Talk about controversy. Palestinian supporters and Christians are up in arms over Netflix's new Christmas film, Mary. Despite that, though, Mary now ranks No. 4 on the Netflix "Global Top 10 Movies" with 21.2 million hours viewed and 11.4 million views (per Tudum). Most of the heated controversy swirling about the religious movie has to do with 22-year-old Israeli actress and model Noa Cohen portraying the Virgin Mary in the streaming biblical adaptation.
X/Twitter user @Johnpatrick500 is one of those who are upset, and he indignantly wrote, ""There is something profoundly offensive about having an Israeli actor play Mary, the mother of Jesus, while Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, killing some of the oldest Christian communities in the world and erasing their heritage sites." Cohen is a relatively new face to the acting game, having appeared in the TV shows Infinity and 8200 most recently. And it's hard to imagine the young thespian having to deal with this sort of backlash, especially at such a young age.
@imnotpopbase posted another negative reaction to the Netflix film's casting choices on X, saying, "This is falsehood, antisemitism and blasphemy. Jesus, Mary and everyone in this show should be Palestinian." Meanwhile, another X user, @ha_dar_sah, called out a lack of authenticity in director D.J. Caruso's Mary, saying, "It is evident that the scriptwriters, producers, and directors of the movie Mary did not consult the Bible before putting it out in Netflix."
Caruso defended the casting of Cohen and the rest of his film ensemble for portraying the project's characters in a recent interview posted by The Telegraph (via CNBC TV18). Caruso was adamant that he wanted to "ensure authenticity," but the internet continues to take issue with the choices the director made where the lead actress and other players are concerned.
Critics Crucify Netflix's 'Mary' Close
MovieWeb's review of Mary declares that "Netflix's biblical epic isn't that blessed," and rates the new Christmas movie 2 out of 5 stars, which is much kinder than many of the other critics are offering up. For instance, Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle only gives director D.J. Caruso's film a score of 1 out of 4 stars, and he refers to the flick as a strange "Hallmark card." LaSalle writes:
"What we get here is no more real than a Hallmark card, except that it's a different kind of Hallmark card, one in which Mary has to jump off a roof to escape a burning building and Joseph (Ido Tako) gets into sword fights."
Isabella Soares of Collider is a tiny bit more understanding (though still gave the film a score of 3 out 10) as she writes:
"With an underbaked script by Timothy Michael Hayes and several add-ons to the biblical narrative that harm more than elevate the plot, the cast doesn't get the opportunity to impress or show an inspiring new take on Mary's trajectory."
Tim Robey of the United Kingdom's Daily Telegraph (1 out of 5 score) also crucifies the new film, saying, "This may be the single worst film I've seen all year; it's certainly the most confused." However, it's not all bad news for Netflix's Mary. Lisa Kennedy of The New York Times practically writes the film a rave review when stacked up against the scathing critiques. Kennedy's assessment declares the film to be "An epic biopic for the mother of God."
6:13 Related 'Mary' Star Noa Cohen & Director Discuss Their Netflix Epic About the Mother of Christ
Actress Noa Cohen and director DJ Caruso discuss their new biblical epic on Netflix, 'Mary,' and Caruso's next movie with actor Vin Diesel.
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Michael Clark of The Epoch Times also jumps on the small bandwagon with a 4 out of 5 score and writes:
"Director Caruso took an ages-old genre and infused it with a welcomed jolt of dramatic bite and daring storytelling. 'Mary' takes a lot of chances. It stretches far beyond the genteel and ultra-safe boundaries usually associated with faith-based movies."
Those who are curious to see the new Christmas flick can check out Mary, which is now streaming on Netflix. Despite the heated debate engulfing the movie and its 22-year-old star, actress Noa Cohen gives a captivating performance as the Virgin Mary. And Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins does the best he can with the role of Herod in the movie. But for those not interested in watching Mary, there are plenty of other must-see films streaming on Netflix right now.
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2 /5 Mary Drama
Mary, directed by D.J. Caruso, follows the miraculous conception of Mary's child, inciting King Herod's wrath as he attempts to eliminate the newborn, whom he perceives as a threat to his reign. Forced into hiding, Mary endeavours to protect her infant son amidst escalating danger.
Release Date December 6, 2024 Runtime 110 Minutes Cast Anthony Hopkins , Mili Avital , Stephanie Nur , Ido Tako , Eamon Farren , Noa Cohen , Soufiane El Khalidy , Hilla Vidor , Gudmundur Thorvaldsson , Ori Pfeffer , Tarrick Benham , Saikat Ahamed , Mehmet Kurtulus , Sami Fekkak , Ben Affan , Charley Boon , Kamal Moummad Expand