The First Temptation of Christ (Portuguese: A Primeira Tentação de Cristo) is a 2019 Brazilian satirical comedy film produced by the comedy troupe Porta dos Fundos. It was released on Netflix on 3 December 2019.
Contents
Plot
Jesus returns home after 40 days in the desert, where a surprise 30th birthday party awaits him. At the party, Mary and Joseph reveal to Jesus that his true father is God.
Reception
The Christmas special has faced backlash over its satirical depictions, which imply Jesus has a gay lover and Mary smokes marijuana. Over 2 million people have petitioned online for the show's removal and advocated boycotts of Netflix over perceived blasphemy; the creators maintain the protests are homophobic.
On 24 December 2019, the headquarters of Porta dos Fundos in Rio de Janeiro was bombed with two Molotov cocktails. A Brazilian Integralist religious group calling themselves the "Popular Nationalist Insurgency Command of the Large Brazilian Integralist Family" claimed responsibility for the bombing, even filming themselves attacking the offices while wearing ski masks; the group also criticized Netflix and labeled The First Temptation of Christ as blasphemous.
In January 2020, Dias Toffoli, the president of the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil, intervened on the attempted censorship of the film, overruling a judge from the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice who ordered the film's withdrawal from the streaming platform. The film was ultimately removed from Netflix on 31 August 2021.