Parents' Guide to The Book of Clarence

Jeymes Samuel's second feature is a king-sized biblical epic, a wickedly funny comedy, and a bold examination of race and faith. And even if it doesn't always find balance, it's often electrifying. The Book of Clarence is broken up into three parts, or "Books," with the title of each designed to look like a 1950s-'60s biblical epic (The Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, Spartacus, etc.). The first two parts are hilarious and energetic, finding ways to slip modern cadences into the world of 33 A.D. Jerusalem, as well as some eye-opening camerawork and unusual effects, such as characters floating, carefree, after smoking from a hookah. (Samuel's anachronistic soundtrack is full of original hip-hop, funk, and disco tunes, too.)

The dialogue offers a lively discourse on faith and logic, and Stanfield, with his vulnerable face, his cool swagger, and his unfailing comic timing, makes a commanding "messiah." Taken along with the fact that he also plays his own twin brother, it's a fantastic performance. But the movie's third book changes everything. It drops the humor almost entirely and leans into faith and genuine miracles—but it also looks into concepts of perception and storytelling that bear continued pondering. The Book of Clarence is unwieldy and sometimes perplexing, but it's also ambitious, audacious, and worth celebrating.