Testament by Angel Studios: Acts of the Apostles in a Modern World
Angel Studios has been delivering top-notch programming and movies for the past few years. Testament is the newest series to launch on the streaming site, and it fully delivers an incredible viewing experience.
I was provided access to the first two episodes of Testament to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own.
Synopsis of Testament
The Book of Acts explosively reimagined in an alternate-modern era.
A resurrection sparks a movement that turns the world upside down, spreading hope amid chaos.
As the followers risk everything to preach the good news, the Temple races to silence them before the oppressive Imperium regime retaliates.
But public miracles, unburied secrets, and fractured loyalties force both sides to confront the true cost of their choices.
This powerful live-action series will challenge you, move you, and make you rethink what it means to truly follow Jesus.
Set in a modern world, you’ll connect with these stories and people like never before.
Testament is now streaming on Angel.com and the Angel App, available to all Angel Guild members.
Our Thoughts on Testament
I wasn’t sure how my family would receive this series. When I asked who wanted to watch the first two episodes, everyone passed.
Partway through episode 1, my husband sat down. He stayed through episode 2.
Anyone who knows him sees that as a sign the show has his full attention. He won’t spend time on something poorly made. And if it veered from Scripture, he would say so.
As the boilerplate series description shares, this is a series that brings the Acts of the Apostles to an alternative modern-day world. It has dystopian feels with citizens having to produce papers and scan their fingerprints.
You join this alternative world on the Feast of Pentecost (the Jewish people celebrated Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, 50 days after Passover). A loud wind rolls through, blowing open windows and extinguishing candles.
People come from their homes into a large courtyard where the apostles make an appearance, and everyone hears in their own language.
Among the people are Stephen (destined to be the first martyr) and Phillip. They go off to be baptized and then listen to the apostles preach the Good News.
Only, the High Priest and the council catch wind of what is happening in the streets and start to conspire on how to thwart this growing movement.
Truly, the main plotlines from Acts of the Apostles drive the scripts for each episode.
A scene that is particularly moving to me is when Peter and John are sitting in prison after healing the lame man, called Caleb.
The night before they are put before the high priest and company, Peter begins to dwell upon how he failed Jesus during the Passion. Specifically, how he denied him three times before the rooster crowed.
You can see how much interior turmoil there might have been for not only Peter, but the other apostles. Yes, they had spent weeks in the presence of our Lord. However, they were now walking a path without Him by their side.
When questioned about who healed Caleb and the blasphemy heard from John, Peter is frozen. Then, as he remembers his failing, he feels the presence of Christ and the Holy Spirit that guides his words.
Should You Watch Testament?
From the first two episodes, I would definitely recommend this show.
In a sea of mediocre storytelling, Testament draws you in and sparks reflection.
It reimagines the early Church in our current world, inviting us to consider faith in today’s context.
Above all, it’s a fresh reminder that the Bible is the Living Word of God, always speaking when we read it.