e Last Supper Directed by Mauro Borrelli Reviewed by Harrison Vale
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My rules for dinner are simple: decant the wine, seat enemies far enough apart to prevent litiga- tion, and do not betray the host to the authorities before dessert. Mauro Borrelli’s The Last Supper observes only one of those rules, yet it delivers a sincere and visually handsome account of the fi- nal days of Jesus Christ without turning Scripture into a glossy Hollywood spectacle. The 2025 biblical drama follows Jesus and his disciples through the events leading to the Pass- over meal, the betrayal by Judas and the Crucifix- ion. Most viewers already know how the evening ends, so Borrelli, who co-wrote the screenplay with John Collins, concentrates on the men seat- ed around the table and the private battles tak- ing place behind their expressions. The film gives particular attention to Peter and Judas, two disci- ples whose loyalty falters in very different ways.
prepared to despise him, which makes carica- ture an easy trap. Knepper avoids it. His Judas is restless, resentful and increasingly skilled at con- structing moral arguments for the decision he already wishes to make. Each concession brings him closer to betrayal, while he continues be- having as though he is merely asking reasonable questions. I have met this personality at sever- al private clubs. Usually the dispute concerns a membership assessment rather than the Messiah, but the expression is identical. James Faulkner brings a cold political calcu- lation to Caiaphas, while Nathalie Rapti Gomez provides quiet dignity as Mary Magdalene. Sev- eral supporting characters receive limited devel- opment because the film is attempting to cover an enormous amount of sacred history in 114 minutes. At times, the story moves too quickly through events that deserve greater emotional room. At others, it slows under the weight of its own solemnity. The musical score also has a habit of announcing the importance of scenes that are already perfectly capable of speaking for them- selves. Borrelli’s background as a visual artist is ap- parent throughout. The Moroccan locations, pe- riod costumes and warm, earthen cinematogra- phy give the production a scale that exceeds its modest budget. The feeding of the multitude, the arrival in Jerusalem and the supper itself are pre- sented with care. The table is crowded, the room
Peter fails through fear and later confronts what he has done. Judas makes a deliberate transaction and discovers, rather late in the proceedings, that thirty pieces of silver provide remarkably poor compensation for eternal infamy. Jamie Ward plays Jesus with warmth, patience and authority. He resists the temptation to deliver every sentence as though it belongs on a church ceiling. His Jesus is compassionate and emo- tionally present, particularly during the supper, where familiar words acquire greater force be- cause Ward speaks them to men he knows will soon abandon him. There is sadness in his per- formance, but also resolve. He understands the destination and continues toward it, while every- one around him struggles to comprehend what he has been telling them. James Oliver Wheatley gives Peter a nervous, protective energy. His devotion is genuine, al- though his confidence proves considerably less reliable once danger arrives. Wheatley makes Pe- ter’s weakness painfully human. Many of us have made grand promises over dinner and reconsid- ered them the following morning, although mine have generally involved charity auctions, exercise equipment and a regrettable commitment to at- tend couples’ yoga. Robert Knepper has the more dangerous as- signment as Judas. Everyone enters the theater
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