The Carpenter’s Son Review: Nicolas Cage’s Controversial Jesus Horror Movie Isn’t What You Think It Is

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Nicolas Cage has a knack for elevating any movie, no matter how good or bad it is. He consistently delivers memorable, over-the-top performances, fully committing to every scene and leaving a lasting impression. His work even turned the otherwise unremarkable remake of The Wicker Man into a beloved cult classic, thanks to his iconic line, “Not the bees!” Because of this, even a potentially strange or controversial film with Nicolas Cage attached automatically generates interest and gets people watching. His latest project, The Carpenter’s Son, is a religious horror film about Jesus’s youth, told through the eyes of his worried father. It’s already causing a stir with its seemingly critical take on the Gospels, but those initial impressions might not be accurate.

The Carpenter’s Son opens in the early years of the Common Era with a deeply religious carpenter (Nicolas Cage) and his wife (FKA Twigs) welcoming their prophesied child. But life is harsh for believers, and the family spends the next fifteen years constantly on the run, hiding from those who would persecute them. They eventually settle in Roman-occupied Egypt, where their son (Noah Jupe) forms an unlikely friendship with a troubled street child (Isla Johnson). As the boy begins to develop extraordinary and mysterious powers – including healing the sick, predicting the future, and feeling others’ emotions – it draws unwanted and dangerous attention. These abilities lead the Carpenter to question his son’s true nature and his own beliefs.

The Carpenter’s Son Isn’t a Religious Horror – It’s a Horror Retelling of a Religious Story

When I first heard about The Carpenter’s Son, I honestly thought it would be just another one of those movies lately dealing with demonic pregnancies and corrupted faith – you know, similar to Rosemary’s Baby. There have been so many films like that recently, including The First Omen, Immaculate, Azrael, Heretic, and Shelby Oaks, all exploring those same scary themes. And it feels like 2025, in particular, is full of these kinds of biblical horror stories, maybe as a reaction to everything else that’s been happening in the genre.

The Carpenter’s Son is being promoted as a religious horror film focusing on the childhood of Jesus and his family, Mary and Joseph. The story revolves around young Jesus developing what appear to be supernatural abilities, Joseph’s internal conflict over these powers – and the dangerous results when Jesus discovers and uses them – and Joseph’s own fight to maintain his faith and survive in a harsh, realistic depiction of the biblical desert. The film’s bleak visuals, gritty setting, tense editing, and unsettling soundtrack – featuring drones and screeches amidst uncomfortable silence – create a dark and unusual take on the superhero origin story.

This film offers a stark and realistic take on the gospels, and it can be unsettling even for those unfamiliar with the story. The filmmakers didn’t shy away from depicting violence, both emotional and physical, with impressive practical effects, particularly in the makeup department. The film shows a harsh reality – lepers with open sores, realistic injuries and scars, decaying corpses, and characters visibly marked by years of hardship and poor living conditions. Beyond the graphic violence and brutal executions—some of which hint at events in the Christ story—the film is consistently dark and bleak in its visuals and tone. This uncompromising approach is entirely intentional.

Beyond the visuals, The Carpenter’s Son truly stands out with its sound and overall design. The film deliberately avoids a traditional soundtrack for much of its runtime, instead relying on unsettling ambient sounds that capture the harsh reality of life in a remote, impoverished village in ancient Egypt. When music is used, it’s a dark, foreboding sound – like a chorus of lost voices – that heightens the tension, particularly in scenes involving the mysterious child and the film’s climax. This minimalist approach to sound complements the bleak and desolate set design. The world feels oppressive, filled with muted colors, heavy shadows, and a sense of hopelessness. There’s little sign of life or color, just stone, sickness, and simmering anger. This creates the perfect atmosphere for a story about inner turmoil, violence, and the conflict between good and evil, with the environment itself reflecting the characters’ despair or fleeting moments of hope.

The Carpenter’s Son Is Creepy, Unsettling and Unromanticized – And It Works

Given the film’s intense violence and portrayal of a troubled family dynamic between the Carpenter, Mother, and Son, set against a dark and unsettling backdrop, it’s easy to see why The Carpenter’s Son might be mistaken for an anti-religious movie. However, that’s not its intention. The film simply retells a biblical story without either praising or criticizing religion. It’s more akin to The Prince of Egypt than Rosemary’s Baby. Like the Dreamworks animated film, The Carpenter’s Son takes the core story and adds humanizing details, increased emotional depth, and dramatic tension, all while remaining faithful to the original tale’s spirit.

Though very different in style, tone, and presentation, The Carpenter’s Son clearly draws inspiration from Dreamworks’ The Prince of Egypt in its retelling of a Gospel story. Where The Prince of Egypt was a large-scale, musical spectacle – a grand, operatic experience with a sweeping, epic feel similar to Ben Hur – The Carpenter’s Son is much more subdued. It’s a dark, realistic, and deeply personal story, focusing on intimate details and portraying an often uncomfortable level of emotional and societal truth. While it avoids romanticizing its subject matter, it still manages to convey a hopeful message within its bittersweet story of growing up and the struggle between good and evil.

“The Carpenter’s Son” aims to portray biblical figures as relatable people, grounding them in the harsh realities of everyday life during that period. Mary is shown as a loving mother and wife, but also a woman caught between her husband and son, experiencing the frustrations, fears, and challenges of the time. Nicolas Cage’s portrayal of Joseph is complex; he’s a worried and insecure father who relies on his faith to cope with life in a difficult place, often clashing with his son. His anger and frustration are realistically depicted, making him a sympathetic yet flawed character. While the film humanizes Joseph, it doesn’t excuse his reactions or strictness, ultimately leading to a poignant and bittersweet reconciliation during the film’s dramatic climax.

The film centers on the Carpenter’s son, a teenager with incredible abilities who still feels and acts like a normal kid. He struggles with typical teenage issues – feeling frustrated with his parents, resenting the constant moves, and longing to be understood. He tests limits, takes risks, and grapples with emotions like anger, insecurity, and doubt. While Nicolas Cage is a prominent name, the movie is truly a coming-of-age story, and young Noah Jupe delivers a compelling performance as a troubled teen discovering his powers and learning to love a harsh world. The scenes between Jupe and Cage, FKA Twigs, and especially Isla Johnson, who plays a captivatingly mischievous villain, are filled with nuanced energy. Johnson truly shines in her portrayal of evil.

The Carpenter’s Son Has Strong Actors and Production – But Doesn’t Hack It With the Horror

The question arises: does the film The Carpenter’s Son manage to make these traditionally revered figures relatable to modern audiences? While the film is clearly made with good intentions, boasts a strong cast, and features solid technical aspects like sound and editing, it’s unclear if it all quite comes together. Fans of Nicolas Cage won’t be disappointed – he delivers a performance, though it takes time to build and feels somewhat limited. He fully commits to one particularly intense scene, delivering a line with the familiar rhythm of his most memorable moments. However, even Cage’s characteristic over-the-top style isn’t enough to save the film. The Carpenter’s Son is a serious movie – perhaps too serious. There’s a delicate balance for flawed films: they can sometimes become “so bad they’re good” and become entertaining despite their flaws. Achieving this is rare and requires a special combination of elements. Nicolas Cage often provides that spark, but even his talent isn’t enough to redeem a film that ultimately falls short.

The film The Carpenter’s Son shows promise with its talented cast, impressive visuals, and genuinely unsettling atmosphere. It approaches a sensitive topic with respect and offers a unique perspective. However, the film doesn’t quite live up to its potential. While it has strong components, the story feels aimless at times, and the overuse of computer-generated effects actually weakens the horror instead of enhancing it. These effects stand out negatively compared to the effective makeup and practical effects used elsewhere. The actors deliver serious performances that fit the film’s dark tone, but when Nicolas Cage is finally given room to showcase his signature style, it doesn’t quite feel impactful enough. Though the acting is strong overall, the film is consistently disturbing with little opportunity for levity.

While dealing with a sensitive topic, The Carpenter’s Son takes itself a bit too seriously. Even shows known for pushing boundaries, like South Park, show respect when tackling similar subjects. With talented actors like Nicolas Cage and FKA Twigs involved, the film had the potential for more thrills and intensity. Unfortunately, it ends up being just average – competent and well-made, but ultimately doesn’t fully deliver on its intriguing and provocative concept. Though Nicolas Cage might feel differently, the movie doesn’t quite reach its full potential.

The Carpenter’s Son hits theaters November 14th.

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2025-11-12 01:08