A controversialMel Gibsonmovie is making waves on Netflix. Mel Gibson is an actor and filmmaker who first got his start in the Australian film industry, breaking out as the lead of 1979’sMad Maxand its first two sequels. He went on to star in a number of popular movies, including Franco Zeffirelli’s 1990 Shakespeare adaptationHamlet, the 1995 Disney animated moviePocahontas, and the action-comedy franchiseLethal Weapon, which had four feature-length installments between 1987 and 1998.
A number ofMel Gibson movieswere also directed by the actor. This includes 1993’sThe Man Without a Faceand 1995’sBraveheart, the latter of which won five Oscars, including Best Picture. However, as his career as a director continued,he remained behind the camera for a number of notable titles, not appearing onscreen in movies such as the 2016 Andrew Garfield war movieHacksaw Ridge, the 2025 Mark Wahlberg thrillerFlgiht Risk, and his controversial classic that is doing well on streaming.
The Passion Of The Christ Has Found New Life On Netflix
The Movie Is Now A Global Hit
2004’sThe Passion of the Christhas become a global Netflix success.The Mel Gibson-directed movie starred Jim Caviezel as Jesus Christand followed the final 12 hours of the religious figure’s life.The Passion of the Christwas controversialfor a variety of reasons, including its intense violence, its presentation of Jesus as an avatar of pain and suffering rather than love, and several of its character depictions drawing accusations of antisemitism. However, the movie was a smash hit, grossing a staggering $612.1 million against its $30 million budget, making it the fifth highest-grossing movie of the year worldwide.
At the time,The Passion of the Christbecame the second highest-grossing R-rated movie in history, behind 2003’sThe Matrix Reloaded($741.8 million).
Netflixhas now calculated their global Top 10 chart of the most-watched Non-English movies on the platform for the week of April 18 through April 24. Because it is in Aramaic rather than English,The Passion of the Christhas made its debut on that chart at No. 2, thanks to 8.5 million viewers amassing a total of 17.1 million viewing hours. The movie was in the Top 10 in 46 countries across the world and No. 1 in 10, namely Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, El Salvador, and Lebanon.
This debut on the chart comes several weeks after the movie arrived on the platform, on March 28.
What This Means For The Passion Of The Christ
Can It Stay On The Chart?
Ultimately, the true test of whetherMel Gibsontitle is a proper Netflix hit will be if it remains on the chart, because it debuted on the chart during Easter week. Because the holiday is directly linked to the story of Jesus,it likely inspired many celebrants to watch or rewatch the movie. However, even if the 2004 movie drops off the chart the following week, the resurgence of interest in the project could indicate that theupcomingPassion of the ChristsequelThe Resurrection of the Christis arriving at the right time to connect with its core audience.
The Passion of the Christ
Cast
The Passion of the Christ is a dramatic retelling of the final twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth’s life, depicting his crucifixion in vivid detail. Directed by Mel Gibson, the film is noted for its intense portrayal of Jesus’s suffering and sacrifice, aiming to present an authentic and profound account based on the New Testament.
