The Twelve Apostles

They started out as average, unexceptional men of their time. Fishermen, farmers, local magistrates. But their dedication to a prophetic Jewish preacher in the backwaters of the Roman Empire transformed them into revolutionaries and, in the process, changed the world itself in ways that would reverberate across time for two thousand years. Now, discover the extraordinary, untold stories of the men chosen by Jesus to bring God’s plan to the world. Among them: Peter, the rock upon which Christ would build His new religion; James and John, the fiery-tempered “sons of thunder”; Matthew, the tax collector later murdered by cannibals; Simon the Zealot, the anti-Roman fanatic eventually “cut to pieces” preaching in Spain; and Judas Iscariot, whose betrayal would be paid for with silver and suicide.

Directed by Joel Rizor, The Twelve Apostles leans on a strong ensemble — Martin Sheen, Kenneth C. Davis, Marcan Arneau — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1999.