Not bad. Everyone cast is clearly giving it their all. Noah Jupe does a compelling, engaging, and believable job as 15 year old Jesus. FKA Twigs is good as Mary, though she isn’t in it much and has little import to the proceedings. Isla Johnston even shines a bit as Satan, more-so in the third act than in any of her earlier scenes.
Nic Cage as Joseph isn’t necessarily bad, he’s certainly trying his hardest, but the material he’s saddled with doesn’t do him any favors. At the end of the day, this is Jesus and Joseph’s story, but Joseph is unlikable for the majority of the run time, and his third-act redemption happens just a tad too quickly. Joseph loves Jesus, but is terrified of him and so continually abuses him and punishes him. It doesn’t help that Nic Cage is the sole recognizable actor in a film populated by ones who aren’t as well known. Seeing a famous face kind of takes you out of it.
It’s appreciated that Satan, while still definitely bad, has her own point of view and reasons for doing as she does (both of which line up with what we know about this most fallen of angels from religious texts). The Carpenter’s Son is billed as a horror film, but all of the horror feels forced and unnatural. In actuality, it’s more of a story about the origin of Jesus or how Jesus came to be Jesus. There are horror elements, but all are fairly weak. The writing for our characters and some of the dialogue isn’t the strongest, either.
This movie’s greatest flaw is its pacing, which is plodding, slow, and painful. The Carpenter’s Son is an interesting watch and isn’t without some merit, but ultimately it’s not one that needs to be seen in theaters (though it’s always good to support independent, risky movies like this). You can safely wait to rent this at home.
2.5 STARS
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