TESTAMENT: THE STORY OF MOSES is Netflix’s Most Watched Show
By Movieguide® Contributor
TESTAMENT: THE STORY OF MOSES made it to the top of Netflix’s most popular shows list for the week of March 25-31.
“A new three-part docudrama about the life of Moses is currently the No. 1 streaming show on Netflix,” Relevant reported. “…Narrated by actor Charles Dance (GAME OF THRONES), the series also weaves in expert interviews to go deeper into Moses’ story, providing further detail about one of the Bible’s most central figures.”
Part of Movieguide®’s review of TESTAMENT reads:
TESTAMENT: THE STORY OF MOSES is a three-part documentary series on Netflix, It tells the story of Moses and the Exodus in dramatic re-enactments. It goes through Moses’ early life in the court of the Pharoah, followed by his escape into the Land of Midian, where he meets Jethro and his wife Zipporah,, Jethro’s daughter. Then, comes the burning bush with God giving Moses His instructions, the return to Egypt, and the 10 plagues against Egypt when the new Pharoah refuses to let God’s people go. The Pharoah briefly relents, and the Hebrews leave Egypt, but Pharaoh changes his mind, only to have his troops drown in the Red Sea. Commentaries by Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders, scholars and experts periodically follow the dramatic re-enactments.
The dramatic re-enactments in TESTAMENT: THE STORY OF MOSES are well produced. However, the commentaries slow down the miniseries. They also contain some extra-biblical perspectives, including some feminism, determinism and slight misrepresentations about God is. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for younger children, although TESTAMENT: THE STORY OF MOSES is generally an interesting, ambitious, watchable miniseries.
The docuseries, which released on March 27, proved more popular than series 3 BODY PROBLEM and HOMICIDE: NEW YORK. In its first five days, it received more than 13.5 million views.
“Anyone who has seen THE TEN COMMANDMENTS as a child was well aware of the more epic elements of the tale,” said Emre Sahin and Kelly McPherson, the show’s producers. “The burning bush, the plagues, Passover, the Red Sea, and, of course, the Ten Commandments. What really drew us in was the mystery of Moses’ inner life, his struggles with his own identity, his self-doubt, his humanness.”
The documentary provides commentary from Christian and Muslim leaders, as well as Jewish rabbis.
“If you come to this story, knowing it well [and] growing up with it, I hope it feels different, it feels like you may learn something you didn’t know [and] it still moves you in the same way,” McPherson told Christian Headlines. “If you don’t come to it with any real knowledge of it, [I hope] that you’re like, ‘This is just a great, inspiring story.’
“It’s such a great story,” he said.
Scriptural stories like TESTAMENT are proving to be a hit with audiences. Biblical movie NOAH also made it to the Netflix top 10 charts last month, in March’s second week.
Screen Rant reported on Mar. 17, “The NOAH movie has landed on the list at No. 5 alongside more contemporary Netflix original hits DAMSEL, SPACEMAN, and CODE 8 PART II and major non-original releases including THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE, THINK LIKE A MAN TOO, and 27 DRESSES.”
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