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The acclaimed actor is likely the optimal choice for a audacious horror film centered on Jesus Christ, though not for the causes many audiences may think. Actually, the star doesn't actually play the central religious figure in The Carpenter’s Son: his role is referred to simply as a craftsman. Cage is positioned as the Joseph within this narrative, striving to uphold his religious convictions while his son (acted by Noah Jupe), his teenage foster child, starts to exhibit supernatural abilities. The reason it's challenging to picture another leading star playing this part is that even as the role is weighed down with various difficulties, the actor looks practically touchingly certain that the gloomy, grim feature is worth his time.

Cage's Recent Film Selections

Cage has been spending that time more judiciously in recent years. He still stars in additional projects than the majority of regular audiences could possibly view — for example, were you informed that the man has filmed several distinct cowboy movies in the past three years? — but he also adds esteemed critically acclaimed roles like one recent hit, another notable movie, and a further title. The Carpenter’s Son sounds like in that category, because it’s not strictly scary, possibly controversial, and handles a over-the-top premise with gravity.

Movie's Storyline and Handling

Sadly, writer-director the director does not reward viewer engagement. The film opens in a interestingly wandering context, positioned as based on an obscure religious text concerning the early years of Jesus. The Carpenter, The Mother, and their child move constantly, afraid of doctrinal intolerance or suspicion over The Boy’s mysterious gifts. “Calamity follows us,” Cage gloomily remarks. This persists as dark forces target them where they currently live, beginning on the traditional religious challenge for the son.

Occasionally, the film resembles an Exorcist-style possession movie, except that none of the main figures are explicitly taken over. Instead, they become progressively isolated from each other, when these entities influence a local young woman (the actress, listed as “The Stranger”) who The Boy connects to, and provides everyone troubling visions of a dark tomorrow. Cage's role especially fights with his role in this story, sometimes berating his child he doesn't completely grasp.

Controversy and Caution

The content is likely to stir disagreement, and the director treats it with a lot of care — overly, maybe. The notion of a young man dealing with his destined offering and tempted by unknown powers is indeed frightening, but Nathan may be hesitant regarding seeming gratuitous and anxious to signal his goals, so he often retreats into darkly ominous filming. The figures continually reflect — the singer-actress, who displayed notable talent in a recent film update, of all things — yields her acting to her Mother Mary cloak, occasionally interrupted by some gruesome scary visuals.

The Star's Acting and Film's Shortcomings

At the same time, the actor dabbles in just the sort of exaggerated performance that those who enjoy his campier roles could be expecting. One scene (featured) in promotional material where he loses control and yells “I’ve lost my faith!” Should such of dramatic explosion is part of a religious scary film, perhaps a more brazenly silly approach would take better advantage of his eagerness to go over the top if needed. On the other hand, the film more closely resembles the weaker straight-to-DVD movies he starred in during the last decade — not the cheesy thrillers so much as the serious stories and supernatural thrillers that often seem intriguing, and usually have a few choice memorable scenes, but finally come across like, well, cheap home video fare.

Honestly, several of these, while less ambitious, were easier to view in general. Here is where I need to violate my personal rule, not religious but career-related: Previously, a beloved editor urged me to eliminate words like “monotonous” or “lifeless” from my reviewing language. These phrases express scant other than a subjective and broadly stated restlessness, disengaging from the job of vibrantly communicating the thoughtful and emotional experience of viewing a specific film. It's hard to communicate boredom without appearing dull personally. It's equally vague as labeling a movie “notable.” “Say more,” in other words.

Yet, I acknowledge, I was bored during much of The Carpenter’s Son. To the movie’s non-exploitative credit, it is a devotional type of boredom, not for this movie is lecturing, but because it demands a sort of dutiful submission to sit through it. After a while in the beginning, the film locks into a repetitive rhythm of simmering distress, and never really