Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Boring, dreary, bloody horror movie set in biblical times.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
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The Carpenter's Son
What's the Story?
In THE CARPENTER'S SON, a baby boy is born to a carpenter (Nicolas Cage) and his wife (FKA Twigs). They travel through Roman-era Egypt, looking for a place to settle. The boy grows (Noah Jupe), and the carpenter finds work in a small village. The boy begins to notice that he has certain abilities, like the power to heal a crushed cricket. He meets a girl (Isla Johnston) who starts to plant ideas in his head, such that perhaps his father isn't really his father. Then the boy heals a man who has leprosy simply by touching him. Soon word begins to spread, and danger arises. Everything leads to a showdown where the truth will come out.
Is It Any Good?
A horror movie based on one of the apocryphal gospels is an intriguing idea, but this crushingly serious slog has all the energy of a dry sermon delivered in monotone by a robot. Running only 94 minutes, The Carpenter's Son feels so much longer, and so little actually happens. It's not certain whether viewers are supposed to be surprised that the boy in the story is Jesus—and the girl who gets him questioning his life is actually Satan—but it sure doesn't feel like revelation. Occasionally, a woman who looks like a zombie shows up, and it turns out that she's also the Devil. There's lots of blood, and people often pull snakes out of their mouths, but there's nothing even remotely scary here—or even mysterious.
Cage only gets to go "full Cage" in one scene, in which he demands that his wife tell him who the boy's actual father is. ("My faith has been SHATTERED because of YOU!!") Later, he seems to know the answer already. (Hint: It's God, or here, Yahweh.) And Twigs has nothing to do other than look worried. Not even Satan is any fun. Playing the devil, Johnston has a distracting haircut, is covered in scratches and scars, and says things like "to do things in secret is a greater pleasure," but there's just nothing to her character. Perhaps that's the trouble. The characters are all symbolic and never come into flesh-and-blood being. The Carpenter's Son is unable to turn water into wine; rather it's more like water into mud.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in The Carpenter's Son. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
What would you say the movie is about? What can viewers learn from this depiction of the events from the life of a young Jesus Christ?
At the very end, do you think the main character might have learned a lesson about forgiveness? If so, what do you think he learned, and how will he evolve with it?
Do you think this take on Jesus' story is provocative? Controversial? Why, or why not? Who do you think it's intended to appeal to?
How does the film use fear to shape the characters' choices? What does it suggest about how fear can influence faith or morality?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 14, 2025
- On DVD or streaming : December 9, 2025
- Cast : Nicolas Cage , FKA Twigs , Noah Jupe
- Director : Lotfy Nathan
- Inclusion Information : Middle Eastern/North African Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Magnolia Pictures
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Faith ( Christianity ) , Fantasy ( Magic )
- Run time : 94 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong/bloody violent content, and brief nudity
- Last updated : November 25, 2025
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