“The Carpenter’s Son” follows a remote village in Egypt that explodes into spiritual warfare when a carpenter, his wife and their son are targeted by supernatural forces.
This film will confuse some. Anger many. And have numerous people asking “why?” For the select few, however, it provides the perfect blend of religion and horror.
A Story Rooted in Apocrypha
“The Carpenter’s Son” takes place during Jesus’ adolescence, based on the Infancy Gospel of Thomas – an apocryphal text.
Because it’s not rooted in biblical canon, the film has more leeway in its horrific approach. “The Carpenter’s Son” manages to actually be scary: a cautionary tale on evil and temptation.
While many will be quick to denounce “The Carpenter’s Son” as disrespectful, it most certainly is not. Just as with any art or text (the Bible included), creative expression is allowed. Director Lotfy Nathan puts tremendous care into handling Jesus’ story. Does it differ from the gospel? Yes. That doesn’t mean it’s ill-intended.
The admonitory themes still ring in “The Carpenter’s Son.” From the opening until the final frame, it continues to ask the audience hard-hitting questions. Because of this approach, both religious and nonreligious viewers can enjoy the film.
Performances That Elevate the Ambiguity
With an ambiguous visual style, the cast does a lot of heavy lifting. Nicolas Cage (The Carpenter), Noah Jupe (The Boy) and FKA twigs (The Mother) all excel.
Cage is surprisingly subdued, with only one or two brief moments where “classic Cage” erupts. Twigs has less screentime but still brings emotion to the story in brief appearances. Jupe steals the show, playing a character finding his own identity amidst confusion between good and evil. Through his delivery and distinctive facial expressions, Jupe conveys these feelings with minimal dialogue.
Isla Johnston is another standout. Johnston brings the creep to the screen in a performance that shouldn’t be overlooked. She nails dialogue that has no business being as menacing or threatening as it is.
Visual and Technical Strengths
“The Carpenter’s Son” is also a beautiful film. The isolated Greek locations are taken full advantage of here, with mountainous terrain and desolate woods bringing naturalistic aesthetics. Nathan’s direction plays a role in this, utilizing different lighting and environments to coincide with the messaging. While the film may remain dark for large durations of the runtime, this only heightens the tension.
The film’s technical successes continue with the sound design. “The Carpenter’s Son” has a simplistic score, but it’s one that remains memorable once the movie is over. The booming sounds add to the atmosphere time and time again.
Even with a 94-minute runtime, “The Carpenter’s Son” feels overlong at times. Rather than over-explaining, the film takes the opposite approach. With silence filling the screen more often than not, it can drag in instances.
This doesn’t diminish the experience, however, with the questions lingering amidst the silent moments.
“The Carpenter’s Son” is a thought-provoking movie – one that will likely receive unfair criticisms from many. It’s not preachy. Nor is it anti-religion. It’s a story about good versus evil with a horror approach… and it tells it well.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
