Universal Pictures Home Entertainment sent me a review copy of Fatima (PG-13; 113 minutes) towards the tail end of October, and I didn't have to watch the DVD until recently. Originally, Picturehouse planned on releasing the film to theaters on April 24th, but thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the film got canceled. Later, it got a limited release in theaters and went to VOD on August 28th, before landing on DVD on October 27th.

Inspired by the Our Lady of Fatima event in Portugal in 1917, the film centers on three children who claimed to have met the Blessed Virgin Mary. Ten-year-old Lúcia dos Santos, a (played by Stephanie Gil), is the first to see the apparition, followed by her two younger cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto (played by Jorge Lamelas and Alejandra Howard), who witness multiple visitations. The Virgin Mary tells them that only praying and suffering can bring the end of WWI. Word of the sightings spreads around the country quickly, and many religious pilgrims travel to the location in the hopes of witnessing a miracle.

The film also stars Goran Visnjic, Stephanie Gil, Sônia Braga, Lúcia Moniz, and Harvey Keitel. It was directed by Marco Pontecorvo, who also co-wrote the script with Valerio D’Annunzio.

Bonus Features include:

Andrea Bocelli: The Making of "Gratia Piena"
The Vision of Director Marco Pontecorvo
Meet the Seers of Fatima
Meet the Cast of Fatima
Set Design and the Art of Cristina Onori
Costume Design and the Art of Daniela Ciancio

Final Thoughts

After rewatching Fatima last night, I have mixed feelings about it. The acting is excellent. The cinematography was engaging, and for the most part, the musical score was decent. Sadly, a rough script and slow pacing hold the film down from perfection. Many of the details from the real Our Lady of Fatima event are missing. It seems the writers were more focused on Lúcia relationship with her birth mother instead of her relationship with the Virgin Mary.

Overall, Fatima is a beautiful and emotional film, but thanks to bad pacing, cheesy dialogue, and a few cringy scenes, it's also forgettable. I recommend watching the superior The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima (1953).