An unexpected film arrived in the Netflix catalog at the beginning of March: “Father Stu: a hero like no other”. This feature film released in 2022 in the United States and telling the story of the conversion journey of a boxer who became a priest quickly rose to be one of the most viewed films on the streaming platform in France.
t is a small feat that the film Father Stu: a hero like no other achieved at the beginning of March . Broadcast since March 1 in France on the Netflix streaming platform, it climbs to fourth place in the top 10 most viewed films. The film by director Rosalind Ross ranks behind the two undeniably successful thrillers Code 8 and the French comedy 10 Days Without Mom . However, he dubbed the comedy Violent Night and the horror film The Ruins . Few films about faith or recounting the edifying lives of priests and religious achieve real success on Netflix. So, seeing Father Stu: a hero like no other suggested to some 13 million Netflix subscribers in France is a very nice surprise!
Led by actor Mark Wahlberg , the film traces the life of father Stu , an American boxer who left the boxing rings to enter the seminary. Stuart Long (1963 – 1994), aka Stu, saw his life brutally turned upside down when he was the victim of a serious road accident which almost cost him his life. From this painful event springs a moving path of conversion in Stuart Long, the desire to become a priest.
A prestigious casting
To play this film, the production was able to count on a golden cast which won numerous awards. Headlining Mark Wahlberg, who plays father Stu, but also actress Jacki Weaver ( Animal Kingdom ). If it may have surprised some moviegoers to see Mark Wahlberg play a priest, he regularly testifies to the strength and place that faith occupies in his daily life. “I get up, I stretch, I express my gratitude and wonder about how God would want me to do things,” he said in an exclusive interview with Aleteia . “I wonder what He expects of me in using the talents and gifts He has given me to exercise them in the ways and areas He desires.”
