THE CARPENTER’S SON (2025)

New in select theaters, coming soon to On Demand from Magnolia Pictures!
Directed/Written by Lotfy Nathan.
Check out the trailer here!!

The Carpenter (Nic Cage) is witness to a glorious light as his Wife (FKA twigs) gives birth in a manger. The Carpenter believes this to be a sign from God that this child is destined to teach the world the gift of forgiveness. Fifteen years later, the Carpenter, the Wife, and the Child (Noah Jupe) travel in secrecy across the land, attempting to find shelter and keep the Child’s gifts a secret until a new sign from God says it is the right time. But in the shadows the Adversary lurks in the form of a young girl (Isla Johnston), who temps the Child to turn against humanity and become a God among men.

I was really caught off guard from THE CARPENTER’S SON. I didn’t know exactly what to expect. A straightforward interpretation of the gospels, some blasphemous nightmare, or some kind of modern, ground level retelling of the birth of Jesus. What director Lotfy Nathan did get was tell a pretty faithful interpretation of the birth and trials of Jesus in THE CARPENTER’S SON. The thing is, the film actually tells an emotionally potent story of a father trying his hardest to protect his son from temptation. Sure, it’s a dated concept, but the lengths the Carpenter goes to keep the young boy protected from those who hate and fear him is something primal and powerful. This is a timeless tale, as relevant today as the time it is depicted—a period piece that resonates.

And while the rest of the cast is good, most of that power comes, believe it or not, from Nic Cage’s performance as the over-protective Carpenter. Cage’s character knows that if his son is found out, he will be ostracized and killed for representing something that The Carpenter himself has doubts about. Some of the most powerful moments are from Cage trying to understand and cope with the impossible situation of his wife becoming pregnant with God’s child. Of course, there’s a part of him who thinks she’s been unfaithful. Sure, he is looking for signs from heaven to tell him he is on the right path. Punctuated with Cage’s manic nature at times, he still manages to deliver one of his more iconic characters.

Because it is Cage’s inner turmoil that takes center stage, there is little room for anyone else. So the rest of the cast sort of get overshadowed. This is most exemplified by FKA twigs as the Wife. twigs does have a presence, but because this is a film that is faithful to its time, the Wife doesn’t have a lot of say in the matters of the family’s everyday life. There are moments of dialog between husband and wife, but these are behind closed doors. twigs doesn’t get her big scene until the climax where a quiet decision begins the next leg of this legendary journey. <

Noah Jupe as the Son has a meatier role. He is curious and sometimes defiant of his father’s will. The young actor delivers a commanding performance though, as he is often standing toe to toe with Cage as a normal rebellious teen. He just also happens to be Jesus. And seeing Jupe’s wide-eyes as he realizes the power he has is fascinating.

Finally, THE CARPENTER’S SON has one of my favorite depictions of the Devil that I’ve seen in recent memory. In the form of an innocent scarred girl, played deviously playful by Isla Johnston, Lucifer is ever present in the background always waiting for the Carpenter to turn his back so she can tempt his son with all sorts of dangerous games. Most of the horror in THE CARPENTER’S SON comes from the scenes with Johnston, who despite her small stature, transforms into a monstrously powerful villain through performance alone. Seeing this little girl, scarred with small cuts and spitting blood in the ear of the Son is nightmare fuel and brought back some of the most primal recollections of the first time I watched THE EXORCIST, as her performance is blasphemously good.

There are horrors to be had in THE CARPENTER’S SON. The Carpenter has dreams that his Son will turn over to the dark side, as does the Son himself. All of these harrowing sequences are wonderfully realized and given the characters who are having these visions and dreams, there is just something powerful about it all. Even the birth sequence, which is often portrayed as this glorious event, feels more like an alien encounter than a holy experience. The climactic fight between the Carpenter, the Son, and the Devil is as exciting as it is emotionally shattering.

All the while, I don’t think THE CARPENTER’S SON is a blasphemous movie that those leaning more towards the religious side should be mad at or afraid of. This is, in fact, a movie about god-fearing people and the stuff the God in this movie does is downright frightening. There’s nothing in here that even compares to the torture porn gorefest that was offered up in THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST or even Scorsese’s THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST, for that matter. Still, it is rumored that this production did have some difficulty, including Cage being stung in the face by bees or locusts (NOT THE BEES!). THE CARPENTER’S SON manages to convey those classic biblical messages, only placing them through a horror lens when the fantastical occurs. It’s a film that not only reinterprets the greatest story ever told, but this time, for horror fans. I doubt THE CARPENTER’S SON is going to be replacing A CHRISTMAS STORY as a holiday classic, but it is a powerful film, nevertheless.