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Nicolas Cage is likely the optimal choice for a bold horror film centered on the biblical figure, but not for the motivations many fans may think. Actually, the star does not actually portray Jesus in The Carpenter’s Son: his role is referred to only as a craftsman. The actor is positioned as the Joseph of this narrative, striving to uphold his faith as the teenage character (acted by the young actor), their adolescent adopted son, commences to show supernatural abilities. The explanation it’s difficult to imagine a different major actor playing this part is that even as his character is stricken with numerous difficulties, Nicolas Cage looks almost moving confident that this murky, bleak little movie is a valuable project.

The Actor's Current Film Selections

Nicolas Cage has using those years more judiciously lately. He yet does additional projects than the majority of average viewers could possibly view — as an illustration, did you know that he has filmed three separate frontier films recently? — however he also mixes in prestige critically acclaimed roles such as one recent hit, Pig, and a further title. This new film seems like one of those, as it’s borderline horror, potentially provocative, and approaches a over-the-top premise quite seriously.

The Film's Storyline and Handling

Unfortunately, writer-director the director does not reward viewer engagement. The film begins with a engagingly rootless setting, marketed as inspired by an unknown scripture concerning the early years of Jesus. The Carpenter, The Mother, and the boy relocate constantly, fearful of faith-based hostility or suspicion regarding their son's unusual abilities. “Calamity follows us,” The Carpenter mournfully notes. It goes on when dark forces attack them in their latest settlement, getting a jump-start with that familiar Biblical temptation for The Boy.

Sometimes, this production resembles an demonic possession-type possession movie, but none of the main figures are directly possessed. On the contrary, they become progressively isolated from one another, when these forces infect a local young woman (Isla Johnston, named an outsider) that the son connects to, and provides each character troubling visions of a grim future. Cage's role especially grapples with his role within the plot, sometimes chastising the son he can’t fully understand.

Controversy and Care

This material is prone to invite debate, and the director approaches it with plenty of care — excessive, maybe. The concept of a young man confronted with his future martyrdom and tempted by dark influences is indeed frightening, but the filmmaker may be cautious about appearing sensational and keen to telegraph his aims, therefore he regularly withdraws to dimly foreboding cinematography. The roles continually reflect — FKA Twigs, who showed notable talent in the 2024 Crow remake, of all things — cedes her acting to her religious attire, sometimes broken up by a few gruesome scary visuals.

The Star's Acting and Movie's Shortcomings

Meanwhile, Cage dabbles in just the sort of overacting that his more snickering appreciators may desire. There is a moment (shown) in the trailer where he loses control and shouts “My faith has been shattered!” If that kind of theatrical release is a component of your biblical thriller, maybe a more openly absurd method would make better use of his eagerness to be extreme when necessary. Instead, The Carpenter’s Son is closer to the poorer straight-to-DVD productions Cage made during that period — excluding the campy action films but rather the narrative films and supernatural thrillers that typically appear interesting, and usually have several notable memorable scenes, but ultimately feel like, well, inexpensive direct-to-consumer content.

Honestly, a number of those, while less ambitious, were more watchable overall. At this point I have to violate my own dogma, not faith-based but professional: Years back, a respected mentor persuaded me to banish words like “boring” or “dull” from my reviewing language. Such terms convey little but a individual and vaguely expressed impatience, avoiding the duty of clearly expressing the mental and sensation of viewing an individual production. It’s difficult to communicate tedium without sounding boring personally. It's equally vague as labeling a movie “engaging.” “Say more,” that is.

However, I admit, I was bored for a large part of the film. To the movie’s non-exploitative credit, it’s a religious style of boredom, not due to The Carpenter’s Son is lecturing, but since it demands a sort of obedient endurance to watch it. At some point early on, the movie locks into a cyclic tempo of simmering anguish, and fails to