Nicolas Cage’s latest role as the adoptive father of Jesus in a new biblical drama presents a perplexing cinematic experience. The film, which reimagines the early years of Jesus, struggles to define itself, caught between genres and ultimately failing to deliver a coherent or engaging story.
Inspired by debated religious texts about the childhood of Jesus, the movie opens with a stark departure from traditional Sunday school tales. A brutal sequence involving King Herod’s massacre of infants sets a grim tone, from which a carpenter and a young mother flee with their child. The narrative then jumps forward to their life in a secluded village, where their teenage son begins to exhibit extraordinary abilities.
The premise holds potential, exploring the tension of a uniquely gifted youth navigating a world of suspicion and his devout father’s austere beliefs. The father, portrayed with a joyless intensity, imposes strict piety on the household, while the villagers remain largely hostile. A lone, peculiar girl offers the boy companionship, though her true nature is quickly revealed to be malevolent.
The central confusion lies in the film’s identity. It dabbles in supernatural horror, coming-of-age drama, and socio-political allegory, yet these elements never coalesce into a unified vision. The result is a tonally inconsistent work that feels rushed and poorly edited, as if key scenes were haphazardly rearranged. While the Greek landscapes provide a striking backdrop, they are the production’s sole reliable strength.
The director’s handling of the cast is equally uncertain. The performers appear to be acting in entirely different films, with Cage’s performance wavering between restrained subtlety and his signature over-the-top exuberance. He seems miscast, his portrayal lacking the modulation the role demands. The young actor playing Jesus manages to avoid embarrassment but is saddled with a thankless part, while the mother role is delivered with a stiffness that fails to convince.
Ultimately, the film is a tedious affair, never committing fully to horror nor achieving the emotional depth of meaningful drama. It languishes in an unsatisfying middle ground, leaving viewers to wonder what the filmmakers intended to accomplish. The answer remains unclear, but one thing is certain: the outcome is remarkably dull.
