• Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Jan 1, 2020
Metascore
46

Mixed or average reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 8
  2. Negative: 1 out of 8
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Critic Reviews

  1. Reviewed by: Daniel Fienberg
    Jan 9, 2020
    30
    Don't be fooled by the Netflix auspices, the reasonably decent production values and a couple wildly overqualified castmembers. ... If you're not on the fence and you're eager to watch Messiah...enjoy. My saying it's a badly made show doesn't make it exist any less.
User Score
7.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 32 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 32
  2. Negative: 5 out of 32
  1. Jan 11, 2020
    9
    Starting this series without much expectations, it gave me a quite nice surprise.
    Driving around the thought on whether the protagonist is
    Starting this series without much expectations, it gave me a quite nice surprise.
    Driving around the thought on whether the protagonist is the supposed messiah (or a let's call him at least a holy man) or a charlatan, the viewer can never be too sure about his point of view, as along all the show, both options seem to be likely.
    This series excels in creating enough tension to keep the viewer interested throughout all time but never at the costs of dull action or violence like other shows do.

    It could have gone more into depth about spiritual or religious thought though, but maybe they wanted to avoid to offend some groups by going to much into details. Still very recommendable and food for thoughts.
    Full Review »
  2. Jan 18, 2020
    7
    The show is amazing. Without spoiling anything the finale is very much believable given how our geopolitics are running these days. The showThe show is amazing. Without spoiling anything the finale is very much believable given how our geopolitics are running these days. The show also depicts the dark side of Israel and American foreign policy. In a time where anything anti-Israel is misunderstood as anti-semitism, this was a bold move to make from the producers and I'm glad they made it.

    The show drags on without much happening in fifth and sixth episodes, which makes you almost want to stop watching the show. But it gets again much better in the end. There are some inconsistencies with the Messiah's name, that doesn't match his actual origin in the show. They simply didn't manage to nail the cultural differences very well.

    In the 50s/60s the Western audience regarded the whole Far East as the 'China men'. No distinction was made between different countries, cultures and even looks. Today we experience the same with the Middle East, everyone is thrown into the same pot. Actors with thick Arabic accents speak Persian and play the Iranians. I don't understand why they haven't picked Iranian actors to play these roles. Given there are millions of Iranians living in Los Angeles and many of them working as actors, it wouldn't have been that hard. It's a shame because that subtle difference adds a cultural debt to the show if they had gone that extra mile.

    The show clearly borrowed the concepts of the illusion and believe from the Persian Sufis Shams and Rumi. I hope they go deeper into this direction in season two. All in all, it's very good and the acting is convincing.
    Full Review »
  3. Apr 9, 2020
    0
    This is a **** show believe me !!!!
    Be careful and Don't waste your time please !!