The Actor's Jesus-Themed Horror Movie Isn't as Wild Than Expected

The acclaimed actor is likely the optimal selection for a bold horror film about Jesus Christ, though not for the motivations certain audiences may think. Truthfully, Cage does not actually act as Jesus in the new film: his character is listed merely as a craftsman. Cage is cast as the Joseph in this story, working to maintain his religious convictions as The Boy (portrayed by Noah Jupe), their teenage foster child, starts to display supernatural abilities. The explanation it’s difficult to imagine a different major actor playing this part is that while the role is stricken with multiple difficulties, the actor appears practically emotionally confident that this dark, grim feature is a valuable project.

The Actor's Recent Film Selections

Cage has been spending those years more selectively recently. He still stars in additional projects than the majority of regular audiences could possibly view — as an illustration, did you know that the man has completed several different Westerns over the last few years? — yet he also adds high-profile A24/Neon gigs such as one recent hit, Pig, and Longlegs. The Carpenter’s Son sounds like a similar project, because it’s not strictly scary, likely to stir debate, and takes a campy-sounding premise in a earnest manner.

The Film's Plot and Execution

Unfortunately, writer-director Lotfy Nathan does not reward viewer engagement. The film opens in a interestingly wandering context, positioned as based on an unknown scripture about the early years of Jesus. The Carpenter, The Mother, and the boy move frequently, fearful of faith-based hostility or doubt over their son's unusual abilities. “Trouble pursues us,” The Carpenter sadly observes. It goes on when dark forces attack the family in their latest settlement, beginning on that familiar Biblical temptation for the youth.

Occasionally, this production resembles an demonic possession-type possession movie, though no one of the lead characters are explicitly taken over. Rather, they grow increasingly alienated from each other, when these entities affect a local young woman (Isla Johnston, credited as an outsider) that The Boy forms a relationship with, and gives everyone troubling visions of a grim future. Cage's role in particular struggles with his position within the plot, sometimes chastising the son who mystifies him.

Controversy and Care

The subject matter is prone to invite debate, and the director treats it with much sensitivity — excessive, perhaps. The concept of a young man confronted with his future martyrdom and lured by mysterious forces is indeed scary, but the filmmaker may be cautious about looking exploitative and keen to signal his goals, therefore he regularly retreats into gloomily threatening cinematography. Characters constantly ponder — the singer-actress, who displayed real promise in a recent film update, surprisingly — surrenders her role to her character's costume, occasionally interrupted by some gruesome scary visuals.

Cage's Portrayal and Film's Shortcomings

At the same time, Cage flirts with exactly the kind of melodramatic acting that those who enjoy his campier roles might be looking for. An instance (shown) in the trailer in which he erupts and screams “My faith has been shattered!” When this sort of florid outburst is a component of your Jesus-themed horror movie, possibly a more boldly ridiculous style would be more effective of Cage’s willingness to be extreme if needed. Rather, the film more closely resembles the less successful direct-to-video productions the actor filmed during the last decade — excluding the campy action films so much as the dramas and paranormal movies that always sound promising, and often contain several notable Cage moments, but in the end seem like, frankly, low-budget DTV material.

Truthfully, several of these, although simpler, were easier to view overall. At this point I need to violate my usual practice, not spiritual but work-oriented: Years back, a beloved editor persuaded me to eliminate words like “boring” or “dull” from my film-criticism vocabulary. These words express scant except a subjective and broadly stated lack of patience, avoiding the task of clearly expressing the mental and feeling of watching a specific film. It’s difficult to communicate tedium without seeming uninteresting yourself. It's equally vague as terming a movie “interesting.” “Elaborate,” that is.

But I must confess, I was bored throughout The Carpenter’s Son. On the positive side, it’s a religious style of boredom, not due to this movie is lecturing, but because it takes a kind of obedient endurance to sit through it. At some point in the beginning, the movie locks into a cyclic tempo of ongoing suffering, and does not