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| Source: Imdb |
I found this series about a young man appearing out of nowhere with seemingly divine power newly
arrived on Netflix in January and binged it to its conclusion within 24 hours - a new record for me. Now
I'm praying (haha) for a second season.
The series
is an exquisitely crafted, clever mystery thriller. It reminds me very much of
"The Leftovers"... the feel and quality of it; only, it is maybe even better
(definitely less graphic violence). It's a powerful story about the might of
suggestion and the brain seeing and hearing what it wants to, and it paints a poignant picture of what might happen if a Messiah-like figure appeared now, today, in the present world. A spell-binding thought experiment!
The
foreshadowing and hinting is very cleverly done. This drama draws you in with
the dichotomy of belief: you want to believe this guy is the Messiah, but you
cannot shake the very persistent evidence that he is a fraud. Later, it even seems
like he might have gotten too caught up in his own deception, that he is just
along for the ride, as are his hapless followers - and the audience.
They
impress with absolutely perfect casting of Mehdi Dehbi as al-Masih. His
silences truly speak. He says just as much through his eyes as he does with his
dialogue, maybe even more, and he is probably the main reason why this
drama is so compelling. Whenever you think you have his deception figured out, that
he showed his hand and betrayed himself, that they finally found that last clue
to prove that there is nothing supernatural about him after all - the second you
are sure! -, he offers a look, a tiny gesture... and suddenly you are completely
drawn in again, entirely on his side. He is just so incredibly good at showing
the conflict Jesus himself must have felt, the surety (or delusion?) of knowing he is chosen.
The faith in God’s plan. The dawning knowledge that it is going to come at a
cost, but that he is committed and finally, that there is no way out now, even
if he is scared and may not agree with what God (?) has chosen as humanity’s fate.
Incredibly performance.
It's also a
great case study of how the media can influence the beliefs of people, how
coverage makes a small thing into a huge phenomenon. At the same time, it’s a
keen illustration of the need for faith in the modern world, how people hunger
for answers and how willing they are to abandon their path to follow a leader
that satisfies that hunger. Or does he?
This sea-saw of a show will not fail to draw you in. Intriguing,
thought-provoking, nail-biting and relevant, it delivers on all levels. Go watch! 5/5 
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