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The acclaimed actor could be the perfect choice for a daring horror film centered on the biblical figure, but not for the causes some viewers might assume. Truthfully, the star does not actually act as Jesus in The Carpenter’s Son: his character is listed only as The Carpenter. The actor is framed as the Joseph of this narrative, working to maintain his beliefs as his son (portrayed by the young actor), their now-teenage foster child, commences to show divine powers. The explanation it's challenging to imagine any other major actor taking this character is that although the role is weighed down with numerous challenges, Cage himself appears nearly emotionally confident that the murky, grim feature is a valuable project.

Cage's Current Film Selections

Cage was allocating that time more judiciously in recent years. He yet stars in additional projects than the majority of average viewers will ever see — for example, did you know that the actor has made a trio of separate cowboy movies in the past three years? — but he also mixes in prestige critically acclaimed roles for example Dream Scenario, another notable movie, and Longlegs. The Carpenter’s Son sounds like a similar project, because it’s genre-adjacent, possibly controversial, and takes a over-the-top concept with gravity.

The Film's Storyline and Handling

Sadly, writer-director Lotfy Nathan does not reward viewer engagement. The film begins with a interestingly wandering context, marketed as inspired by an apocryphal lost gospel concerning the early years of Jesus. The Carpenter, The Mother, and the boy travel from place to place, fearful of faith-based hostility or suspicion about their son's strange powers. “Calamity follows us,” The Carpenter gloomily remarks. This persists as sinister entities target the family where they currently live, getting a jump-start on the well-known scriptural test for the youth.

Sometimes, this production mirrors an demonic possession-type horror film, but not one of the central roles are explicitly taken over. On the contrary, they become progressively isolated from one another, when these powers infect a nearby girl (the actress, named an outsider) who the son bonds with, and provides each character troubling visions of a bleak destiny. Cage's role notably grapples with his role in this story, sometimes chastising the boy he can’t fully understand.

Debate and Care

The content is apt to invite debate, and Nathan approaches it with a lot of delicacy — too much, maybe. The notion of a young man dealing with his eventual sacrifice and lured by unknown powers is truly terrifying, but Nathan could be wary of looking exploitative and keen to telegraph his intentions, so he often retreats into dimly foreboding visuals. The figures continually reflect — FKA Twigs, who displayed notable talent in the 2024 Crow remake, interestingly — surrenders her role to her Mother Mary cloak, sometimes broken up by several disturbing frightening scenes.

Cage's Portrayal and Movie's Shortcomings

At the same time, the actor flirts with just the sort of overacting that his ironic fans may desire. One scene (shown) in the trailer in which he erupts and shouts “I’ve lost my faith!” If that kind of florid outburst is included in your biblical thriller, possibly a more openly absurd approach would make better use of Cage’s willingness to be extreme if needed. On the other hand, the film more closely resembles the poorer low-budget films he starred in during that period — apart from the B-movies instead the narrative films and ghost stories that often seem intriguing, and frequently include several notable memorable scenes, but in the end seem like, frankly, low-budget DTV material.

Frankly, a number of those, though not as grand, were easier to view in general. At this point I have to break my own dogma, not faith-based but work-oriented: Previously, an admired senior urged me to banish descriptive terms like “boring” or “dull” from my reviewing language. Such terms communicate minimal but a personal and vaguely expressed restlessness, disengaging from the task of vividly conveying the intellectual and feeling of watching a particular movie. It’s difficult to convey monotony without appearing dull oneself. It's equally vague as labeling a movie “interesting.” “Explain further,” in other words.

However, I admit, I grew weary during much of The Carpenter’s Son. On the positive side, it’s a devotional type of boredom, not due to this movie is lecturing, but as it demands a type of obedient endurance to sit through it. After a while early on, the film settles into a cyclic tempo of simmering distress, and does not