Is the 2016 Ben-Hur Remake Worth Watching on Netflix?

Is the 2016 Ben-Hur remake worth the two-hour investment?

Timur Bekmambetov’s 2016 production of Ben-Hur serves as a compact, two-hour reimagining of a classic tale that was previously defined by a three-and-a-half-hour, Academy Award-winning epic. While the film struggled to recoup its $100 million budget at the global box office, grossing $94.1 million, it has found a second life through recent streaming releases.

Jack Huston in a chariot race — Jack Huston on the track. The chariot race serves as both the film's opening hook and its climax.

What is the story behind the 2016 production?

Judah Ben-Hur, a wealthy prince in Roman-occupied Jerusalem, is caught in a web of betrayal after refusing to name Jewish dissidents to his adoptive brother, the Roman officer Messala. Following a false accusation, he is forced into years of servitude on a Roman galley before eventually finding a path toward redemption with the help of Sheik Ilderim. This iteration, the fifth cinematic adaptation of Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel, significantly diverges from the 1959 version by prioritizing the life of Jesus over the traditional political narrative. This shift in focus is largely attributed to producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, both of whom are known for their Christian-themed projects.

Morgan Freeman and Jack Huston — Morgan Freeman, who also serves as the film’s narrator, portrays Sheik Ilderim as he instructs Judah in chariot racing.

Production began in February 2015 in Matera, Italy, a location famously used for The Passion of the Christ. Despite requests to film the centerpiece chariot sequence in Rome’s historic Circus Maximus, officials denied access to protect the site, forcing the crew to construct a 250-meter track 45 minutes south of the city, where they buried high-speed cameras beneath the sand to capture the action.

How did critics and audiences receive the film?

The reception of the 2016 Ben-Hur has been largely polarizing. As of October 2026, it holds a 24% critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes with 186 reviews, while audiences have been slightly more generous, awarding it a 52% score from over 10,000 ratings. On Metacritic, the film maintains a score of 38 based on 34 reviews. Critics generally praise the technical execution of the chariot race, with writers from outlets like Variety and IndieWire noting that the action sequences provide the film's only moments of true vitality, while criticizing the character development and pacing of the brotherhood arc.

Other reviewers have taken a more balanced approach. RogerEbert.com described the film as a solid popcorn movie, praising the sea battle as a competent action sequence, while Le Monde acknowledged the merit of filming in authentic locations, despite noting a certain sterile quality to the visuals.

Should you watch it?

If you enjoy historical action films in the vein of Gladiator or Troy, this film provides an efficient, if not entirely deep, revenge narrative. The ten-minute chariot race is technically impressive and justifies the viewing, provided you have a quality sound system to complement the fast-paced editing. However, viewers who hold the 1959 classic in high regard may find the narrative compression and the heavy, sermon-like dialogue in the final act to be detrimental to the overall experience. While Haluk Bilginer appears in the film as Simonides, his screen time is limited, which may disappoint viewers tuning in specifically for his performance.