The Carpenter’s Son

Everyone has different things that scare them, so when it comes to horror movies, there’s something for everyone and their particular fears. Personally, I like them all — I’m a big fan of anything that goes bump in the night. What we see most often, though, are movies about ghosts or demonic possession. But horror has so many other possibilities, especially when it crosses into the realm of religion. Director Lotfy Nathan is hoping to fill that gap with his new film, The Carpenter’s Son, as he tackles a part of a story we’ve all heard before.

A carpenter (Nicolas Cage) and a mother (FKA twigs) have a young boy whom they must keep hidden for reasons known only to them. Time passes, and their concealment in remains successful. But now The Boy (Noah Jupe) has grown, and with age comes curiosity — particularly about who he really is. His father, The Carpenter, tries to keep him safe and on the straight and narrow path.

One day, while studying scripture, The Boy meets a stranger (Isla Johnston) who leads him to a sick man nearby. When The Boy accidentally touches him, he fears he’s caught the man’s illness. But the next day, the man returns — healed exactly where The Boy touched him. That moment awakens something inside The Boy, who begins to experiment with his newfound power. As his confusion grows, the stranger appears more frequently, pushing him toward the truth — the truth of who he is, and more importantly, who his father might be, as rumors swirl that The Carpenter is not.

What follows is a classic battle between good and evil, as The Boy slowly learns the truth about himself. Written and directed by Nathan, The Carpenter’s Son is inspired by events in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas and unfolds as a slow-burn biblical horror story. Unfortunately, the burn never reaches a boil, and its brief ninety-four-minute runtime feels much longer than it should. There are the seeds of a great idea here, but the story feels stuck in the mud — even disinterested in the tale it’s telling. The sluggish pace drags everything down, and not even The Boy — who we know has a knack for miracles — can save this one.

The Carpenter’s Son begins as a simple coming-of-age story but eventually morphs into a too-familiar attempt at “elevated horror.” I say horror, but there are few, if any, genuine scares. Combined with a lack of structure and suspense, the film struggles to offer much of anything. The few bright spots come from the younger cast: Jupe and Johnston bring genuine life and energy to their scenes. I wish I could say the same for Cage and Twigs — the latter feels miscast, while Cage seems oddly subdued, save for a few brief moments of intensity.

I really wanted to get behind this one — Nicolas Cage in a religious horror movie sounds like a can’t-miss setup. But The Carpenter’s Son isn’t that movie. It’s well-intentioned but lifeless, and your time would be better spent watching the last Last Temptation.