Risen
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Risen

The year is 33AD, and Roman tribune Clavius (Joseph Fiennes) has just returned from supressing Judean rebels when Pontius Pilate (Peter Firth) calls him into his office. It seems he’s just had an annoying local miracle worker crucified, and he wants Clavius to make sure a): he’s dead and b): no-one runs off with the body, as there are rumours the miracle-worker might come back to life.

What follows combines a Roman-era police procedural and a faithful retelling of the Resurrection with surprisingly entertaining results, as Clavius’s scepticism, dealings with the locals, and police work trying to find a missing corpse provide a new angle on a familiar tale – it’s basically a Roman-era X-Files, which is far from the worst idea ever. Unfortunately, the third act has Clavius seeing the light and joining the disciples, which means the whole police procedural angle is ditched for a straight retelling of Christ’s last days on Earth. Presumably reminding us all that Jesus was a great guy made sense to someone, but dramatically it kills the story stone dead. The only saving grace is Fiennes performance, which is strong throughout; his down-to-earth approach grounds this miracle-heavy tale and gives it – for a time at least – some real heft.