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Nicolas Cage could be the ideal choice for a audacious scary movie focused on Jesus Christ, but not for the motivations many viewers might assume. Truthfully, Cage doesn't even act as Jesus in The Carpenter’s Son: his role is listed simply as The Carpenter. Cage is cast as a father figure in this story, attempting to maintain his religious convictions as his son (acted by the young actor), his adolescent adopted son, starts to show divine powers. The reason it’s difficult to imagine another leading star playing this part is that even as the role becomes burdened with various trials, Nicolas Cage looks nearly moving confident that the gloomy, bleak little movie is worth his time.

Cage's Latest Film Selections

Nicolas Cage has spending those years more carefully in recent years. He continues to does more films than the majority of casual fans could possibly view — for example, did you know that the actor has filmed several separate Westerns in the past three years? — however he also adds esteemed independent films such as one recent hit, another notable movie, and Longlegs. This new film sounds like a similar project, because it’s not strictly scary, potentially provocative, and approaches a exaggerated description in a earnest manner.

Movie's Plot and Execution

Unfortunately, writer-director Lotfy Nathan does not reward that serious attention. The Carpenter’s Son begins with a engagingly rootless setting, marketed as inspired by an unknown scripture about Christ’s childhood. Cage's character, The Mother, and their son relocate frequently, anxious of religious persecution or distrust regarding their son's mysterious gifts. “Trouble pursues us,” The Carpenter mournfully notes. This persists as dark forces focus on the household in their latest settlement, getting a jump-start on that well-known scriptural test for the youth.

Occasionally, the movie resembles an demonic possession-type supernatural thriller, though no one of the lead characters are directly possessed. Rather, they grow more and more distant mutually, while these forces infect a nearby girl (Isla Johnston, credited as an outsider) who The Boy connects to, and gives all disturbing images of a bleak destiny. Cage's role notably struggles with his position in the narrative, sometimes chastising his child he doesn't completely grasp.

Discussion and Care

This material is prone to court controversy, and the director treats it with much sensitivity — excessive, possibly. The concept of a teenage boy dealing with his eventual sacrifice and tempted by dark influences is indeed terrifying, but Nathan might be cautious about seeming gratuitous and eager to signal his aims, thus he frequently falls back on dimly foreboding cinematography. The roles continually reflect — the singer-actress, who showed real promise in another movie, interestingly — surrenders her role to her character's costume, at times punctuated by some gruesome scary visuals.

The Star's Performance and Movie's Flaws

At the same time, Cage dabbles in just the sort of exaggerated performance that those who enjoy his campier roles could be expecting. One scene (featured) in the trailer where he loses control and shouts “I’ve lost my faith!” Should such of theatrical release is included in a religious scary film, possibly a more brazenly silly style would make better use of Cage’s willingness to go over the top when necessary. Instead, The Carpenter’s Son is closer to the weaker low-budget films Cage made through much of the last decade — not the cheesy thrillers but rather the dramas and supernatural thrillers that typically appear interesting, and frequently include several notable Cage moments, but finally come across like, well, inexpensive direct-to-consumer content.

Honestly, several of these, while less ambitious, were more watchable in general. Here is where I have to disregard my usual practice, not faith-based but career-related: Years back, a beloved editor persuaded me to eliminate words like “boring” or “dull” from my film-criticism vocabulary. These words communicate minimal but a subjective and generically described lack of patience, disengaging from the task of vibrantly communicating the thoughtful and feeling of seeing a particular movie. It’s difficult to communicate boredom without appearing dull oneself. It's just as unclear as calling a movie “interesting.” “Explain further,” in other words.

But I must confess, I grew weary during much of the film. In its defense, it’s a religious style of dullness, not for this movie is lecturing, but because it takes a type of obedient endurance to view it. Eventually in the beginning, the film enters a repetitive rhythm of simmering anguish, and does not