On December 11, Netflix added a new biopic starring Academy Award-winning actress Angelina Jolie as opera legend Maria Callas.

“Maria” is the latest film from director Pablo Larraín, following 2021's “Spencer” and the 2016 biopic “Jackie,” starring Natalie Portman, the latest biographical historical drama about the iconic 20th century woman.

While Justin Baldoni's “It Ends With Us” holds the #1 spot on Netflix (at time of writing), “Maria” is clearly attracting a larger audience. One day after its release, it is already #4 in the Netflix Top 10, and even if “Maria” is not as well received as Laraine's other historical feature films, it has a good chance of rising even higher.

Intriguing. Here's a little more information about “Maria” and some of the critics' comments about the new Netflix release to help you decide whether to add it to your watch list.

“Maria” chronicles the final days of American-Greek soprano Maria Callas (Angelina Jolie), a film that follows Callas as she retreats to Paris in the 1970s after a glamorous and tumultuous life in the public eye.

In the days leading up to her death in 1977, the film shows Callas reexamining her identity, her life, and her ongoing struggle with the decline of her voice. Maria also includes flashbacks to the height of her career.”

In addition to Angelina Jolie, “Maria” also stars Kodi Smit-McPhee (“The Power of the Dog”), Alba Rohrwacher, Hulk Birginer, Pierfrancesco Favino, Jeremy Wheeler and Valeria Golino.

I noted that critics have not warmed to “Maria” as much as they have to Laraine's other biographical feature films, yet the consensus is not that it is a bad film.

As of this writing, “Maria” has a 75% critical rating (meaning it is still fresh), and the critical consensus is on Rotten Tomatoes.: “Angelina Jolie reaches new heights of emotional involvement in Pablo Larraín's Showing, this tragic biopic remains compelling even when the theatrics get out of hand.

Hannah Strong of “Little White Rae” said Angela Jolie was “better than ever” as the raven and praised the “physically beautiful film”: “‘Maria’ soars and captures the raven's capricious nature and vulnerability with sensitivity and grace.”

RogerEbert.com reviewer Tomlis Lafley gave “Maria” a 3.5/4-star rating, praising it as “the best of the three” in Laraine's “historical women” trilogy, adding: “Will we know Callas by the end of ‘Maria’? Or will she remain a complete mystery? Rest assured, that is not the point of Laraine's cinematic ode. The reward is the two beautiful and heartrending hours spent with La Crow, with a director who wants to share his immense love for her.

To the contrary, even though Peter Travers argued that “one cannot talk about the best performance of the year without mentioning Angelina Jolie's insightful, onscreen rendition of prima donna Maria Callas,” this “gorgeously mounted film “ was “strangely lifeless” and “the worst of Lalaine's trio,” he argued.

Similarly, Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair argued that the film was “the flimsiest of the three” and that “Lalaine and screenwriter Steven Knight never convinced me about the iconography of Callas' life.”

Personally, I settle for the “Yes, it should be streamed. It may not be perfect, but “Maria” is artfully staged, and although I am definitely an opera novice, I was drawn to “Maria.”

Jolley gives an engaging performance of Callas, and I was enveloped in the final moments of the singer's life. It's an immersive and moving drama, and I encourage you to give it a try.

If you're not convinced by “Maria” but need something else to stream on Netflix, we've got you covered. Be sure to check out our guide to the best Netflix movies and our guide to the best Netflix shows to watch right now.