“Paul, Apostle Of Christ” is a thought-provoking religious film that shows how the book of “Acts” and many of the letters in “The New Testament” were written. It manages to convey the harrowing struggles faced by the early Christians while still being an entertaining film.

Set in Rome in 67 A.D., we find that Paul (James Faulkner “Atomic Blonde”) has been imprisoned and wrongfully accused of causing terrible fires that have swept across the city. As Emperor Nero tightens his grip on Rome by persecuting the Christians and any other enemies, Luke (Jim Caviezel “The Passion of the Christ”) visits Paul with the intention of documenting his mentor’s transition from oppressor to believer.

Paul is one of the most interesting figures in Christianity because when he Saul of Tarsus, he oppressed the early worshippers of Christ. However, he converted after an encounter with God on the road to Damascus. I think James Faulkner does a commendable job. Jim Caviezel is also really good as Luke. I also particularly like Olivier Martinez (“Unfaithful”), who plays Mauritius. He runs the prison where Paul is kept but finds himself becoming sympathetic to the Christian cause and even finds himself forced to turn to the Christians when his daughter’s sickness worsens. The other characters are okay.

It’s not as thrilling as “Gladiator” or “Exodus: Gods And King” but “Paul, Apostle Of Christ” does seem to do its own thing rather effectively. Many may like the fact that it sticks a lot closer to the scripture and the history than some other recent biblical epics such as “Noah”. This is a great film for Christians to help them visualise the challenges faced by Christianity in its infancy but I also think that is an entertaining enough film for non-Christians to get some enjoyment from it. You might even find something that makes you reflect on your beliefs.