Mary Magdalene (Rooney Mara) is a fisher woman whose family are set on marrying off, so that she can be a mother. Feeling that she is not built for that life, she finds herself drawn to the prophet Jesus (Joaquin Phoenix) and decides to abandon her life and follow him.

Garth Davis follow up film to the life affirming Lion (also featuring Rooney Mara) aims to right the wrong of hundreds of years of misconceptions about Mary. No where in the bible does it state that she was a prostitute and yet in 1591 Pope Gregory the Great announced that she was and Christians have considered that to be true ever since. However in 2016 she was given equal status as all the other Apostles.

The story here generally follows that of Jesus after initially setting the scene of Mary’s position in life. Sermons, healings, baptisms and the main events such as the Last Supper, The Garden of Gethsemane and his crucifixion. What is front and centre here though is Mary’s relationship with Jesus, Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Judas (Tahar Rahim).

The detractors to the film are the familiarity that this story might have to many and its slow pace. But I found it intriguing on a personal level. Firstly it sets a tone that will be familiar to any Terence Malick (Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line) fans. Everything seemingly takes place in low light at dusk or dawn and characters speak in hushed tones and hold each other’s gaze as they do so. And the characterisation and motivation of the lead characters are challenging. Judas betrayal certainly makes more sense here and Peter’s pride takes him down a peg or two. Depending on your predilection Jesus could easily be a cult leader, mentally ill or beatific prophet and Mary’s strength of character seems to bind them all together.

If you are interested in another story of Jesus then this might be for you.