What if Jesus’ early years looked less like a Sunday school story and more like a nightmare? That’s the premise of The Carpenter’s Son, a French-American horror film that dares to twist one of history’s most sacred figures into something truly terrifying. Nicolas Cage stars as Joseph, the weary father trying to shield his family in Roman Egypt while his young son’s divine powers grow darker by the day.
A Family on the Edge
Cage is joined by FKA Twigs as Mary and Noah Jupe (A Quiet Place) as the Boy — Jesus himself. But this is not the gentle child of nativity plays. Here, the Son lashes out with unearthly force, rebelling against his earthly guardians in ways that blur the line between miracle and menace.
Inspired by Forbidden Scripture
The story draws from the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, a text long rejected from the Bible for its unsettling tales of a child savior who blinds his foes, strikes playmates dead, and breathes life into clay birds. It’s the kind of material tailor-made for a genre-bending horror vision.
A Controversial Creation
Even before release, The Carpenter’s Son has sparked outrage online, with some calling it blasphemous. Magnolia Pictures embraces the controversy, marketing the R-rated film as a spectacle packed with bloody violence, brief nudity, and “shocks at every turn.”
Cage Versus the Bees
Adding to the legend, Cage endured a swarm of bees during filming in a Greek cave — a moment that feels ripped from both biblical plagues and his infamous Wicker Man meltdown.
Coming This Fall
Slated for release later this year, The Carpenter’s Son promises to push boundaries — a chilling vision where faith, fear, and folklore collide on screen.
For all things pop-culture, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.