Parents' Guide to

Messiah

By Martin Brown, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Global psychological thriller missing thrills, has violence.

TV Netflix Drama 2020
Messiah Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 13+

Based on 5 parent reviews

Ger457
Ger457 Adult
March 18, 2021
age 12+

Love it

I recommend everyone to watch the show. It’s is enjoyable show I ever seen.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Sadd24
Sadd24 Adult
March 2, 2021
age 3+

Just watch it

I absolutely love this show I think it’s made well and has a great story to it.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

When CIA officer Eva Geller (Michelle Monaghan) learns of a man named al-Masih (Mehdi Dehbi), who has developed a religious following in Damascus, she immediately suspects him of being a fraud with ulterior motives. MESSIAH follows Eva and others as they attempt to figure out what al-Masih might be up to.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5 ):
Kids say (2 ):

The setup is familiar but promising: A detective-like character tries to figure out whether or not a charismatic leader is a fraud or the real deal. Messiah's premise is essentially a global twist on Homeland's, where cultural differences should factor in to the mystery. But it feels content to rest on its premise without either the character or plot development to keep it consistently engaging.

It seems like there's extra political and religious context needed to enjoy it, but at the same time the politics and religious aspects of the show are underdeveloped (one of the reasons the show has been surrounded by controversy). Psychological thrillers like this rely on complexity to create suspense, but viewers' faith in Messiah is likely to feel misplaced.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about religion and belief systems. How can you tell a real religious leader from a fraud? How do the characters on Messiah deal with this issue?

  • How does the show make you feel about the Middle East? Does it give you a better understanding of the complex politics of that region? Why or why not?

TV Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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