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Released just in time for the Christmas season, Netflix’s Mary purports to be an epic biblical narrative about the story of Mary (Noa Cohen) and the birth of Jesus Christ. The film begins with Mary’s parents praying for a child after years of failed attempts. After both are visited by Archangel Gabriel (Dudley O'Shaughnessy), they are blessed with a daughter who they are told will need to live in the service of God when called upon. As soon as she becomes a teenager, she’s sent away to a temple in order to fulfill that service. After some time, she encounters a young man named Joseph (Ido Tako) who is guided towards her by Gabriel. Subsequently, Mary is betrothed to him by her father. After committing to their engagement, but before their actual marriage, Mary is visited by the same angel and told she is pregnant with God’s child.

When Netflix's new film Mary was released, it was met with low reviews from audiences and critics alike. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rotten critics' score of 27% and an audience score of 43%. Although the film's tone was a main concern for many viewers, the inaccuracies were an even larger flaw for most.

With more than 40 producers credited in the film, including megachurch pastor Joel Osteen, it's a surprise that inaccuracies would be allowed to slip through the cracks. Catholic director D. J. Caruso told Entertainment Weekly that he wanted the film "to ensure authenticity" when defending the decision to cast Israeli actors in the film despite controversy. However, the final product doesn't seem like the team behind Mary actually wanted the film to be that authentic.

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2/5 Mary

Release Date  December 6, 2024Runtime  110 MinutesMain Genre  DramaCast  Anthony Hopkins,...

Vin Diesel is (fast and) furiously moving through a bevy of new creative projects. There’s Fast X: Part 2, the second installment of Fast X, which arrives in 2026. Meanwhile, Mary director D.J. Caruso, who worked with Diesel on xXx: Return of Xander Cage, is reportedly taking on another Diesel franchise offering, xXx 4, which has yet to head into production. Recently, Caruso and Diesel haven't hidden their immense appreciation for each other.

In early 2024, Diesel captured attention after posting an Instagram comment about Caruso, mentioning how his daughter, Hania Riley Sinclair, was moved to tears when she read a script Caruso gave him to consider. “My oldest daughter read the script that D.J. sent to me, thinking that it would fall into The Pacifier bracket,” the star wrote. “She cried… I asked her why she cried, and she said because the story of a brother and sister rang true for her,...

A tough-as-nails mother ready to risk it all for humanity? No, it’s not the latest Charlize Theron action thriller; it’s Mary, the ambitious and lavish Netflix production directed by DJ Caruso. Think of this as a coming-of-age biblical epic that tracks the Blessed Mother’s ordeals, as chronicled in the Bible — from being shunned following a miraculous conception to running into hiding. And it wouldn’t be a biblical tale without King Herod (a steely Anthony Hopkins), of course, meaning a devilish pursuit of the newborn baby Jesus, who Mary and Joseph (Noa Cohen and Ido Tako) try to hide. Faith, courage, and determination are big themes. The takeaway is how fierce and faithful a mother can be.

Viewers may not feel that devoted, though. Mary suffers from wanting to cram in too much and, at times, not enough. There’s no mention of the Roman Empire, for instance,...