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Nicolas Cage may be the perfect choice for a audacious horror film focused on Jesus Christ, however not for the causes certain fans may think. Truthfully, the star does not even portray Jesus in the new film: his role is credited merely as The Carpenter. Cage is framed as a father figure in this tale, working to maintain his beliefs while his son (acted by the young actor), his adolescent adopted son, starts to show divine powers. The reason it's hard to imagine a different leading star taking this character is that while his character grows stricken with multiple trials, Nicolas Cage looks practically touchingly confident that the gloomy, grim small film is worth his time.

The Actor's Latest Film Selections

Nicolas Cage has been using those years more selectively recently. He still does more films than the majority of regular audiences may ever watch — for instance, were you informed that the man has made three separate frontier films recently? — however he also mixes in high-profile A24/Neon gigs like Dream Scenario, another notable movie, and Longlegs. This new film seems like a similar project, as it’s borderline horror, potentially provocative, and handles a over-the-top concept with gravity.

Movie's Plot and Handling

Sadly, writer-director Lotfy Nathan fails to repay viewer engagement. The Carpenter’s Son starts from a compellingly nomadic place, presented as inspired by an apocryphal lost gospel regarding Christ’s childhood. Cage's character, The Mother, and their son travel frequently, fearful of religious persecution or doubt over their son's unusual abilities. “Disaster trails us,” The Carpenter gloomily remarks. It goes on when evil influences target them where they currently live, getting a jump-start with that traditional religious challenge for The Boy.

Occasionally, this production mirrors an demonic possession-type horror film, except that not one of the main figures are directly possessed. Rather, they grow progressively isolated mutually, while these forces infect a resident female (Isla Johnston, listed as an outsider) who the son bonds with, and provides all disturbing images of a grim future. The Carpenter notably struggles with his position in the narrative, occasionally berating the son he doesn't completely grasp.

Debate and Sensitivity

This material is prone to invite debate, and the director approaches it with plenty of sensitivity — too much, possibly. The idea of a young man dealing with his future martyrdom and lured by mysterious forces is truly scary, but Nathan might be hesitant regarding seeming gratuitous and keen to indicate his aims, thus he frequently falls back on darkly ominous visuals. The figures constantly ponder — FKA Twigs, who displayed notable talent in another movie, surprisingly — surrenders her acting to her Mother Mary cloak, at times punctuated by a few gnarly horror imagery.

Cage's Acting and Film's Shortcomings

Simultaneously, the actor dabbles in just the sort of overacting that his more snickering appreciators could be expecting. One scene (also included) in previews in which Cage flips out and yells “I’ve lost my faith!” If that kind of florid outburst is part of a Jesus-themed horror movie, perhaps a more openly absurd method would take better advantage of the actor's readiness to go over the top if needed. On the other hand, the film echoes the weaker straight-to-DVD films Cage made through much of the 2010s — excluding the campy action films instead the dramas and supernatural thrillers that always sound promising, and usually have several notable actor's highlights, but in the end seem like, frankly, cheap home video fare.

Frankly, a number of those, though not as grand, were more watchable as a whole. Here is where I need to violate my usual practice, not religious but professional: Long ago, a beloved editor urged me to remove descriptive terms like “boring” or “dull” from my film-criticism vocabulary. Such terms communicate minimal other than a personal and vaguely expressed restlessness, withdrawing from the task of vividly conveying the thoughtful and sensation of seeing a specific film. It’s difficult to express tedium without sounding boring yourself. It's equally vague as calling a movie “interesting.” “Elaborate,” essentially.

But I must confess, I felt uninterested throughout the film. To the movie’s non-exploitative credit, it is a devotional type of stultification, not for this movie is preachy, but since it demands a kind of patient acceptance to view it. At some point soon after starting, this feature enters a repetitive rhythm of ongoing suffering, and does not