Nicolas Cage’s controversial movie about Jesus is blasted by outraged Christians: ‘Scripture into horror’

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Christians have strongly criticized Nicolas Cage’s new and potentially upsetting movie about the early life of Jesus, calling it “blasphemous.”

The first official trailer for The Carpenter’s Son was released earlier this week on Wednesday, and the response has been varied. The trailer featured 61-year-old actor taking on the role of Joseph.

Lofty Nathan, the writer and director, drew inspiration from the Infancy Gospel of Thomas – a non-canonical text – for this fresh take on a biblical story. The film will be in theaters on November 14.

Ever since the movie was first announced, there’s been some criticism online, with at least one person claiming Hollywood is transforming ‘scripture into horror.’

Currently, the movie has a rating of 1.3/5 on Google Reviews – and this is more than a month before it even comes out in theaters.

‘I will not see this movie,’ one penned on Google. ‘A horror movie about Jesus is just not right. 

Why not turn him into a superhero as well!!! @Hollywood is clearly trying anything to boost profits, but they won’t get my money.

Someone else commented, ‘This film is truly awful. I can’t stand to watch it, and I can’t imagine why anyone would. However, it reminds me of the scripture, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows” – Galatians 6:7.’

Someone commented, ‘This is deeply hurtful to Christians, and it’s wrong to distort religious beliefs for amusement.’

Creating a film like this about any faith other than Christianity would be unacceptable, and it would likely be immediately pulled from distribution. The fact that Christianity is widely practiced doesn’t justify ridiculing it or misrepresenting it simply for the sake of entertainment.

Someone else commented on Google, stating, ‘I dislike that they created a horror film centered around Jesus; it feels irrelevant, and I also worry it could be deeply offensive to those who have faith in him.’

I hold all religions in high regard, and I believe everyone else should as well. If people want to receive respect, they need to show it to others too. I don’t have any issues with the people involved, but I find the storyline and the way it portrays Jesus to be deeply offensive.

On X, many people shared the same viewpoint, with one user writing immediately after the trailer’s release, ‘Ridiculous. Boycott it. Protest it. Cancel it.’

One person commented, ‘Making fun of Christ with a politically progressive cast – I’m curious to see how this is received,’ while another simply wrote, ‘BLASPHEMY! How dare they.’

‘Hollywood really can’t resist twisting scripture into horror,’ one X user said. 

One viewer asked, ‘Why would you choose to ridicule Jesus Christ?’ Another commenter wrote, ‘There’s no evil within Jesus Christ. This is unacceptable and disrespectful.’

Someone typed, ‘That’s a really bad idea,’ and another person wrote, ‘They want to destroy and desecrate Christianity.‘

One fan expressed outrage, writing, ‘Blasphemy. Lost all respect for Nic Cage smh,‘ while another questioned, ‘So we’re fine with mocking Christianity, but other religions are off limits?‘

In the film, Nicolas Cage plays the character of Joseph. Young Jesus is portrayed by British actor Noah Jupe – known for his roles in The Quiet Place films and Wonder – and singer FKA Twigs plays Mary, Jesus’ mother.

The two-minute clip begins with Cage, playing the role of Joseph, asking, ‘What awaits us when we turn at last to death?‘ He poses the question while standing on a cliff edge beneath a gloomy sky.

‘Let my faith remain strong,’ he continued, preparing us for what would happen next. ‘Faith. It’s the only thing that gives me the power to resist the devil himself.’

“For years, we’ve been forced into hiding, chased away from every place we’ve called home,” Cage narrates as footage shows him, Mary, and Jesus traveling across a desolate terrain with a donkey.

He then darkly hints that his son-referred to only as The Boy-possesses ‘a power I cannot understand. A power I cannot contain.’

Another character is introduced in the trailer – The Stranger, played by Isla Johnston.

‘I’m the accuser of life. I am the adversary,’ The Stranger tells The Boy. ‘And why I am here?’

The Boy replies: ‘To torment me.’

As stated by Magnolia Pictures, the company distributing the film in the U.S., the narrative unfolds in a secluded village during the time of ancient Rome in Egypt.

Joseph, who works as a carpenter, firmly holds onto his beliefs and customs, despite the fact that his wife and their child are being threatened by otherworldly powers.

The story continues: ‘A puzzling stranger attempts to convince young Jesus to disregard his father’s strict teachings. Each tempting offer draws the boy closer to a hidden, dangerous world, and a frightened Joseph begins to suspect an evil force is involved.’

Strange and disturbing occurrences keep happening around Jesus, and he starts having frightening visions of what’s to come.

People quickly took to X to express their opinions, and one user wrote: ‘Can we really not do this?‘

Someone else simply typed, ‘No thanks,‘ and another person added, ‘Another film I won’t bother with. Why does Cage get involved with such low-quality movies?‘

One X user commented, “Wth seriously, no. nobody asked for this,” while others expressed varying viewpoints.

Someone commented, ‘This will be either a landmark moment in film… or the most bizarre thing ever shown on screen. Regardless, I’m definitely watching, lol.’

“Nicolas Cage in a biblical horror movie? That’s a combination I didn’t realize I wanted,” one fan commented, while another stated, “Nick Cage is really leaning into horror films and I’m totally enjoying it.”

One person commented, ‘I did not expect to see Nicholas Cage playing Jesus’ father,’ while another X user simply stated, ‘This surprisingly looks good.’

‘Biblical horror is a genre I didn’t realize I was missing,’ one fan wrote, and another commented, ‘I’m definitely interested in watching this.’

Just a few weeks before, a short, 15-second trailer was shared, offering a sneak peek at the new horror story. Viewers also shared their reactions on social media then.

‘What the hell is this??’ one typed on X, and another asked, ‘Why would Jesus’ childhood be dark?’ 

Someone predicted this movie will perform even worse than War of the Worlds and Snow White, which is a strong statement.

Someone shared, ‘I am SO intrigued by this film – I’m so excited,’ while another simply wrote, ‘I have no words anymore man.’

Nicolas Cage is well-known in the horror genre and recently starred as a serial killer in the 2024 horror thriller film, Longlegs. He’s certainly no newcomer to scary movies!

The actor received acclaim for his role in the film, which impressively earned $128 million at the box office despite costing only about $10 million to make.

Cage has talked before about choosing horror roles, explaining, ‘I’ve always believed that truly good horror is actually surreal. It operates like a dream – it doesn’t need to make sense according to the rules of physics or reality,‘ according to AP News.

It gives performers the opportunity to showcase their talents using approaches beyond the style often seen as the standard for excellent acting – the realistic methods popular in the 1970s.

The Ghost Rider actor went on to say, ‘That’s alright, but we’ve repeated that same thing endlessly, to the point of exhaustion.’

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2025-10-03 04:08