None of the characters have names (at least, for most of the runtime); they are simply The Carpenter, The Boy, The Mother, and The Stranger. But it\u2019s all fairly obvious who they\u2019re all portraying. I guess this was their way of skirting the topic, and I suppose it\u2019s a classier way of doing it. Even if they are hitting you over the head with what the film is actually about, there are still some abstract moments that allow the viewer to watch it through their own lens. This is about Joseph, Mary, and Jesus\u2019 time in exile, and is essentially the \u201cmissing years\u201d of their story.<\/p>\n
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Nicolas Cage<\/a> is fairly subdued as The Carpenter and honestly feels a bit out of place. His cadence is more modern and doesn\u2019t really fit with the world. Cage seems like a difficult person to believably place in a more period-set story. But I also understand his value in getting eyeballs on the project. Thankfully, we do get one scene where Cage goes full yelling and crazy mode, but it\u2019s not common with his character. Noah Jupe<\/a> is proving to be more than just \u201cthe annoying kid from A Quiet Place\u201d and this is very much his story. He\u2019s lost and doesn\u2019t fully understand his place in life, and Jupe gets that across without much dialogue. The standout of the film is The Queen\u2019s Gambit\u2018s Isla Johnston<\/a>. I won\u2019t spoil her role here, but she\u2019s gloriously evil while still providing a bit of nuance.<\/p>\n It is interesting to see a story about Jesus from a different perspective than we\u2019re accustomed to. I understand where the allure of the project came from. But, as is, it feels far too subdued. The first hour can be a bit of a slog, though it really picks up in the final 30 minutes. Writer\/Director Lofty Nathan clearly wants to tell the story with a bit of a horror slant, but it doesn\u2019t feel any more horrific than some of the darker moments of The Passion of the Christ. I really enjoyed the vision of Hell (though I wouldn\u2019t be shocked to hear that it utilizes AI, as something about it just looked off). If the movie had played out more like the final portion, I would have been more along for the ride, as it felt like it actually had something to say.<\/p>\n Ultimately, The Carpenter\u2019s Son has some intriguing moments but it mostly feels a bit stale. It seems like they veered off too much for religious folks, and kept in line too much to be an entertaining horror film. It\u2019s Biblical in nature, but never really gets to the meat of anything important. Cage isn\u2019t very prominent, and something feels off about him when he is. His delivery could gain the film a bit of cult status, as it definitely allows for some unintentionally funny moments. Which is never what you\u2019re going for with a film that\u2019s often so deathly serious like this.<\/p>\n The Carpenter\u2019s Son is playing in theaters on November 14th, 2025.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/carpentersson2-1024x429.webp.webp\")
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