Missing the mark on Moses

Milla Ling-Davies  |  Features  |  culture watch
Date posted:  1 May 2024
Share Add       
Missing the mark on Moses

A scene from 'Testament: the story of Moses'

At the end of March, Netflix released a three-part docuseries called Testament: the story of Moses. A mix of re-enactment and commentary from Jewish rabbis, Bible scholars, Muslims and Christian pastors, it racked up 13.5 million views in the first five days of its release.

I was curious to see it. It had become the second most-watched show on Netflix – and the fifth most-watched here in the UK. However, its acclaim was short-lived, and reception mixed. The audience score on the popular film reviewing platform Rotten Tomatoes sits at just 33%. 

I can see why. The messaging is vague – the commentators come from a variety of backgrounds, draw on a number of sources (the Qur’an, the Bible, the Midrash) and the re-enactment holding all these worldviews together has a very secular 2024 flavour. 

Share
< Previous article| Features| Next article >
Read more articles by Milla Ling-Davies >>
UK & Ireland
Makin Report brands John Smyth as CofE’s ‘most prolific serial abuser’

Makin Report brands John Smyth as CofE’s ‘most prolific serial abuser’

An official report has described John Smyth, a barrister and close associate of Archbishop Justin Welby, as the Church of …

Features
Learning from Hollywood's remakes

Learning from Hollywood's remakes

Have you noticed that cinema and TV today is dominated by remakes, sequels and spin-offs?In the months before Christmas, …

Looking for a job?

Browse all our current job adverts

Search

About en

Our vision, values and history.

Read more