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Nicolas Cage could be the optimal choice for a daring scary movie focused on the biblical figure, though not for the causes certain viewers may think. In reality, Cage doesn't even act as Jesus in The Carpenter’s Son: his character is listed merely as a craftsman. He is cast as the Joseph in this story, attempting to maintain his beliefs as the teenage character (acted by Noah Jupe), their teenage adopted son, starts to show divine powers. Why it's challenging to picture another leading star playing this part is that even as the figure becomes burdened with multiple trials, the actor appears nearly touchingly certain that the murky, grim small film is worth his time.

Cage's Recent Film Selections

Cage was using his time more selectively recently. He yet does more films than most average viewers will ever see — for example, did you know that the actor has completed a trio of separate cowboy movies in the past three years? — but he also adds prestige critically acclaimed roles like Dream Scenario, Pig, and a further title. The Carpenter’s Son seems like in that category, in that it’s not strictly scary, potentially provocative, and handles a exaggerated description quite seriously.

Movie's Plot and Execution

Sadly, filmmaker the director does not justify that serious attention. The film begins with a compellingly nomadic setting, presented as inspired by an obscure religious text concerning Christ’s childhood. Cage's character, the maternal figure, and the boy move constantly, fearful of faith-based hostility or suspicion regarding their son's unusual abilities. “Disaster trails us,” Cage sadly observes. That continues as evil influences target them at their new home, initiating with that familiar Biblical temptation for the son.

Occasionally, the movie mirrors an Exorcist-style supernatural thriller, but not one of the main figures are explicitly taken over. On the contrary, they are progressively isolated from one another, while these powers infect a resident female (the actress, credited as “The Stranger”) that the son connects to, and gives all disturbing images of a grim future. The Carpenter notably grapples with his role in the narrative, sometimes berating his child he doesn't completely grasp.

Debate and Caution

This material is prone to stir disagreement, and the director handles it with a lot of care — too much, possibly. The idea of a teenage boy confronted with his future martyrdom and tempted by dark influences is truly terrifying, but the filmmaker might be cautious about seeming gratuitous and keen to telegraph his goals, thus he frequently withdraws to gloomily threatening visuals. The roles brood incessantly — FKA Twigs, who demonstrated real promise in another movie, of all things — cedes her acting to her Mother Mary cloak, occasionally interrupted by several disturbing frightening scenes.

Cage's Performance and Film's Shortcomings

Meanwhile, the actor toy with just the sort of exaggerated performance that his more snickering appreciators might be looking for. There is a moment (also included) in previews where he loses control and shouts “I’ve lost my faith!” When this sort of dramatic explosion is included in your religious scary film, maybe a more openly absurd approach would be more effective of the actor's readiness to exaggerate if needed. Rather, the film is closer to the weaker low-budget movies Cage made over the 2010s — not the cheesy thrillers so much as the dramas and ghost stories that always sound promising, and frequently include a few choice actor's highlights, but finally come across like, frankly, low-budget DTV material.

Frankly, some of those, while less ambitious, were more watchable in general. Here is where I need to disregard my own dogma, not spiritual but career-related: Long ago, a beloved editor urged me to eliminate words like “boring” or “dull” from my analytical lexicon. These phrases communicate minimal other than a subjective and vaguely expressed lack of patience, disengaging from the job of vividly conveying the intellectual and emotional experience of viewing a specific film. It's hard to express tedium without seeming uninteresting oneself. It's just as unclear as calling a movie “interesting.” “Explain further,” that is.

Yet, I acknowledge, I felt uninterested for a large part of the film. In its defense, it is a churchy kind of dullness, not because The Carpenter’s Son is preachy, but as it demands a kind of obedient endurance to view it. At some point early on, the movie settles into a repetitive rhythm of simmering distress, and never really