Nicolas Cage is no stranger to unusual roles, but his latest project may be his most controversial yet.
In the trailer for The Carpenter’s Son, the Oscar-winning actor, 61, takes on the role of Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, in a horror reimagining of the biblical story.
The film is inspired by the apocryphal Infancy Gospel of Thomas, and it has sparked heated debate as fans tried to make sense of the unsettling twist on scripture.
The trailer shows a dark and unsettling take on Jesus’ childhood
Image credits: Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing
Directed by Lofty Nathan, The Carpenter’s Son transports viewers to Roman-era Egypt, where Joseph and Mary are struggling to protect their young son from supernatural forces.
Nicolas Cage could be heard delivering heavy lines in the trailer’s opening moments. “What awaits us when we turn at last to d**th? Let my faith endure. Faith. My only strength to bear against the devil itself,” Cage said.
Image credits: Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing
British actor Noah Jupe is cast as young Jesus, though in the movie, his character is simply called “The Boy,” while singer FKA Twigs takes on the role of Mary, according to the Daily Mail.
The film also features a mysterious Stranger, played by Isla Johnston, who confronts The Boy. “I’m the accuser of life. I am the adversary,” the Stranger said in the trailer.
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Over the course of the trailer, Joseph’s fear is heightened as he admits that his son “bears a power I cannot understand. A power I cannot contain.”
Magnolia Pictures, which is releasing the movie on November 14, described The Carpenter’s Son as a story where violent and unnatural events follow Jesus, leading him to experience disturbing visions of the future.
Image credits: Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing
The film is inspired by the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, an apocryphal Christian text that allegedly discusses events from Jesus’ life as a child between the ages of 5 and 12, according to Britannica.
The apocryphal text features a number of interesting events that are not found in the Holy Bible, from Jesus transforming clay birds into living creatures when he was five years old, to people incurring Jesus’ wrath.
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Simply put, the Infancy Gospel of Thomas portrays Jesus as a caring, mischievous, and occasionally cruel figure as he grapples with his divine power.
The Infancy Gospel of Thomas is not canon to the Holy Bible, and some groups have even described the text as heretical.
Movie fans have reacted with confusion, criticism, and fascination to the biblical horror film
Image credits: Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing
As soon as the full-length trailer hit the internet, reactions flooded social media. Many viewers were baffled, with one X user writing, “Can we genuinely not do this.”
Another dismissed it as “garbage,” questioning why Cage would attach himself to such a film. Comments like, “No thanks” and “Nobody asked for this” echoed across social media platforms.
Just as many were intrigued, however. “That’s either going to be cinema history… or the wildest fever dream ever put on screen,” one fan said, adding, “Either way, I’m watching.”
Another posted, “Nicolas Cage in a biblical horror movie? That’s a combo I didn’t know I needed.”
Image credits: Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing
Some fans embraced the film’s boldness, writing, “Biblical horror is a genre I didn’t know I needed until now,” while others praised Cage’s horror career resurgence.
“Nicholas Cage as Jesus’ stepdad is not on my 2025 bingo card,” one commenter noted.
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The backlash was just as sharp. Skeptics asked why Jesus’ childhood needed to be framed as a horror film, with one user writing, “Still wondering why this has to be horror man,” and another simply posting, “Why.”
Nicolas Cage is currently in his horror movie arc
Image credits: Magnolia Pictures & Magnet Releasing
The controversy around The Carpenter’s Son comes after Cage’s recent horror success. In 2024, he starred in the horror thriller movie Longlegs, where he played a serial killer.
Cage’s performance drew critical praise, helping the movie generate $128 million at the box office from a modest $10 million budget.
Image credits: Getty/Alberto Rodriguez
Cage’s current horror arc is not surprising, however, as he has previously spoken very highly of the genre. “I have always maintained that horror, when done well, is genuinely surreal,” he previously told the Associated Press.
“It doesn’t have to rely on physics or reality. It can allow actors to express themselves in other ways besides that which is considered the arbiter of great acting, which is 1970s naturalism.”
With his latest role, Cage seems to be pushing his boundaries again, though whether he could straddle the line between artistry and provocation properly remains to be seen.
Netizens shared their thoughts on Nicolas Cage’s new biblical horror movie on social media
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