The Actor's Jesus-Themed Horror Movie Is Less Extreme as It Sounds

Nicolas Cage could be the optimal selection for a daring horror film about the biblical figure, but not for the causes some fans may think. In reality, Cage doesn't actually play the central religious figure in The Carpenter’s Son: his role is credited simply as a craftsman. The actor is framed as the Joseph within this narrative, attempting to keep his faith while the teenage character (acted by the young actor), their teenage adopted son, begins to exhibit miraculous gifts. The explanation it's hard to picture a different prominent performer playing this part is that even as his character grows burdened with multiple challenges, Cage himself seems almost touchingly convinced that the gloomy, bleak little movie is deserving of his effort.

The Actor's Current Film Selections

Nicolas Cage was spending his time more selectively in recent years. He yet makes additional projects than most regular audiences could possibly view — for instance, were you informed that the actor has completed a trio of distinct frontier films in the past three years? — but he also adds high-profile A24/Neon gigs like Dream Scenario, another notable movie, and Longlegs. The Carpenter’s Son sounds like in that category, in that it’s not strictly scary, possibly controversial, and handles a exaggerated concept with gravity.

Movie's Plot and Execution

Sadly, filmmaker the director does not reward viewer engagement. The Carpenter’s Son begins with a engagingly rootless setting, presented as inspired by an obscure religious text about Christ’s childhood. The Carpenter, The Mother, and their son relocate from place to place, fearful of religious persecution or suspicion regarding The Boy’s unusual abilities. “Trouble pursues us,” Cage gloomily remarks. That continues as sinister entities target them in their latest settlement, getting a jump-start on that traditional religious challenge for the youth.

Occasionally, this production mirrors an demonic possession-type possession movie, though not one of the main figures are directly possessed. Rather, they become increasingly alienated from one another, as these forces affect a resident female (Isla Johnston, listed as an outsider) who The Boy connects to, and gives everyone troubling visions of a grim future. Cage's role notably struggles with his position in the narrative, at times scolding the son who mystifies him.

Controversy and Sensitivity

The content is prone to invite debate, and Nathan handles it with much care — too much, possibly. The concept of a young man dealing with his future martyrdom and seduced by dark influences is truly scary, but the filmmaker may be cautious about seeming gratuitous and anxious to telegraph his intentions, therefore he regularly falls back on darkly ominous filming. The figures continually reflect — FKA Twigs, who demonstrated real promise in another movie, of all things — cedes her performance to her religious attire, sometimes broken up by some gruesome scary visuals.

Cage's Acting and Movie's Flaws

Meanwhile, the actor toy with precisely the type of melodramatic acting that his more snickering appreciators may desire. One scene (featured) in the trailer where Cage loses control and yells “My belief is broken!” When this sort of theatrical release is part of your biblical thriller, possibly a more openly absurd method would be more effective of Cage’s willingness to exaggerate if needed. Rather, The Carpenter’s Son is closer to the poorer straight-to-DVD productions Cage made over the last decade — excluding the campy action films instead the serious stories and ghost stories that always sound promising, and frequently include several notable Cage moments, but in the end seem like, indeed, cheap home video fare.

Honestly, a number of those, while less ambitious, were easier to view overall. At this point I need to break my own dogma, not faith-based but career-related: Long ago, a beloved editor convinced me to banish words like “tedious” or “uninteresting” from my film-criticism vocabulary. These words convey little except a subjective and broadly stated lack of patience, disengaging from the duty of clearly expressing the thoughtful and emotional experience of viewing a particular movie. It's hard to convey tedium without sounding boring personally. It's just as unclear as labeling a movie “interesting.” “Say more,” in other words.

But I must confess, I grew weary during much of The Carpenter’s Son. In its defense, it is a devotional type of boredom, not because this movie is preachy, but as it takes a type of obedient endurance to watch it. Eventually soon after starting, this feature enters a repetitive rhythm of simmering anguish, and never really