Finding Value in the Non-Biblical Jesus Story, THE CARPENTER'S SON

Noah Jupe as THE BOY, Isla Johnston as THE STRANGER

From THE GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW to JESUS OF NAZARETH to THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, many a film director has shown a desire to bring stories of the Christ to the screen. Most of them depict the same events, although the style and tone may differ. And each one has a slightly different Jesus. You may even have a favorite Jesus. But you may have never seen a Jesus movie like THE CARPENTER'S SON, directed by Lotfy Nathan and starring Nicolas Cage, Noah Jupe, FKA Twigs, and Isla Johnson. Filmed like a horror movie and loosely based on the apocryphal Infancy Gospel of Thomas, THE CARPENTER'S SON imagines what Jesus might have experienced between the time of his birth and his full-time ministry. From the moment of the trailer's release, negative reviews and accusations of blasphemy have dominated the conversation. But what's all the fuss, and what can a non-Biblical Jesus story offer us?

Jesus (Noah Jupe) has been born, and Joseph (Nicolas Cage) and Mary (FKA Twigs) have fled to Egypt to protect their child from Herod's jealousy. They wander the earth, awaiting the time they can move back to their homeland. We catch up with the family as Jesus is about 15-years old. Mary carries a deep faith based on the promises she was given. Joseph's belief has faded into a distant memory. He responds to this uncertainty by being hard on his son. He disciplines him in the precepts of their law, but there's no warmth in his approach. His actions reflect a harsh God who is easily angered. He seems obsessed with cleanliness and recites prayers as if they are protective charms.

For his part, Jesus senses there's something off in his father's approach. While never said implicitly, we see in his eyes that he disagrees with Joseph's view of what it means to worship God. Jesus also meets The Stranger (Isla Johnston), an odd, androgynous child who claims to have no parents. They tell Jesus, "I play games all day. Do you want to play with me?" Common sense says no; the plot requires Jesus to say yes to this mischievous Stranger, who labels Joseph an oppressor. The film details this conflict as Jesus sifts through who he wants to be.

Nicolas Cage as THE CARPENTER

 
Telling a Jesus narrative as a horror movie is bound to draw criticism, but the decision carries a kind of logic. Many of the Gospel narratives include elements such as demon possession or exorcisms, and after Jesus calls out the Pharisees for hypocrisy, he paints a brutal picture of the end times in Matthew 24. In addition, Jesus arrives on Earth during a time of oppression and darkness. Lotfy Nathan creates this sense of horror in every frame of the film. Bible stories on film often appear as grand epics, with wide open spaces and aesthetically-pleasing shots. Not so with Nathan's world.

Almost every frame is infused with discomfort – each shot paints a story filled with suffering, suffocation, and chaos. Nathan's background as a painter informs his style. In my interview with Nathan, he talked about the portrayals of Jesus he saw at church that stuck in his mind. Of his style he said, "it was the decision to find a more narrowed, confining scope, so we used a 35 mm . . . partly it was just to undercut the idea of this being a grand Biblical epic. This is a narrow time in the life of Jesus and the Holy Family." At the beginning of the film, Joseph climbs up a mountain and sees the light of God shining on him with This image is captured with a wide-angle lens, capturing a sense of hope. But most of the story is told in this narrow scope, and objects block a clear view of the characters. A firelight dances across someone's face, The Stranger dangles from twisted, nightmarish trees, and Jesus watches Joseph as he spreads a layer of sand across the threshold through a distant doorway. This unorthodox way of shooting a film creates distance between us and these characters and makes their motivations seem unclear.

To listen or watch my full interview with Nathan, go here.  

Production designer Jean-Vincent Puzos (LOST CITY OF Z) shows off his artistic flair in the most intricate set of the film, a crucifixion scene where souls accused of sorcery endure different forms of torture as punishment. Like something out of the imagination of Dante, Puzos crafts a multi-levelled platform of inhumane atrocity. The Stranger brings Jesus here to frighten him, or perhaps forewarn him of things to come, but the plan backfires mightily as Jesus feels only empathy and a burning anger towards those that would inflict this level of cruelty.

FKA Twigs as THE MOTHER

 
The mostly flawless casting is marred by the presence of Nicolas Cage, admittedly the most famous of the bunch. The only one without a British accent of the speaking roles, Cage could have made this role work with the more nuanced approach he used in movies like PIG or LEAVING LAS VEGAS. FKA Twigs, famous for her high-drama and avant-garde dancing and music videos, is an inspired choice to play Mary. Her pre-existing relationship with Noah Jupe (HONEY BOY) gives them an advantage of any set they work on together. A hard-working actor, oozing with natural talent, Jupe is just as good as one might expect. However, The MVP performance may well go to Isla Johnston (THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT) as the Stranger/Satan.

In film depictions, Satan usually appears as a monstrous demon-baby or something ugly to behold. Here, Satan shows up as a a mischievous child – someone that would be interesting to Jesus. Later, the film shows that perhaps Jesus is the only one who sees Satan this way, a choice that reflects his unique way of looking at the world and the beings he interacts with. Like a Biblical version of SHALLOW HAL, where the rest of the world may see a monster, Jesus sees vulnerability, fragility, and something that needs protection.

Christians who fear this film paints Jesus in a poor light or something evil should rest assured that THE CARPENTER'S SON paints Jesus as someone with compassion and unique powers. The choice to loosely base a movie on the Infancy Gospel of Thomas – sometimes referred by theologians as fanfiction about Jesus – means that this film isn't trying to be faithful to Bible scripture. Despite the many rumors, this is not about Jesus being evil, possessed, or a demon. It's more of a coming of age story about a Jesus who is rebellious towards his earthly dad, uncertain about his calling, and opposed to the concept that the epitome of Jewish holiness is a harsh, rote observance of the law.

Elena Topalidou as THE OLD FIEND

 The value in a non-Biblical Jesus story lies in the power of stories themselves. Nathan has created a story of Jesus that makes sense in his eyes. He has created an image of Jesus that is less divine, more human, and worthy of examination. As images bearers of God, we carry His image. From an image comes an image. And how does this image line up to the one we hold dear? This may not be the Jesus that looks as I imagine, but I enjoy the idea that Jesus may have heard Pharisaical insistence on the law way before his thirties. What if as a boy, he heard it in his own household or from his own rabbi? And as he faced the Pharisees in Matthew 23, part of his righteous anger stemmed from these memories from his childhood? Or what if he saw his own father, the carpenter, washing his mother's feet?

While not the truth, the nature of speculative storytelling allows us to ask questions to get closer to the truth, and that should never be feared.

Release info: In theaters November 14, 2025

Final score: 3.5 out of 5