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Nicolas Cage is likely the optimal selection for a daring scary movie centered on the biblical figure, but not for the motivations many fans may think. Actually, Cage doesn't even portray Jesus in the new film: the part he plays is listed simply as a craftsman. He is positioned as a father figure in this narrative, working to maintain his beliefs while his son (acted by Noah Jupe), his teenage adopted son, begins to exhibit supernatural abilities. The explanation it's hard to envision any other leading star taking this character is that although the figure becomes weighed down with numerous trials, the actor looks practically touchingly certain that the murky, somber small film is deserving of his effort.

Cage's Recent Film Selections

Cage has been using those years more judiciously in recent years. He yet makes more films than most average viewers may ever watch — as an illustration, were you informed that the man has made several distinct frontier films recently? — yet he also includes high-profile A24/Neon gigs like Dream Scenario, another notable movie, and Longlegs. This new film appears to be one of those, in that it’s not strictly scary, possibly controversial, and takes a over-the-top description quite seriously.

The Film's Premise and Direction

Regrettably, writer-director Lotfy Nathan fails to repay viewer engagement. The film starts from a interestingly wandering setting, positioned as drawing from an unknown scripture concerning the early years of Jesus. Cage's character, The Mother, and their child relocate from place to place, anxious of religious persecution or doubt over their son's unusual abilities. “Disaster trails us,” Cage mournfully notes. This persists when sinister entities target them where they currently live, initiating with that familiar Biblical temptation for the son.

Sometimes, the movie resembles an demonic possession-type horror film, but none of the central roles are clearly inhabited. Rather, they grow increasingly alienated from one another, as these forces influence a local young woman (Isla Johnston, credited as “The Stranger”) that The Boy connects to, and gives each character unsettling premonitions of a grim future. Cage's role especially grapples with his position within the plot, occasionally scolding the son who mystifies him.

Discussion and Caution

This material is likely to court controversy, and Nathan approaches it with plenty of sensitivity — too much, possibly. The notion of a young man confronted with his future martyrdom and tempted by dark influences is indeed frightening, but Nathan could be wary of looking exploitative and eager to indicate his aims, so he often falls back on gloomily threatening visuals. Characters constantly ponder — FKA Twigs, who demonstrated genuine potential in the 2024 Crow remake, of all things — surrenders her acting to her Mother Mary cloak, at times punctuated by a few disturbing frightening scenes.

The Star's Acting and Movie's Shortcomings

At the same time, the actor dabbles in exactly the kind of melodramatic acting that his more snickering appreciators could be expecting. An instance (featured) in the trailer where he loses control and shouts “I’ve lost my faith!” Should such of theatrical release is part of a Jesus-themed horror movie, possibly a more brazenly silly style would be more effective of the actor's readiness to go over the top as required. Instead, The Carpenter’s Son echoes the weaker direct-to-video movies the actor filmed through much of that period — apart from the B-movies instead the narrative films and paranormal movies that always sound promising, and frequently include some select actor's highlights, but ultimately feel like, well, inexpensive direct-to-consumer content.

Honestly, several of these, though not as grand, were more watchable in general. Here is where I have to disregard my personal rule, not religious but work-oriented: Years back, a respected mentor urged me to banish words like “tedious” or “uninteresting” from my film-criticism vocabulary. Such terms convey little but a individual and vaguely expressed impatience, disengaging from the task of vividly conveying the thoughtful and feeling of viewing a specific film. It’s difficult to express monotony without appearing dull personally. It’s no more expressive as terming a movie “notable.” “Say more,” in other words.

Yet, I acknowledge, I felt uninterested for a large part of the film. To the movie’s non-exploitative credit, it’s a churchy kind of dullness, not because this movie is preachy, but as it requires a kind of obedient endurance to sit through it. At some point in the beginning, this feature settles into a repetitive rhythm of simmering distress, and fails to