Messiah: Season 1 (4/5) – Netflix Review

MESSIAH is on Netflix from the very beginning of 2020 and it’s definitely worth watching. Of course, it’s also a series that some people have decided to hate before watching even a minute of it. If you enjoy a good thriller series, you should like this. Read our Messiah season 1 review here!

Messiah is out on Netflix with the beginning of a new decade and it feels very appropriate. If you’re a very religious person, you might dislike elements of this series. After all, it’s a fictional story about some core elements from various religions.

To me, this is an awesome new thriller series that really keeps you on edge. A lot of episodes end with cliffhangers and you will never quite know where it’s heading. We’ve watched all ten episodes of season 1 for this review.

You might like: Our take on the Season 1 ending of Messiah >

Continue reading our Messiah season 1 review below.

Messiah should make you think

I’m not a religious person, at all. However, it’s mostly due to disliking the concept of religion which is very manmade and something people have been killing in the name of for centuries. For this reason alone, it’s not exactly surprising that people are hating on Messiah as a concept before the series has been released.

Personally, I am actually a person of faith, which is exactly what a lot of this Messiah series on Netflix is all about. A person who people view as a prophet, who refuses to say that he is from any particular religion. And he speaks the core languages of pretty much every religion, which he also knows everything about.

The Messiah character in this story first appears in Syria and is quickly given the name “Al-Masih”. This has caused some people to look at who Al-Masih is in the Muslim faith and decide that the name is one big spoiler in and of itself. It is not!

The name Al-Masih is given to this man by the people who are following him to escape war and find a better life. This alone should tell you that the name is not meant as a spoiler. Maybe it’s clumsy or wrong, but it’s not a spoiler. 

Wonderful and very diverse cast

Since the story of Messiah takes place in both Syria, Israel, and the USA, we have a lot of characters to become familiar with. Also, a lot of different languages are spoken. Overall, it is mostly in English, but we do also hear several other languages. Especially when scenes are taking place in the Middle East. Obviously.

The casting of Messiah is simply brilliant with Michelle Monaghan (Mission: Impossible, The Path series) in one of the starring roles as a CIA agent trying to figure out who Al-Masih really is. As a CIA agent, she is involved because there’s a fear that this could be the beginning of another terrorist cell. 

Working the same case from Israel is Avrim Dahan played by Tomer Sisley (We’re the Millers). He’s not the most likable character, but he is fascinating to watch. Also, he does go through a very interesting journey.

Portraying the title character of Al-Mesih, we have Mehdi Dehbi (A Most Wanted Man) who is just brilliant. He is always walking a knives edge where you can’t figure out what his plan is. He seems to be good and pure. Also, he seems to know every little secret that everyone has. However, we do also get to learn a lot of facts that will make you question this. A lot!

Finally, another one of the key characters is a young man who is one of the first to follow Al-Masih. His name is Jibril and he is very devout and seems to be all heart. He is portrayed by Sayyid El Alami who is also in Zombi Child (2019).

Watch Messiah on Netflix!

Michael Petroni is the creator of Messiah and he has written quite a lot of religious-themed horror and thriller movies in the past. These include Possession from 2008 starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and The Rite from 2011 starring Anthony Hopkins. All ten episodes of Messiah are directed by one of two directors; James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) or Kate Woods (Person of Interest, Blindspot).

Whether you’re religious or not, do yourself a favor and watch this Netflix series as a fictional thriller. After all, it takes place in (or near) the present and is not meant to be any sort of historic account such as Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ.

As a thriller series, the storyline should make you think and wonder. And really, the twists and turns should constantly make you wonder; Can this be explained? It’s almost like watching a David Blaine magic trick. You find yourself trying to understand and explain it, but you probably can’t.

So what does that mean? Is it real or is it simply something you cannot explain? And is there actually a difference?!

I love the fact that this storyline is constantly showing how flawed we are as human beings. How some try to have (blind?) faith while others insist on always finding an explanation. Even if there isn’t one. I really hope Messiah will have a season 2 because I loved this series! Update: There will be no season 2 of Messiah!

Season 1 of Messiah will be out on Netflix from January 1, 2020.

Details

Creator: Michael Petroni
Stars: Mehdi Dehbi, Michelle Monaghan, Sayyid El Alami, Tomer Sisley, John Ortiz, Jane Adams, Stefania LaVie Owen

Plot

When a CIA officer investigates a man attracting international attention and followers through acts of public disruption, she embarks on a global, high-stakes mission to uncover whether he is a divine entity or a deceptive con artist.