CREDIT: NETFLIX
Messiah is yet another addition to Netflix's long list of fanatic-themed shows.

Netflix has produced or aired its fair share of fanatic and cult-themed shows in the past and Messiah is yet another addition to that list. Released on Jan. 1, this series about is a divisive figure with a very memorable hairstyle who materializes out of nowhere claiming to have the answers to the woes afflicting ordinary people, only to be immediately written off by the establishment. No surprise, eh?

This Netflix release has become quite the controversy and has divided the internet itself. With mixed opinions and reviews all over, one must watch the show themselves to decide whether they like it or not. We live in a world where everyone loves voicing their opinion, and this story just goes to show just how much the world is not prepared for a sequel to a story that billions already believe in.

Al-Masih, portrayed by Mehdi Dehbi, is a man from Syria who can perform certain miracles, speak brilliantly in front of thousands of people, and also might just be a complete fraud. Whether or not they’re for real, a flesh-and-blood messiah would undoubtedly bring some peace, but also chaos. Al-Masih then goes on to pique the interest of CIA officer Eva Geller, played by Michelle Monaghan, who begins to uncover information on him. As Eva digs deeper into the origins of Al-Masih her sole focus becomes determining whether he’s really a divine entity or a con man, his followers claim him to be the Messiah the world needs.


There is a lot that is unknown about the Al-Masih as the show offers little peeks into his background, like when he discretely does a coin trick for a little boy, or when it’s revealed that one of his speeches was plagiarized from an American radical. It’s this tight rope act that the story capably walks, and Dehbi’s performance makes one consider the precision of his actions, and what he does and does not say. He has the sharpness of a calculated con artist, but there’s also a video of him standing outside in the middle of a tornado, so who’s to say that he isn’t in some way more than human?

In my opinion, the show plateaus by episode five and six and that’s when it should have really picked up given that it’s a 10-part series. The series loses its plot when the excessive mass amount of side characters take away from the focus and make the first season seem longer than the you pushed aside to watch the show. The side stories filled with melodramatic characters dealing with their personal woes, like a woman who desperately wants Al-Masih to cure her sick daughter, or someone who tries to tempt Al-Masih, only to be defeated by his stoicism, takes away from the show.

All in all, if the theme of the show has caught your eye, we would suggest watching it. But there’s a good chance you might be disappointed with what you see.