The Actor's Religious Thriller Film Isn't as Wild Than Expected
Nicolas Cage could be the optimal pick for a bold horror film about Jesus Christ, but not for the reasons many viewers could guess. In reality, Cage does not even play Jesus in the new film: the part he plays is credited simply as The Carpenter. He is framed as the Joseph within this story, attempting to uphold his faith while the teenage character (played by Noah Jupe), their now-teenage foster child, starts to display miraculous gifts. The reason it’s difficult to imagine a different leading star in this role is that even as the role becomes weighed down with various challenges, Cage himself appears nearly touchingly certain that this gloomy, grim feature is a valuable project.
The Actor's Latest Film Selections
Cage has been spending his time more carefully recently. He continues to stars in additional projects than most casual fans may ever watch — for instance, are you aware that he has made several separate frontier films in the past three years? — however he also mixes in high-profile independent films like Dream Scenario, Pig, and a further title. The Carpenter’s Son seems like a similar project, in that it’s not strictly scary, potentially provocative, and handles a over-the-top premise quite seriously.
The Film's Plot and Direction
Unfortunately, filmmaker the director does not justify that serious attention. The Carpenter’s Son opens in a compellingly nomadic setting, presented as based on an unknown scripture about Christ’s childhood. Cage's character, The Mother, and their child move constantly, fearful of doctrinal intolerance or distrust regarding their son's strange powers. “Trouble pursues us,” The Carpenter sadly observes. That continues when sinister entities attack them where they currently live, getting a jump-start on that familiar Biblical temptation for the son.
Occasionally, this production resembles an demonic possession-type horror film, except that none of the main figures are explicitly taken over. Rather, they grow increasingly alienated from one another, as these powers affect a nearby girl (Isla Johnston, named “The Stranger”) that the son connects to, and provides each character disturbing images of a bleak destiny. The Carpenter in particular grapples with his role within the plot, at times scolding the son he doesn't completely grasp.
Controversy and Care
This material is likely to court controversy, and Nathan handles it with much care — overly, perhaps. The notion of a teenage boy dealing with his future martyrdom and lured by dark influences is indeed frightening, but the filmmaker could be hesitant regarding appearing sensational and eager to signal his intentions, thus he frequently retreats into darkly ominous visuals. The figures constantly ponder — the singer-actress, who displayed real promise in another movie, of all things — yields her performance to her religious attire, sometimes broken up by several disturbing frightening scenes.
Cage's Acting and Movie's Shortcomings
Simultaneously, the actor toy with exactly the kind of melodramatic acting that those who enjoy his campier roles could be expecting. There is a moment (also included) in the trailer in which Cage loses control and yells “My faith has been shattered!” When this sort of dramatic explosion is part of your Jesus-themed horror movie, maybe a more brazenly silly method would take better advantage of his eagerness to be extreme when necessary. Instead, The Carpenter’s Son more closely resembles the poorer direct-to-video movies the actor filmed over the last decade — apart from the B-movies instead the narrative films and ghost stories that typically appear interesting, and usually have a few choice memorable scenes, but ultimately feel like, indeed, inexpensive direct-to-consumer content.
Frankly, some of those, while less ambitious, were more entertaining in general. At this point I have to violate my own dogma, not religious but career-related: Long ago, an admired senior persuaded me to eliminate words like “tedious” or “uninteresting” from my reviewing language. These phrases communicate minimal other than a subjective and broadly stated restlessness, avoiding the duty of clearly expressing the mental and emotional experience of viewing an individual production. It's challenging to convey tedium without appearing dull yourself. It's equally vague as calling a movie “interesting.” “Elaborate,” in other words.
Yet, I acknowledge, I was bored throughout the film. In its defense, it’s a churchy kind of boredom, not because The Carpenter’s Son is lecturing, but since it demands a sort of dutiful submission to view it. At some point in the beginning, this feature settles into a repetitive rhythm of simmering anguish, and does not