The Chosen

I've viewed the Christmas/Shepherd pilot and the first four episodes of season one. The extensive research into the life and times of Christ results in a high level of authenticity. Accuracy was a prevailing priority. The characters 'personalities are slowly peeled in layers through the episodes. There's stellar portrayals of some, especially when placed in the appropriate environs, and will leave a residue long after the video stops, . You will want to see more. There is a reason this series is the highest crowd funded video project.

Christian movies and shows aren't typically known for quality, good character development, or well-written, compelling stories. There are certainly some exceptions (e.g., The Passion of the Christ, I Can Only Imagine, Ben-Hur, I'm Not Ashamed, Faith Like Potatoes, The Case for Christ, and Narnia).

To cut straight to the point: The Chosen is far and away the best on-screen depiction of the life of Christ-either mini-series or movie. The writing and character development are exceptional. It's as captivating as The Passion, yet in so many ways more human and relatable. My family and I keep re-watching them just to get one more glimpse of the Son of Man. The miracles are deeply moving and will bring you to tears.

And now... the biggest problem is we'll have to wait for Season 2. The wait is going to hurt more than waiting for Stranger Things Season 3.

Well-written, well-cast, well-acted. So so happy this show exists.

My wife wanted me to watch The Chosen with her, and I avoided it for weeks, because I expected yet another well-intentioned but 'cheesy' Christian production. Then I finally gave in. I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG. This production is amazing! The quality of the scripts, acting, and sets are all on a par with the production values of a well-regarded Hollywood 'short season' series. And the depiction of the historical culture and the conjectural backstories for key figures around Jesus are BETTER than anything I have seen elsewhere. If you are at all curious about a fresh take on the life of Jesus that still maintains rigorous effort to remain true to the New Testament record, I would HIGHLY recommend this series!

Is this a perfect show? No; what show is, especially in its first season? But is this a consistently entertaining, beautiful project (inside and out!) that not only brings the Bible alive, but takes a deep look at faith and what was really being asked of the 12 disciples when Jesus said, "Follow me"? Yes, yes, and yes!

The actor who plays Jesus carries this season. Not only is he incredibly gentle and solemn when he needs to be, but he is funny (like actually laugh-out-loud funny!) and that is something many depictions of Jesus lack. Jesus' human side is explored in The Chosen as I've never seen before, so wholly and fully, yet in a way that is reverent and respectful. While we can imagine the Christ portrayed here being as human as us, we can also imagine him being as God as, well, God. Brilliant actor, and probably the best portrayal of Jesus ever put to film. His performance is controlled and unassuming yet so powerful in that alone. Whenever Jesus is onscreen you are completely captivated, hanging on his every word.

As far as some downsides in the show (which are in no way very glaring): Occasionally the humor did start to feel a little silly sometimes and took me out of the moment (rarely though, and never when involving Jesus and the disciples).

The score, while gorgeous in itself, has a sequence of a woman performing a vocal part that I felt was overused.

And I thought it a bit odd that the Roman soldiers have American accents, especially considering so much wonderful care is put into keeping the Hebrew accents so consistent. The lead "evil Roman soldier" fellow as well seemed cartoonish and I couldn't find him as threatening as he needed to be in this role, but rather he stood out from the others who are all far more developed and believable characters.

Yet these things do not detract from what a monumental moment this is in Christian cinema, or, lets just say cinema in general. To really see these disciples as real people was an eye opener and an encouragement to read the Bible again with new eyes. The actors playing Peter, Mary Magdalene, Matthew and I'll say each of Jesus' followers were masterfully done, perfect casting, and where did they find such unknown actors with such skill? I can't overstate how happy I am with this show and I really hope the show runners can get enough funding for a season 2. They are doing what Hollywood seemingly never could!