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Nicolas Cage is likely the ideal choice for a daring horror film centered on Jesus Christ, however not for the reasons some fans could guess. In reality, the star does not even act as Jesus in The Carpenter’s Son: his role is referred to only as The Carpenter. He is framed as the Joseph within this narrative, working to keep his faith as The Boy (played by the young actor), their now-teenage foster child, begins to exhibit supernatural abilities. Why it’s difficult to picture a different leading star playing this part is that while his character grows burdened with various trials, Cage himself seems almost moving convinced that this murky, bleak little movie is deserving of his effort.

Cage's Recent Film Selections

Cage has been allocating that time more carefully recently. He continues to stars in more movies than the majority of average viewers will ever see — for example, did you know that he has made a trio of separate cowboy movies over the last few years? — but he also mixes in prestige independent films such as one recent hit, Pig, and a further title. The Carpenter’s Son sounds like one of those, as it’s genre-adjacent, potentially provocative, and approaches a over-the-top concept with gravity.

The Film's Premise and Direction

Regrettably, writer-director Lotfy Nathan does not justify the audience's focus. The film opens in a interestingly wandering place, marketed as inspired by an unknown scripture regarding the youthful days of the messiah. The Carpenter, The Mother, and their son move frequently, fearful of doctrinal intolerance or suspicion regarding their son's unusual abilities. “Disaster trails us,” The Carpenter sadly observes. This persists when sinister entities focus on the household in their latest settlement, getting a jump-start on that familiar Biblical temptation for the youth.

At times, the movie echoes an Exorcist-style possession movie, except that not one of the main figures are clearly inhabited. Instead, they grow progressively isolated from each other, as these forces affect a nearby girl (the actress, credited as an outsider) that The Boy bonds with, and gives everyone troubling visions of a dark tomorrow. The Carpenter in particular grapples with his position in this story, at times berating the son who mystifies him.

Controversy and Care

The content is apt to stir disagreement, and Nathan handles it with a lot of delicacy — excessive, maybe. The notion of a teenage boy confronted with his destined offering and lured by mysterious forces is certainly terrifying, but the filmmaker could be cautious about appearing sensational and anxious to telegraph his aims, thus he frequently retreats into dimly foreboding visuals. The roles brood incessantly — FKA Twigs, who demonstrated real promise in a recent film update, surprisingly — yields her performance to her character's costume, sometimes broken up by several disturbing frightening scenes.

Cage's Portrayal and Movie's Shortcomings

Meanwhile, Cage dabbles in just the sort of overacting that his more snickering appreciators might be looking for. One scene (shown) in previews where Cage loses control and yells “My belief is broken!” When this sort of theatrical release is part of a religious scary film, possibly a more brazenly silly approach would take better advantage of his eagerness to go over the top when necessary. Rather, The Carpenter’s Son more closely resembles the poorer direct-to-video movies the actor filmed over that period — not the cheesy thrillers instead the narrative films and ghost stories that often seem intriguing, and usually have several notable memorable scenes, but in the end seem like, frankly, low-budget DTV material.

Frankly, a number of those, while less ambitious, were more entertaining overall. Here is where I need to violate my usual practice, not spiritual but professional: Years back, an admired senior persuaded me to remove descriptive terms like “boring” or “dull” from my analytical lexicon. These phrases communicate minimal but a individual and vaguely expressed impatience, withdrawing from the task of vividly conveying the thoughtful and feeling of viewing a particular movie. It’s difficult to communicate boredom without seeming uninteresting yourself. It's just as unclear as calling a movie “interesting.” “Explain further,” in other words.

Yet, I acknowledge, I felt uninterested for a large part of The Carpenter’s Son. On the positive side, it’s a devotional type of stultification, not due to this movie is lecturing, but as it requires a sort of obedient endurance to view it. After a while early on, the film locks into a monotonous pattern of simmering anguish, and never really