THE STORY – A Son known as ‘the Boy’ doubts his guardian, the Carpenter, rebelling with mysterious powers as he uses abilities, and they face natural and divine horrors.
THE CAST – Nicolas Cage, Noah Jupe, Souheila Yacoub, Isla Johnston & FKA Twigs
THE TEAM – Lofty Nathan (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 94 Minutes
We are far removed from the era of Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ,” when filmmakers genuinely feared that religious outrage might spill into the streets and threaten their safety. That does not mean we are beyond controversy. Any film that pokes at the foundations of Christianity can still spark vocal backlash, as we saw with Paul Verhoeven’s uninhibited and provocative “Benedetta.” Now Lofty Nathan steps forward, ready to spark his own brand of cinematic blasphemy with “The Carpenter’s Son.” Instead of following the path of those earlier works, Nathan imagines Christ’s adolescence as a turbulent collision of spiritual awakening and simmering darkness, shaping his coming-of-age as a literal dance with the devil. It is an audacious choice, made even more chaotic by Nicolas Cage’s wildly committed performance. When the dust settles, however, “The Carpenter’s Son” struggles to deliver enough scares or dramatic weight to provoke even the most devout follower.
Loosely inspired by the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Nathan approaches the story with a near-agnostic sensibility, reminiscent of Darren Aronofsky’s “Noah,” referring to his young protagonist simply as “The Son” (played by Noah Jupe). Cage’s Carpenter, the boy’s earthly father, has spent years moving his family from town to town to keep the child safe. Once touched by Yahweh’s presence, the Carpenter clings to his faith even as he longs to feel that divine connection again, fiercely protecting his wife and attempting to guide his son onto the path he believes has been ordained for him. At its core, “The Carpenter’s Son” functions as a twisted coming-of-age story, its father-son dynamic forged and fractured under relentless pressure. Jupe’s character begins gravitating toward the vengeful impulses simmering inside him, fueled by the Carpenter’s rigid discipline. Meanwhile, the Carpenter’s faith falters as his son grows increasingly defiant. The boy’s curiosity about who he truly is places enormous strain on his father, exposing insecurities he can no longer suppress. Their shifting relationship is arguably the film’s most compelling element, as Nathan transforms apocryphal text into a drama that aspires toward a confrontation between good and evil.
Cage, as expected, throws himself fully into the role. His unwavering commitment remains one of his strongest qualities as an actor, and he effortlessly captures the Carpenter’s frustration and desperation. Even so, he cannot lift a screenplay that feels overly simplistic. Cage often seems to be acting in a different film than Jupe, who carries the heavier emotional burden. The repetitive cycle of the Carpenter’s escalating rage pales next to Jupe’s more carefully modulated transformation. We watch him shift from a wide-eyed and bewildered child to someone drawn to the wicked provocations of Isla Johnston’s mysterious stranger. Johnston lends the role the venom and charisma it requires, supplying Nathan with the essential energy to sell the boy’s descent and grounding the story’s central tension between the child and the Lucifer figure, as manifested through her performance.
Despite the strong efforts from Jupe and Johnston, Nathan’s imagery rarely generates fear or visceral discomfort. There is a version of this film that fully embraces its hellish potential, but Nathan seems satisfied with minimal impact. An early sequence, in which The Mother, played by a miscast FKA Twigs, watches an infant thrown into flames, successfully sets a grim tone; yet, the feeling does not linger. Later attempts at horror involving leprosy, snakes, and symbolic grotesqueries never rise above mild disturbance.
The film ultimately struggles to find its audience. It is too abrasive to appeal to faith-based viewers and too muted as a horror story to satisfy genre fans. There are fleeting pleasures, including Cage taking in the atmospheric landscapes crafted by Simon Beaufils’ cinematography, but they vanish quickly. There may be something within “The Carpenter’s Son” that could inspire a cult reappraisal years from now. In the present moment, however, that possibility feels distant and out of reach.
