings and protests against their presence in Jerusalem , and his wife wants him to punish any rioters severely for daring to conflict with Rome. Herod Antipas meanwhile has chosen to marry Herodias (Emmanuelle Chriqui), who has her own litany of requests that will advance her own power and that of her teenage daughter.

Jesus (Haaz Sleiman) has heard of his cousin John’s preaching in the desert and journeys to see him, in the process learning from John that he has a greater purpose as a “ savior of men.” He gradually begins to gather disciples and moves toward his destiny, somewhat uncertain of his course through life as it carries him toward betrayal, persecution, and death.

Therein lies the rub, crux, and offensiveness of this piece—that Jesus and everyone around him apart from John are entirely unaware of his greater purpose . Even his mother thinks he is overstepping himself in this ministry. Jesus founders between roles as a carpenter and an aspiring revolutionary, for a time even considering that he might be a military messiah intended to raise up an army against the authorities. He appeals to his disciples for reassurances as to what he truly is (the messiah ), as if he cannot recognize that in himself.

He is baffled at his first miracle , but also delighted. Frightened by a demon-possessed child. Scenes of him healing people and performing miracles are left out. The film has an ambiguous ending—an empty tomb, but no literal physical manifestation of Christ among his disciples. Did he arise or was he stolen? The movie doesn’t tell us.

Bill O’Reilly’s book, on which this miniseries is based, is an intense study of the political arena at the time, the rivalry between the brutality of Rome and the political maneuvering of the Judeans. Some of that is present here, but it never strikes any great depth, and chunks of Biblical accounts are left out of the narrative; instead of a sympathetic woman begging her husband to have nothing to do with this Messiah , Pilate’s wife spends most of her time complaining and never says a word about Jesus .

It’s a shame, because there is an excellent secondary cast that includes some big and small screen greats (including Rufus Sewell , John Rhys-Davies , and Tamsin Egerton). Here, though, they founder under the weight of a completely banal Jesus, who comes across as obnoxious, abrupt, brooding, and temperamental. His complete lack of chemistry make it difficult to comprehend why anyone would follow him—away from normality, from their jobs, their homes, and their former beliefs, to their eventual deaths.

Beautifully costumed and somewhat grittier than most productions, with a varied cast from ethnic actors, this could have been an intense political glimpse into the motivations behind the mere mortals that plotted Jesus’ death, not realizing His greater purpose, but when you remove the divinity of Christ from the equation, it becomes lifeless .

Is Jesus Christ a man, or is he God?

Sex/Nudity: Herod’s stepdaughter mentions that he lurks outside her room at night when she is preparing for bed; she performs a seductive dance for him, in exchange for the head of John the Baptist (swaying hips, some flesh; he kisses her knee seductively). A veiled reference to prostitution.

Language: None.

Violence: Babies are slaughtered by King Herod the Great’s men (some blood, weeping women, babies disappearing in shot). Jesus is flogged and crucified .

Watch the film

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers .

PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.

The 700 Club

TV Review: Killing Jesus

By hannah goodwyn cbn.com senior producer.

CBN.com - Part political thriller, part historical drama, Killing Jesus breathes new life into a lineage of cinematic portrayals centering on the humble carpenter from Nazareth. Gratifyingly portrayed by Lebanese-American actor Haaz Sleiman , we watch as Jesus flips the balance of power with His message of God's grace and love when law and order rule.

Undoubtedly one of National Geographic's most ambitious projects, Killing Jesus finds its basis in the words written by best-selling authors Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. Director Christopher Menaul crafts this three-hour television event using screenwriter Walon Green's script as its blueprint.

National Geographic matches its mission to preserve history with O'Reilly and Dugard's carefully researched book and its findings about the Man from Galilee. Though some criticize it for focusing on Jesus' humanity and glossing over His divinity, Killing Jesus does what National Geographic and its authors set out to do--tell an engaging account of one of the most influential figures in history. Killing Jesus centers on the Son of God, but gives those in power who sought to quash his growing influence over the Jewish people a chance to tell their side of the story.

Killing Jesus starts at the beginning of the Rabbi's life with King Herod the Great (played by Kelsey Grammer ) ruthlessly ruling over his people. Paranoid that his throne will be usurped, Herod orders the murder of all of the male babies in Bethlehem when three magi from the East tell him of the Messiah's birth.

From here, we get the tone of National Geographic's TV movie, which was filmed entirely in Morocco. It's one that doesn't shy away from the violence or immorality of that time. This Ridley Scott -produced project cautions viewers, and for good reason. A few minutes in, we see King Herod's guards brutally thrust their swords through the male children. Grieved mothers weep over their bodies, as they lie dead in the street.

In the portrayal of the death of John the Baptist, viewers witness his vicious beheading at the order of Antipas ( Eoin Macken ), who rules over Galilee. In one prominent scene, Salome ( Stephanie Leonidas ) seductively dances for her stepfather, Antipas, at his request. Salome's sheer robe entices Antipas' lust, granting her and Herodia's ( Emmanuelle Chriqui ) wish to have John the Baptist killed. Antipas graphically acts out his immoral thoughts toward his stepdaughter by licking and kissing her bare leg.

We also see the bloody scourging and merciless crucifixion of Jesus by the Romans, at the insistence of the Sanhedrin ( John Rhys-Davies , Rufus Sewell ) and by the order of Pontius Pilate ( Stephen Moyer ). Likewise, the hanging of Judas ( Joe Doyle ) from a tree outside Jerusalem is most effecting.

For those who wonder about the amount of Bible-based events in Killing Jesus , know that the TV movie does show Jesus as He is seen by the faithful few who closely followed Him. Some of Jesus' most famous teaching moments, including the Sermon on the Mount, are intact. Sleiman, as Jesus, quotes essential New Testament scripture, including remarks about needing to be "born again" and the profound verse found in John 11:25 ( "I am the resurrection and the life. And those who believe in me, even though he die, will live." ).

At first, Jesus seems unaware of His divine connection to God. And He appears surprised by the effect of His prayer while fishing in the barren Sea of Galilee with a frustrated fisherman named Simon, later called Peter ( Alexis Rodney ). The Holy Spirit is not mentioned; however, Jesus is seen baptized in the Jordan River. Jesus' miracles are, for the most part, only referenced. Also, the resurrection, though implied, is not visually confirmed with the return of Jesus in the flesh.

Menaul, cast, and crew tell this well-known story in an interesting and unfamiliar way. Presenting Jesus' life and death from a largely historical perspective could open this religious history to wider audiences. And though Killing Jesus covers a lot of ground, it's done succinctly and does not overload the viewer. From its authentic-looking set design to its detailed costumes, Killing Jesus transports you back to the arrival of Jesus, to witness how He shook established law and tradition.

Killing Jesus serves as a conversation starter, encouraging viewers to accept the historical evidence of Jesus. Audiences will see that He really lived, really died, and that it's entirely possible He lived again (as believers know He did). With two billion Christians living in the world today, there should be plenty of followers to engage those who question in meaningful dialogue about the greatest act of love mankind has or will ever know.

Special Note: The conviction of Christ's divinity and our need for His sacrifice as payment for our sin is, as written in the Book of John, the work of the Holy Spirit. Killing Jesus has done what it set out to do. Now, the faithful must pick up where it leaves off.

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KILLING JESUS

"lost in translation".

What You Need To Know:

(Pa, RHRH, FR, CC, BB, VV, S, N, A, M) Light pagan worldview with strong revisionist history of the New Testament Gospels about Jesus Christ, leaving out the miracles of Jesus and focusing on his crucifixion and the empty tomb and his message of love and forgiveness, but leaving out any reference to reports of his resurrection appearances and minimizing the teaching that Jesus claimed to be the Son of the living God, unlike the book on which the movie is based; no foul language; strong violence when Herod the Great sends soldiers to murder newborn boys, when Jesus is whipped, when a crown of thorns is placed on His head, when Jesus is hit, when Jesus is crucified, when an image of John the Baptist’s decapitated head is shown; incestuous implications Herod Antipas licks his daughter’s knee while she dances suggestively so she can get her father to kill John the Baptist, who slams Antipas for marrying his brother’s wife; upper male nudity from time to time; light alcohol use; no smoking or drugs; and, betrayal, persecution, illegal trial, oppression but rebuked.

More Detail:

Before reviewing the two-hour movie version of Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard’s bestselling book KILLING JESUS, let’s briefly discuss some of the major criticisms of the book.

O’Reilly and Dugard’s book KILLING JESUS has been criticized in some Christian circles because it doesn’t confirm such things as the historicity of Christ’s resurrection or the two thieves that were crucified next to Jesus. It’s also been alleged that the book doesn’t confirm the miracles of Jesus or Jesus Christ’s claims to be divine.

The first two points about this book are actually true, but, in their defense, O’Reilly and Dugard write that their book is not a religious or theological book, but a book that looks at the historical background to Jesus Christ and that examines his life, his teachings and his murder. Thus, they say they couldn’t confirm the New Testament’s references to the two thieves, but they do say in their book that the apostles who followed Jesus, and the other early disciples who knew Jesus personally, did believe that Jesus rose from the dead. They also confirm the fact that, after Jesus died, Mary Magdalene and another woman named Mary (not Jesus’s mother) went to his tomb and found it empty. On Page 259, they add, “To this day, the body of Jesus of Nazareth has never been found.”

The second two allegations about KILLING JESUS, however, don’t seem to be true.

First, the book does indeed read as if O’Reilly and Dugard accept the biblical reports that Jesus did indeed heal the sick, make the lame walk, raise the dead, cast out demons, etc. In fact, in referring to these “signs,” “wonders” and “miracles,” the book says that “a staggering number of witnesses are attesting” to “every one” of these signs, wonders and miracles (Page 156). It adds, “The Pharisees believe in miracles but not in Jesus” (Page 156). Later on, Page 176 of the book describes the reports of the physical resurrection of Jesus’s friend, Lazarus, as if this miracle actually occurred. Furthermore, a note on Page 199 says that the reports of this particular miracle were “a main component in the Temple priests’ plotting against Jesus.”

The book KILLING JESUS also says multiple times that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God and the Messiah. It also compares such claims to a claim of divinity. Finally, it says specifically in a note on Page 76 that Jesus did indeed claim to be divine.

MOVIEGUIDE® did find one huge factual contradiction in the book, however. In a note on Page 22, it says the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament was written “sometime between A.D. 50 and 70.” However, on Page 103, O’Reilly and Dugard say Matthew was written in the 70s. This is a major contradiction that should be fixed. MOVIEGUIDE® agrees with the note on Page 22. The best historical scholars believe Matthew was indeed written between A.D. 50 and 70, probably before A.D. 60 or 65.

Another problem with the book is the lack of historical documentation. There are no footnotes, and the book sometimes reads like a summary of the New Testament Gospels, but without the brilliant historical context and gripping theological content that makes the Gospels, and Jesus Christ, stand out more than all the other books and people in history that the human race has venerated or worshipped. That said, O’Reilly and Dugard’s book is a fast, captivating read and, although it doesn’t describe the resurrection appearances, has helped some people with their Christian faith and convinced others to consider becoming a Christian. That said, readers will find books like Lee Strobel’s THE CASE FOR CHRIST even more compelling and convincing. Of course, no other book can replace an open-minded reading of the four Gospels themselves, which are THE eyewitness testimony of what Jesus really said and did.

On March 29, the National Geographic Channel on Cable TV will air a two-hour movie version of KILLING JESUS. Movieguide® has screened the movie.

The two-hour movie version of Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard’s bestselling book KILLING JESUS is not a faithful adaptation of the book. The book may be criticized for its weak historical documentation, lack of footnotes referring to specific sources, and noncommittal approach to the resurrection. However, the movie version is even weaker, giving its viewers a Jesus who’s not divine, who’s full of doubt at the beginning, though He gets stronger later. Also, unlike the book, the movie seriously plays down the divinity of Jesus and His teaching that He was the incarnate Son of God.

The movie begins with King Herod the Great having a vision of the Prophet Isaiah that Herod will be replaced by a mightier king. Then, Herod hears of the messiah being born in Israel, so he orders his men to murder every male baby in the land. Jesus escapes this awful slaughter, because his adoptive father, Joseph, decides they will be safer in Egypt. Seven years or so later, Herod the Great dies, and Joseph, Mary and Jesus return to Israel.

Twenty years later, the Romans make Pontius Pilate governor of Judea. The zealots attack Pilate’s wife in the streets. The high priest, Caiaphas, tells Pilate that the zealots from Galilee are to blame. So, Pilate orders Herod’s son, Antipas, who’s been made ruler over Galilee, to find the zealots and kill them.

Meanwhile, Jesus hears of his cousin, John the Baptist’s, ministry and goes to see him. At the river, John proclaims Jesus the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, but Jesus is doubtful. Later, John baptizes Jesus, but it’s a private baptism, unlike the public baptism in the New Testament documents and in O’Reilly and Dugard’s book.

Finally, Jesus begins His ministry with Simon Peter and the apostles. Jesus seems to heal a demon-possessed boy. Antipas arrests John the Baptist. Jesus talks all too briefly with Nicodemus (Chapter 3 of John), but speaking only of bringing God’s love and light. The same night, Jesus hears about the Baptist’s arrest and imprisonment and gets angry, wondering whether he shouldn’t bring a sword instead of preaching about love. The next scene shows Jesus preaching in the Temple in Jerusalem against the priests and saying the temple will be destroyed. He also preaches that they will destroy “this” temple, but that he will raise it up in three days.

Cut to his mother Mary and his brother James questioning Jesus about reports of him healing the sick. Jesus replies that he only comforts the sick, but it is God who heals them. He adds that a prophet is not recognized among his own people.

As the wife of Antipas tells him he should execute John the Baptist, Jesus preaches forgiveness to Matthew the tax collector and the crowd around him. Then, he comforts a woman stricken with leprosy but doesn’t heal her. After that, he gives a truncated version of the Sermon on the Mount, ending with the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, “Our father who art in Heaven,” etc.

[SPOILERS MAY FOLLOW] Caiaphas informs Pilate about Jesus Christ’s ministry and its danger to Rome. He adds that Jesus is the cousin of John the Baptist. “I’m being menaced by a family of lunatics!” Pilate says. He orders Antipas to execute the Baptist, but Antipas refuses. However, his wife connives with her daughter Salome, who seduces her father, Antipas, with her dancing, and Antipas finally orders the Baptist beheaded. Jesus now realizes it will soon be His turn to suffer such a martyr’s death. He prays to the Father to give him the strength to endure this “bitter cup.”

The same evening, Jesus asks His apostles who do people “say that I am.” The apostles debate it, but then Simon says Jesus is “the anointed one, the Son of the Living God.” Jesus replies that it isn’t He who has revealed this to Simon but God. He adds that, from now on, Jesus will call Simon Peter (the Greek word for rock) and, upon this rock, Jesus will build His church while giving Peter “the keys to the Kingdom.” Jesus leaves the apostles, and Judas warns Peter against calling Jesus the Messiah. Peter replies, “What harm can come to God’s chosen?”

After this, Jesus offends the priests by encouraging people to release the woman caught in adultery. Caiaphas goes to Pilate and asks him to move against Jesus, but Pilate tells him that he needs more evidence for Jesus’s sedition than they have given him. Bring evidence of sedition against Roman rule, Pilate tells him, and he will take action.

Before going to Jerusalem for the last time, Jesus is upset when his apostles James and John argue about helping Jesus judge the evil people who oppose them when Jesus finally sits on His throne. Jesus tells them being a servant is better. He also says He came to give His life a ransom for the many, adding “I am the resurrection and the life. And, those who believe in me, even though he were to die, will live.”

Jesus comes to Jerusalem riding humbly on a donkey, to the cheers and hosannas of the crowd. He teaches in the temple, talks about the two greatest commandments in the Bible and the Golden Rule, brilliantly answers a tax question from a spy trying to trip him up, and overturns the money lenders in the temple the next day.

In the movie’s last 40 minutes, Jesus and the apostles meet for Passover, Judas betrays Jesus, Jesus is eventually handed over to Pilate, and Pilate orders him whipped, then orders him crucified. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea place Jesus’s body in the tomb. Caiaphas asks Pilate to station a Roman guard at the tomb, but Pilate seems to refuse. Three days later, the Virgin Mary, Mary of Magdalene, Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathea go to the tomb and find that it’s empty, the body of Jesus gone. A final scene shows Peter praying in a boat and receiving a miraculous catch of fish, then raising his eyes skyward while promising Jesus, “I will be your fisher of men!” A brief narration tells the viewer the obscure destinies of Pilate, Antipas and Caiaphas and says that the apostles died for their faith, but, unlike the book KILLING JESUS, there is NO reference to the resurrection appearances of Jesus to Mary of Magdalene, Peter and the other apostles and disciples that were such a huge part of their Christian faith.

KILLING JESUS is shot well, flows smoothly and has excellent performances, but some viewers may find it hard figuring out sometimes who is who from scene to scene. Also, its view of why Jesus was crucified is mostly political. The movie seems to say it was done mostly to maintain order. Unlike the book, only three times does the movie make reference to Jesus Christ’s claim to be the Son of God. Also, there are no miracles in the movie, although the book mentions many times that Jesus was reported to be a miracle worker. In fact, the book contains a startling description of the reports of his resurrection of Lazarus from the dead, but this scene is nowhere to be found in the movie. So, ultimately, the movie’s focus on the political machinations prevents it from displaying the majesty of Jesus’s teaching and the real jeopardy He and His disciples were facing. A merely political explanation for the crucifixion isn’t a complete answer.

Ultimately, however, it’s the movie’s unsatisfying portrayal of the book by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard and its even less satisfying portrayal of the New Testament Gospels and the teaching of Jesus and His apostles that makes KILLING JESUS a failure. Although the movie contains snatches of truth, it ultimately distorts that truth, reducing Jesus Christ’s message to one of just repentance, forgiveness and love. This is indeed a major part of Christ’s teaching, but the message of Christ’s Gospel is a lot more than just that. It’s also a message of salvation, of reconciliation with God, through the death AND the physical resurrection of Jesus. As Paul says in Romans 10:9, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Therefore, we suggest viewers skip watching KILLING JESUS and watch the upcoming episodes of A.D.: THE BIBLE CONTINUES on NBC-TV instead, starting April 5. Better yet, read the New Testament documents.

As we noted above, nothing can replace an open-minded and open-hearted reading of the four New Testament Gospels, not to mention Luke’s Book of Acts and the letters by Paul, Peter, John, James, and Jude. A good place to start is Matthew or Luke, followed by John, then Mark. Luke and the Book of Acts are two of the greatest and most reliable historical, journalistic books ever written.

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Killing Jesus: A History by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard – review

E veryone creates God in their own image, so it's not surprising that Fox television's aggressively conservative down-home-let's-hear-it-for-the-ordinary-guy talk show host should have created a Tea Party son of God. Jesus, the little guy, is an enemy of the big corrupt tax-oppressing Roman empire, which is itself just a version of Washington, only even more venal and sexually depraved. This Jesus is a tax-liberating rebel who incurs the wrath of the Jewish and Roman powers by threatening their joint fleecing of the people. As a member of the populist right, he is not, of course, in favour of redistribution: Bill O'Reilly 's Jesus does not tell the rich to give away their money to the poor.

To give them their due, O'Reilly and his co-author Martin Dugard, who one presumes did most of the research, are right that the taxation imposed by the Romans was indeed a major cause of resentment and rebellion across the empire. But the Jews had a uniquely tense relationship with Rome – not because of taxation but because of their monotheistic religion.

The authors acknowledge that Jesus was not put to death by the Romans because of his economic protests (though they do make him overturn the moneylenders' tables at the temple not once but twice). But they underplay the real reason: Jesus's name had become fatally associated with that of the Messiah, the Christ, a longed-for figure who had become increasingly politicised: he would be not just the anointed king but the ruler who would liberate the Jews from the Romans before ushering in God's rule. As far as the Romans were concerned, Jesus, one of many would-be Messiahs at the time, was therefore a seditious rebel whose crime was punishable by death.

It's easy to be snooty about this kind of bodice-ripping treatment of history, where a preoccupied Herod sighs and looks anxiously out of the window, where Mary and Joseph "gasp in shock" to see their young son holding his own among the temple elders, the son whose "destiny must be fulfilled, even if his worried parents have no idea how horrific that destiny might be" (actually, as the authors themselves make clear, crucifixion was the usual fate of traitors and criminals across the Roman empire). I stopped counting the number of chapters ending with the cliffhanger "the child with [xx] years to live is being hunted/is missing … Jesus of Nazareth has one year to live" – or perhaps my favourite: "For now he is a free man." New line: "For now" – the two words left dangling ominously on the page.

As a revved-up journalese version of the gospels, plumped up with historical detail – which though not always accurate gives the reader a good sense of what life was like at the end of the first century BC; how soldiers were trained, how taxation worked, what the temple looked like and, of course, how soldiers crucified a man – Killing Jesus is fine. Indeed the authors used the same stylistic formula for their two previous books Killing Kennedy and Killing Lincoln . Both were bestsellers, and Killing Jesus is already number three on the New York Times bestsellers list. Why? Because they are fabulously easy to read: because there are good guys and bad guys, with very little in between; because there is lots of journalistically juicy, salacious gossip; and because, as with some historical fiction, you learn quite a bit about a particular era without having to think too much.

But historical detail does not in itself make a history – that requires analysis. Despite the subtitle, Killing Jesus is not "A History". It is a breathy retelling of the gospel stories by two conservative Catholics, one of whom, O'Reilly, believes that he was inspired to write the book by the Holy Ghost. It might be unfair to expect too much in the way of nuance or new material from Killing Jesus , but since it calls itself a history, one does expect accuracy. So when the authors claim that "the incredible story behind the lethal struggle between good and evil has never been told" – cue drumroll – "until now", the reader is entitled to feel a little misled.

Although the authors proclaim in their introduction that they have manfully succeeded in separating fact from legend and will alert the reader if the evidence is not set in stone, they signally fail to do so. Killing Jesus relies almost exclusively on the gospels, discounting two centuries of ongoing scholarly scepticism about their historical accuracy with a breezy footnote that there is "growing acceptance of their overall historicity".

Who are the goodies and baddies? The Romans are bad, corrupt and "unrelentingly cruel" – especially in their imposition of taxes, which in the eyes of our authors is a particularly nasty vice. The Jewish elite is bad, because it is hand in glove with the Romans in brutalising and fleecing the "good people of Galilee". Ordinary Jews are good. But the Pharisees are very bad. They are arrogant, self-righteous, self-interested and power-hungry.

O'Reilly and Dugard have swallowed hook, line and sinker the gospel writers' antipathy to the Pharisees. They seem unaware that in Jesus's time the Pharisees were in fact a newish, radicalising group, trying to wrest control of the Jewish religion from the stranglehold of the Sadducees, the aristocratic priestly caste who O'Reilly and Dugard unaccountably characterise as liberals. It was the Pharisees who stirred up revolt against Herod and Roman rule; thanks to the Pharisees, many Jews felt themselves forced to make a choice between being a good religious Jew or a good Roman citizen – a choice that ended for many in the Jewish revolt of 66-73/4 AD when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and its temple.

Jesus's attempt to get round the problem of how to be a good Jew and a good Roman by saying "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's" was unhelpful. The problem for the Jews was precisely that they could not divide Caesar from God. Uniquely at the time they had a monotheistic god and monotheistic gods brook no rivals, such as a divine emperor. Uniquely also, their god demanded obedience to his law and that law covered the whole of life – from sex, eating and how you acted in business to loving your neighbour and worshipping the one and only god.

Herod tried but failed to be a loyal client king to Rome and a good religious Jew in the eyes of his people. And it was this tension between two identities that I believe propelled Paul, the Roman citizen and erstwhile fervent Pharisee, to refashion the small Jewish cult of Jesus into a religion open to Gentiles as well as Jews, where it would be possible to be "neither Jew nor Greek". Paul, however, is given no credit for the foundation and spread of Christianity: all the credit goes to Jesus, whose body, the authors tell us in their sonorous finale, "has never been found".

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Entertainment

The 15 Best Religious Horror Movies

W ith Immaculate , Late Night With the Devil , and The First Omen all earning mostly favorable reviews from critics in recent weeks, 2024 is already turning into a banner year for religiously-themed horror movies .

By no means an underrepresented subgenre in the horror pantheon, faith-fueled fright flicks have been thrilling and terrifying audiences for decades. While American-made religious horror often focuses on Christian traditions and beliefs by default—as TIME film critic Stephanie Zacharek wrote in her Immaculat e review , "the lore of Catholicism is gruesome enough to fill a thousand horror movies"—other faiths and practices have increasingly crept into play.

From stories that explore the terrors of everything from demonic possession to overzealous faith to the thin line between belief and uncertainty, here is TIME's take on the 15 best religious horror movies.

The Witch (2016)

After they are banished from their 17th-century New England settlement over a religious dispute, a devout Puritan family finds themselves at the mercy of a sinister evil in the woods beyond their remote farm. Director Robert Eggers' feature debut plays on the specter of witchcraft for a slow-burn psychological thriller that makes colonial fears relevant to modern viewers. Come for Anya Taylor-Joy's breakout performance as eldest daughter Thomasin, stay for the antics of demonic goat Black Phillip.

Where to watch: Max

The Omen (1976)

Widely considered one of the all-time great religious horror classics, Richard Donner's The Omen centers on American diplomat Robert Thorn (Gregory Peck), who—without telling his wife Kathy (Lee Remick)—agrees to adopt an infant whose mother died in childbirth as a replacement for the couple's own stillborn baby. The only problem is the child, a boy named Damien (Harvey Spencer Stephens), turns out to be the literal Antichrist, a.k.a. the son of Satan. The original Omen has spawned a number of remakes, sequels, and now, a prequel, with director Arkasha Stevenson's The First Omen delving into the terrifying conspiracy that brought about Damien's birth in Rome.

Where to watch: Hulu

The Wailing (2016)

When a rural Korean village is suddenly plagued by a mysterious illness that causes the infected to violently kill their loved ones, local police officer Jong-goo (Kwak Do-won) begins to suspect a foreign newcomer is to blame. Opening with a quote from the Bible, The Wailing explores themes of religion, spirituality, and folklore for a genre-bending horror-thriller. Director Na Hong-jin said the story was born from a question he kept asking himself following the tragic deaths of several people close to him. "The question was, 'Why did THEY have to be victims OF ALL PEOPLE?'" he told The Playlist . "I already had the answers for the 'How.' What I had to find out was the 'Why.' So I began to meet and talk to the clergy of various religions, which was the starting point of this film."

Where to watch: Netflix

Frailty (2002)

Directed by and starring the late Bill Paxton , Frailty opens with a mysterious man (Matthew McConaughey) showing up at the office of FBI agent Wesley Doyle (Powers Boothe) to confess that his brother Adam was the notorious Texas serial killer behind the "God's Hand" murders. From there, the man recounts the chilling story of his childhood, during which his father (Paxton) claimed to have been called upon by God to destroy demons walking the Earth in human form. Frailty is a sleeper gem that puts a Southern Gothic spin on biblical horror and the terror of a cruel and fickle God.

Where to watch: Prime Video

It Lives Inside (2023)

Writer-director Bishal Dutta brings a flesh-eating demon from Hindu mythology to suburban America in his underrated debut feature. It Lives Inside stars Megan Suri as Samidha, an Indian-American high school student who must come to terms with the heritage she is initially so eager to reject after her childhood best friend becomes the target of a malevolent spirit known as the Pishach—a bogeyman that, according to Dutta , is "the embodiment of isolation, and loneliness, and anxiety."

The Conjuring (2013)

Loosely based on the real-life exploits of Ed and Lorraine Warren (played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga), The Conjuring follows the married demonologists as they investigate the 1970s haunting of the Perron family—and decide to perform their own exorcism on matriarch Carolyn Perron (Lili Taylor) after the Catholic Church refuses. Directed by James Wan, the original Conjuring kickstarted what is now the highest-grossing horror franchise in history, having earned over $2.3 billion at the global box office ahead of the release of the final film in the main series, The Conjuring 4 , later this year.

Midsommar (2019)

As a follow-up to his acclaimed 2018 debut Hereditary , filmmaker Ari Aster delivered what he has described as "a breakup movie dressed in the clothes of a folk horror film." Featuring a breakout performance by Florence Pugh, Mids ommar follows college student Dani (Pugh) as she accompanies her boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor) and his friends on a trip to a fabled mid-summer festival at a remote pagan commune in Sweden after experiencing a terrible family tragedy.

The Possession (2012)

When their young daughter Em (Natasha Calis) begins exhibiting increasingly erratic behavior after purchasing a mysterious antique box at a yard sale, recently divorced couple Clyde (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Stephanie (Kyra Sedgwick) eventually come to realize she's been possessed by a parasitic evil. Playing on the Jewish folklore legend of the dybbuk—a disembodied human spirit that restlessly wanders the Earth searching for a living host— The Possession was inspired by a 2004 Los Angeles Times article titled " A jinx in a box? " that detailed the strange history of a wine cabinet that was supposedly brought to America by a Holocaust survivor. Whether or not the real dybbuk box is cursed is up for debate. As for director Ole Bornedal's spin on the story, think The Exorcist with a Jewish spin.

Where to watch: Peacock

[REC] (2007)

Late-night TV reporter Ángela Vidal (Manuela Velasco) finds herself unexpectedly investigating the outbreak of a mysterious viral infection in an apartment building in the heart of Barcelona in Spanish filmmakers Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza's harrowing found-footage flick. To say too much about the religious component of [REC] would give the ending away, but its final twist is one for the books.

The Medium (2021)

Framed as a documentary about the spiritual practices of the Isan people of northeast Thailand, The Medium centers on a middle-aged woman named Nim (Sawanee Utoomma), a shaman who claims to be the conduit for a benevolent goddess called Ban Ya. But when Nim's niece Mink (Narilya Gulmongkolpech) begins showing signs of her own possession, things start to go horribly wrong—first for Nim's family, then the community at large. Thai director Banjong Pisanthanakun serves up a slow-burn folk horror with a bone-chilling final act that's decidedly not for the faint of heart.

Where to watch: Shudder

Carrie (1976)

Brian De Palma’s classic adaptation of Stephen King’s tale of a bullied girl exacting psychic vengeance taps into the horror of religious trauma by placing its titular character, Sissy Spacek's Carrie, under the care of Margaret, her abusively fanatical mother played by Piper Laurie. While the pig-blood prom is one of the most iconic scenes in movie history, the twisted mother-daughter relationship between Carrie and unhinged, God-fearing Margaret is the heart of the story.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

Loosely based on the true story of Anneliese Michel, a young German woman who underwent 67 Catholic exorcism rites before dying of malnutrition and dehydration at the age of 23, The Exorcism of Emily Rose dramatizes the sensational 1978 trial—in which Anneliese Michel's parents and the two priests who conducted the exorcisms were convicted of negligent homicide—that followed her death. In real life, Annaliese Michel was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy and manic depression (now known as bipolar disorder). However, writer-director Scott Derrickson's take on the story—replete with flashbacks to Emily Rose's violent episodes—suggests Emily (Jennifer Carpenter) was truly a victim of demonic possession, turning the movie into a much more over-the-top religious horror thrill ride.

Noroi: The Curse (2005)

Presented as the final documentary film of journalist-turned-paranormal investigator Masafumi Kobayashi (Jin Muraki), Noroi: The Curse follows Kobayashi as he looks into a series of strange occurrences that ultimately lead him to an abandoned Shinto shrine and an ancient demon seeking resurrection. Japanese director Koji Shirashi's horror mockumentary offers an unnervingly fresh take on the found-footage format.

The Wicker Man (1973)

Before Midsommar , there was The Wicker Man . From the moment rigidly Protestant police officer Sergeant Neil Howie (Edward Woodward) arrives on the isolated Scottish island of Summerisle in search of a missing girl, it's clear something is off about the insular seaside community. Director Robin Hardy's seminal cult classic follows Howie as he slowly discovers he's in way over his head among the pagan locals—culminating in the terrifying realization he's been doomed from the start. Just make sure you don't watch the dreadful 2006 Nicolas Cage remake by mistake.

The Exorcist (1973)

What more can be said about the masterpiece that is The Exorcist ? The granddaddy of all possession films, William Friedkin's demonic chiller terrorized moviegoers and forever changed the horror landscape when it arrived in theaters in 1973. Featuring a brilliant—and Oscar-nominated—performance by Ellen Burstyn as desperate mother Chris MacNeil, the oft-imitated tale of possessed 12-year-old Reagan MacNeil (Linda Blair) remains one of the most disturbing cinematic experiences ever put to film.

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Martin Scorsese’s Jesus Film Consultant Father Spadaro Reveals Early Draft of Script in New Book – Read an Excerpt (EXCLUSIVE)

By Nick Vivarelli

Nick Vivarelli

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Last May, after “Killers of the Flower Moon” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, Martin Scorsese traveled to Rome with his wife, Helen Morris, to attend a conference titled “The Global Aesthetics of the Catholic Imagination.” There, the director announced that he had responded to an appeal by Pope Francis to artists “in the only way I know how: by imagining and writing a screenplay for a film about Jesus.”

The final chapter of this book is titled, as translated from Italian, “Screenplay for a Possible Film on Jesus” by Scorsese. Spadaro, in the book’s introduction, specifies that the less than 20-page text is not the actual screenplay that Scorsese will be working from to make the film, but instead an early draft that Scorsese sent him and gave him permission to publish.

Scorsese has been working with longtime collaborator Kent Jones on the film’s screenplay, which is based on Japanese novelist Shūsaku Endō’s book “A Life of Jesus.” He reportedly plans to shoot the 80-minute film later this year. Endō also wrote “Silence,” a novel about Portuguese Jesuit missionaries in 17th-century Japan, which was adapted by Scorsese into the 2016 movie of the same name.

Variety spoke with Spadaro in Rome about his collaboration with Scorsese and what moved the director to make what the priest calls “not just a reflection on the figure of Jesus, but also a reflection on his cinema.” He also shares an excerpt from the beginning of the draft below.

How did you first intersect with Martin Scorsese?

Why do you think Scorsese has decided to make this film?

It’s clear and evident to me that this choice was not temporary. I mean, he heard the Pope’s appeal and decided to respond in this way. But in my opinion, the Pope’s appeal – and this is just my impression – actually brought out a desire of his that in reality Scorsese has always had. He tells me in the interview [and says in the screenplay draft] that he has wanted to make a film about Jesus since he was a student at New York University. He didn’t make it at the time because Pasolini’s “Gospel According to Matthew” came out. Scorsese was trying to depict an intimacy with Jesus. And therefore he wanted to portray him in contemporary clothes. So, a Jesus in New York dressed in present-day clothing, etc. Then he realized that Pasolini had actually achieved what he intended to do, but had done so by bringing Jesus back to his own time instead by imagining him in the clothes that he wore then. From that moment onwards, Scorsese has always dealt with this figure, the figure of Jesus. Obviously, this is evident in “The Last Temptation of Christ” and even in “Silence.”

In a recent Los Angeles Times interview, Scorsese said he is trying to find a new way to make religion more accessible and “take away the negative onus of what has been associated with organized religion.” Is that also your impression?

The Scorsese I met seemed very rooted in his past with what he experienced, especially as a kid. In my interview, he makes many references to when he was a boy in Little Italy and attended mass at St. Patrick’s , the old cathedral of New York. So, a Christianity that he experienced as an altar boy. Among other things, it’s interesting that he clearly told me that he lived on the street. That is, he was very attached to the street, but in a different way than other kids because he had asthma as a child. This effectively prevented him from living a life exactly like the others. It also allowed him to live with less toxic masculinity than that of his peers and to sometimes watch from the balcony.

Scorsese as a young man entered the seminary [studying to become a priest], then he left. Evidently, it wasn’t his vocation. However, to be clear, for him religiousness is linked to this experience. Therefore, it is Catholic, truly Christian, with all of its references, etc. When he says that [about removing the “negative onus”] he says it because he has clearly seen and experienced the involvement of the Church in scandals, in abuse, in everything that has nothing to do with spirituality and which has almost put a veil and created a distance [with Catholicism]. Scorsese wants to recover this original experience that he had of the fully embodied, positive, open, complex spirituality in which he was trained.

What is the significance of Scorsese’s film about Jesus for you?

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Read and excerpt from an early draft of the screenplay below.

Let’s start immersed in the dark.

A painted image of Jesus’ face suddenly lights up the frame… then, just as quickly, it disappears into the darkness again.

CUT to a series of images: a simple wooden cross hanging above a neatly made bed in the apartment of a popular tenement… church windows with scenes from the life of Jesus… a marble sculpture of Mary holding the body of Jesus in her arms… a small gold cross next to a popular image of Jesus praying towards heaven… a child sitting at a table looking into tall the cross next to complex colorful drawings for a fictional film titled “The Eternal City.”

More images of Jesus: other mass-produced family portraits, short moving images from “Intolerance,” the silent version of [Cecil B. DeMille film] “The King of Kings,” [Henry Koster’s Biblical epic] “The Robe” and the sound version of “King of Kings.”

VOICE : Like millions of other children around the world, I grew up surrounded by images of Jesus, all based on a common idea of his appearance and behavior: handsome, with wonderful long hair and beard, ascetic, pious…

A scene from Pasolini’s “The Gospel According to St. Matthew,” the sermon on the mountain.

VOICE : When the idea of making cinema started to become concrete, I had in mind to make a film about Christ in the modern world, in modern clothes, shot in 16mm and in black and white in the streets of New York, with apostles in suits and ties in old, peeling, weathered hallways, with the crucifixion set on the West Side piers and cops instead of centurions… my world. But then I saw Pasolini’s Christ. The setting wasn’t modern, but the feeling it conveyed was. There was the immediacy of Christ. Pasolini showed us a Jesus who was often heated and angry. Who fought… His film had made what I had in mind become quite superfluous, but it inspired me to keep going .

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Killing Jesus (2015)
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'Killing Jesus': Christ in the No-Spin Zone

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COMMENTS

Killing Jesus
The three-hour film is choppy, particularly in the first half, yet ultimately is an effective, compelling retelling of the story of Jesus' crucifixion. Full Review | Original Score: B- | Mar 30, 2015
Film Review: Killing Jesus (TV)
The film is based on the book by Fox News' Bill O'Reilly (O'Reilly Factor) and author Martin Dugard. I got about 45 minutes in when I realized that the film was already missing the mark - big time. With a story line that is loosely based on Scripture, with many creative liberties taken, Killing Jesus was a disappointment.
Killing Jesus
The intimate details of Jesus' life and the political conspiracy that preceded his death; how his message led to his persecution and execution by those who saw him as a threat. Genre: History ...
Killing Jesus (TV Movie 2015)
Killing Jesus: Directed by Christopher Menaul. With Kelsey Grammer, Vernon Dobtcheff, Eoin Macken, Rufus Sewell. A miniseries chronicling the life of Jesus of Nazareth.
Review: In 'Killing Jesus,' the secular outweighs the spiritual
Like its predecessors "Killing Lincoln" and "Killing Kennedy," "Killing Jesus," from the book by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard, has become a National Geographic Channel TV movie.
Killing Jesus (TV Movie 2015)
2/10. Graven Image. wes-connors 30 March 2015. Future Christian savior Jesus Christ is born in Jerusalem (off screen, significantly, as explained below), which drives jealously royal Kelsey Grammar (as Herod) into fits of rage. God has spoken to Mr. Grammar in a dream, so the Roman ruler knows Jesus is the real deal.
Killing Jesus (2015 film)
Killing Jesus is an American television film inspired by the 2013 book of the same title by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard. ... The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gave the series a 43% approval rating based on 7 reviews, with an average rating of 5.70/10.
'Killing Jesus' Review: Sincere but Familiar Tale of Vengeance.
Film Review: 'Killing Jesús'. Revenge is a dish made less appetizing as it cools in this Colombian film inspired by the director's personal tragedy. By Jessica Kiang. The seductive lure of ...
'Killing Jesus' Review
October 6, 2017 3:16pm. Latido Films. Killing Jesus must have been a tough film to make for the Colombian Laura Mora, whose own father, like her heroine's, was shot dead by a hitman — whom ...
"Killing Jesus" TV Review on National Geographic Channel
"Killing Jesus" gets a one-week jump on NBC's "A.D.: The Bible Continues," and about the only thing less suspenseful than the press release crowning it a ratings winner is how the movie ...
Killing Jesus
Killing Jesus. More than a century ago, Albert Schweitzer famously chronicled 19th-century Lives of Jesus in his volume The Quest of the Historical Jesus. Anyone perusing Schweitzer's work—or the religion section in their local Barnes and Noble—will quickly realize there's no end to biographies of Jesus. (They will also realize such ...
Killing Jesus
The TV movie based on the book by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard chronicles the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth (Haaz Sleiman) through political and social issues in the Roman Empire during the reign of King Herod (Kelsey Grammer) that led to his crucifixion.
Killing Jesus
Killing Jesus. Based on the New York Times best seller by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard, "Killing Jesus" is an epic motion picture event chronicling the life and death of Jesus as never seen before. Featuring an all-star cast, including Stephen Moyer, Rufus Sewell, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Kelsey Grammer, this thought-provoking account adds ...
Review: 'Killing Jesus,' Biblical Tale Retold, Softer on Its Politics
Mr. O'Reilly and Mr. Dugard turned the tale into a best seller in 2013 with "Killing Jesus: A History," part of a franchise that has also seen them kill Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F ...
'Killing Jesus' review: National Geographic movie more like a crime
This two-hour condensation of Jesus' life starts with the paranoid King Herod (Kelsey Grammer), who orders all male children killed because he has heard one of them may someday seek to challenge ...
Review: Killing Jesus
When considering The National Geographic Channel's latest offering In "The Killing" series based on the books by Bill O'Reilly, I was reminded of a certain Spaghetti Western film. The Good: The presentation of Jesus was refreshingly genuine, personal, and ethnic. Rather than the stale, stiff, Eurocentric casting and presentation of Jesus, Haaz Sleiman depicts Jesus…
Killing Jesus (2015)
Negative —The movie called "Killing Jesus" is the most inaccurate portrayal of Jesus that has ever been created. The Bible verse that was never even considered in the documentary was Col. 1:15. Jesus is the creator of all things. During his earthly ministry, Jesus was fully God and fully man.
Killing Jesus: TV Review < Television
Gratifyingly portrayed by Lebanese-American actor Haaz Sleiman, we watch as Jesus flips the balance of power with His message of God's grace and love when law and order rule. Undoubtedly one of National Geographic's most ambitious projects, Killing Jesus finds its basis in the words written by best-selling authors Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard.
KILLING JESUS
The two-hour movie version of Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard's bestselling book KILLING JESUS is not a faithful adaptation of the book. The book may be criticized for its weak historical documentation, lack of footnotes referring to specific sources, and noncommittal approach to the resurrection. However, the movie version is even weaker ...
Killing Jesus: A History by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
Jesus, the little guy, is an enemy of the big corrupt tax-oppressing Roman empire, which is itself just a version of Washington, only even more venal and sexually depraved. This Jesus is a tax ...
Killing Jesus (2015) with Kelsey Grammer, Vernon Dobtcheff ...
A fictionalized retelling of the life and death of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Watch Killing Jesus
Killing Jesus. Based on the New York Times best seller by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard, Killing Jesus is an epic motion picture event chronicling the life and death of Jesus as never before. Rentals include 30 days to start watching this video and 48 hours to finish once started.
Killing Jesus
About this movie. Based on the New York Times best seller by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard, Killing Jesus is an epic motion picture event chronicling the life and death of Jesus as never before. Featuring an all-star cast, including Stephen Moyer, Rufus Sewell, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Kelsey Grammer, this thought-provoking account adds new ...
The 15 Best Religious Horror Movies
April 5, 2024 5:06 PM EDT. W ith Immaculate, Late Night With the Devil, and The First Omen all earning mostly favorable reviews from critics in recent weeks, 2024 is already turning into a banner ...
Martin Scorsese's Jesus Film: Read an Excerpt From Early Script
Martin Scorsese's Jesus Film Consultant Father Spadaro Reveals Early Draft of Script in New Book - Read an Excerpt (EXCLUSIVE) Last May, after "Killers of the Flower Moon" premiered at the ...

Film Review: Killing Jesus (TV)

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