One of the most surprising additions to Netflix’s global Top 10 is the drama “Lifemark,” which is currently on the Top 8 worldwide, according to the platform. The film has landed on the spot after collecting 3.5 million views during the week from April 22 to April 28.
The movie, first released in 2022, follows a young man named David, played by Raphael Ruggero, whose life is shaken up when his birth mother reaches out to him, wanting to meet him after 18 years. The rest of the cast includes Kirk Cameron, Alex Kendrick, Marisa Lynae Hampton, Dawn Long, and Rebecca Rogers.
The Christian film was produced by Alex and Stephen Kendrick, while Kevin Peeples (Like Arrows) directed it. According to ScreenRant, the movie, distributed by Fathom Events, made $5.6 million worldwide.
‘Lifemark,’ a pro-life story that is gaining popularity on Netflix
The movie, which was written by the Kendrick brothers, adapts the true story of the adoption of David Scotton, which was previously depicted in the 2018 short documentary film “I Lived on Parker Avenue.”
With only six reviews, “Lifemark” has a good score on Rotten Tomatoes, an 83% Tomatometer. Meanwhile, audiences also loved the movie, giving it a 96% of approval with over 1,000 reviews.
However, there has also been criticism for the movie, especially as it can be read as a “pro-life” propaganda vehicle released just months after the overturn of Roe v Wade. Even Joseph Holmes, from Religion Unplugged, believes the film is “boring and dishonest,” by trying to eliminate all conflict or drama.
Alex Kendrick told NRB that the film didn’t get widespread distribution because the film is pro-life, and, in his words, “They said, ‘We’re not releasing this one because we’re scared of the response.’”
