Box Office
Flop · 0.9xBudget$100M
Worldwide Gross$94.1M
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Ben-Hur
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Ben-Hur
movie·PG-13·Aug 19, 2016·
Box OfficeFlop · 0.9x
$100M
Budget
$94.1M
Gross
Shop
Shop this title
Ben-Hur
We may earn a commission from purchases through these links.
Search US stores by format. Check the title and edition before buying.
Explore Prime Video — Opens in a new tab
Catalog availability and subscription terms vary.
Ben-Hur
movie
PG-13
August 19, 2016
Wokeometer Rating
3Based
Scale: 0 = not woke, 10 = maximally woke
TL;DR Verdict
Ben-Hur sticks strictly to its classic story of betrayal, revenge, and faith with no identity politics or activist messaging, delivering safe neutral entertainment focused purely on the plot.
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Detailed Analysis
The 2016 Ben-Hur remake adheres closely to the traditional plot of Lew Wallace's novel and prior adaptations, centering on Jewish prince Judah Ben-Hur (Jack Huston) betrayed by his Roman friend Messala (Toby Kebbell), his enslavement and galley ordeal, training for the chariot race, and redemption through Christian themes of forgiveness.
No plot points, dialogue, or subplots introduce identity politics, systemic oppression critiques, or challenges to traditional norms, preserving the story as a straightforward historical epic of betrayal, revenge, and faith. Casting stays conventional for core characters with no race or gender swaps applied to Ben-Hur or Messala and no LGBTQ+ elements or activist messaging present. The single deviation is Morgan Freeman cast as Sheik Ilderim, reimagined as Nubian rather than the Arab sheik from the novel and 1959 film. Commercial and critical reception focused on pacing and spectacle shortcomings rather than ideological complaints, and no creator statements emphasized diversity mandates.
Key Factors
- Casting of Morgan Freeman (Black actor) as Sheik Ilderim, reimagined as Nubian rather than the Arab sheik from the novel and 1959 film (Hugh Griffith)
- Otherwise traditional casting and storytelling with no race/gender swaps of core characters like Ben-Hur or Messala, no LGBTQ+ elements, and no activist messaging
- Commercial and critical reception focused on pacing and spectacle failures rather than ideological complaints; no notable 'woke' backlash or creator statements emphasizing diversity mandates
Methodology: Each score synthesizes audience discourse, critic and aggregator reception, and press coverage — weighed against the work itself, not any single source.
Detailed BreakdownPro
Identity Politics & Racial Essentialism
Gender Ideology & LGBTQ+ Themes
DEI Casting & Representation Mandates
Preachiness & Message-First Agenda
Corporate & Creator Activism
See how this title scores across all 5 woke subcategories with detailed explanations.
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Is Ben-Hur Woke?
We've run a full content analysis on Ben-Hur and scored it 3/10 on the woke scale. Read our detailed breakdown above to see exactly what we found.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of woke content is in Ben-Hur?
Our analysis checks for themes like identity politics, race-swapping, gender ideology, environmental activism, anti-religious messaging, and other progressive agenda elements. The score breakdown above shows which specific categories were flagged and how heavily they factor into Ben-Hur's overall score.
Is Ben-Hur family-friendly?
Wokeometer focuses on ideological content rather than traditional ratings (violence, language, etc.). Ben-Hur is rated PG-13. For a full picture, combine our woke analysis with the age rating to decide if it's right for your family.
How does Wokeometer score movies?
We evaluate media across multiple ideological categories on a 0–10 scale. Scores of 0–3 mean story-first, 4–6 have moderate elements, and 7–10 flag heavily agenda-driven content. Learn more about our methodology →
