Animation
Shape Island
Shape Island may charm little viewers and won’t bend their parents out of shape. But the show can also feel surprisingly flat.
Shavuot, or Pentecost, is a sacred time in the District of Salem. Each year, people from all over make the pilgrimage to this part of the Roman Imperium to pray, fellowship and make offerings at the Temple of the Most High God.
But this year is a little different: Just a little more than a month ago, a preacher was arrested on suspicion of heresy after declaring Himself to be the Son of God. He was killed and buried. His followers fled.
Now, those followers have returned. They’re claiming their teacher is alive, resurrected by God. They say they spent 40 days with Him until He returned to His Father’s side in heaven. They’re speaking in tongues and healing the lame.
And they’re telling anyone who will listen this Good News, baptizing men and women in the name of Jesus Christ.
In Angel Studios’ Testament, the District of Salem is, of course, fictional. But the acts of Jesus’ disciples as we see them dramatized here parallel the Book of Acts. It’s a retelling of the biblical story through the lens of a modern, dystopian-esque society.
And it is riveting.
Granted, at the time of writing this review, I’ve only seen the first two episodes, which cover Acts 1-4. But the premise here is extremely well executed. If you connect with the story and characters here, you’ll likely be back for more.
Obviously, Testament’s creators had to take a bit of creative license—after all, the show isn’t set in AD 33 Jerusalem. But from what I’ve seen, they’re trying to stay true to the story of Paul (who is still Saul, at this point) and the other Apostles.
That being said, viewers will need to prepare themselves for some biblically accurate and potentially disturbing deaths. Stephen, a man we meet here as one of the first converts after Jesus’ death and who is sometimes called Christendom’s first martyr, is stoned to death in Acts 7—so that event might get depicted in later episodes. We also know that James, the brother of John, was the first of the Twelve Apostles to be executed for his faith (Acts 12). And many other Apostles and followers of Jesus were persecuted and killed for their beliefs in the Christ as well.
Beyond those potentially concerning notes, I would say that Testament is a, ahem, testament to the incredible acts of Jesus’ earliest followers—Jesus did say they’d do greater works than Himself, after all (John 14). And hopefully this show will inspire other Christians in their own walks of faith, perhaps even helping them to spread the Good News themselves.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
More than a month after Jesus’ death, His followers begin claiming that He is alive, inciting the wrath of the Sanhedrin.
A mysterious force (which is likely the Holy Spirit) draws thousands of people to the location of the Twelve Disciples on the morning of Pentecost. The disciples speak in many tongues, to the astonishment of the gathered crowds, and they baptize any who believe their claims about the resurrection of Jesus. Afterwards, they organize these new believers, spreading the truth about Jesus to anyone who will listen.
Unfortunately, word of their plans makes its way to the Pharisees and Sadducees. When they learn that Peter and John, two of Jesus’ Apostles, are going to preach on Temple grounds, they plant several of their own in the crowd. Peter, in the name of Jesus, heals a lame man and declares the Good News of Christ’s resurrection. But instead of listening, the plants accuse him of blasphemy, arresting him, John and Caleb (the man they healed).
Many of the events we witness and lines we hear come directly from the Book of Acts. But we hear other stories from the Bible as well, including descriptions of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. Jesus’ followers bring food and water to the homeless.
The wind gusts, the earth shakes and a candle mysteriously relights itself after being extinguished in the presence of the Holy Spirit. We see some crosses erected along roadways. Temple guards spar in their barracks. They forcefully arrest several people accused of heresy. Armored Roman Imperium soldiers patrol the streets of the District of Salem. They threaten Stephen with a technologically advanced sword when he’s caught outside after curfew.
Some drunken men heckle the disciples. Caleb, it’s revealed, is a drug addict. People drink wine.
A few people say, “God willing.” “Praise the Sovereign” is an epithet of the Roman Imperium. When Stephen is pressured to repeat it, he instead says, “Pray the Sovereign,” adding under his breath, “is overthrown and the Imperium crumbles.”
Stephen becomes a believer after listening to the Apostles, much to his mother’s chagrin. She kicks him out of her house and even leaks information about Peter and the others to the Temple guards. A few men are incredibly condescending to women.
It’s very clear that the members of the Sanhedrin are scared of Jesus’ followers. Some of them clearly do not want to lose their power. But others seem worried that if Peter and the others gain the same following that Jesus did, the Roman Imperium will think they’re behind it, which would make things worse for them and their people.
Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.
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