Nicolas Cage Stars in ‘The Carpenter’s Son,’ Apocryphal Jesus Horror Film/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Nicolas Cage’s new film The Carpenter’s Son transforms the apocryphal Infancy Gospel of Thomas into a supernatural horror narrative. Directed by Lotfy Nathan, the movie explores a lesser-known childhood account of Jesus filled with mysticism and moral tension. The film premieres amid praise, controversy, and religious scrutiny.
‘The Carpenter’s Son’: Quick Looks
- Film based on Infancy Gospel of Thomas, not canonical scripture
- Nicolas Cage plays Joseph; FKA twigs and Noah Jupe co-star
- Story follows young Jesus being tempted by Satan
- Director Lotfy Nathan inspired by childhood exposure to the text
- Text portrays a powerful but morally raw young Jesus
- Scholars confirm the gospel’s ancient popularity despite modern controversy
- Film joins others reimagining Jesus’ early years, like The Young Messiah
- Religious critics decry the film, while creators defend its respectful tone
- Cage emphasizes the film’s intention of love, not mockery
- Movie opens in theaters Friday
Nicolas Cage Stars in ‘The Carpenter’s Son,’ Apocryphal Jesus Horror Film
Deep Look
LOS ANGELES — A long-forgotten gospel from early Christianity is finding new life on the big screen—this time, as the inspiration for a supernatural thriller. The Carpenter’s Son, starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Lotfy Nathan, draws from the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, a second-century apocryphal text that depicts Jesus as a child with powerful, yet unsettling, divine abilities.
The film, which also stars FKA twigs and Noah Jupe, will premiere in theaters Friday. Cage portrays Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, as he grapples with a child whose gifts are both awe-inspiring and frightening. While the premise sounds like religious drama, Nathan’s treatment plunges deep into psychological and spiritual horror.
“I saw it as an origin story that hadn’t been told,” said Nathan, who was raised in the Coptic Orthodox faith. He discovered the Infancy Gospel of Thomas through his father, a history enthusiast. “The thought gave me chills,” he said, recalling his first exposure to the controversial gospel.
From Scripture to Script
Unlike the more familiar New Testament gospels, the Infancy Gospel of Thomas—also known as the Paidika—was excluded from the Bible but remained influential in early Christian literature and art. The text spans Jesus’ life from ages 5 to 12, depicting him not just as a child of God, but one struggling with the moral weight of divine power.
One story from the Paidika, in which Jesus forms birds out of clay and brings them to life, even appears in the Quran. But many of its tales clash with today’s understanding of Jesus’ character—such as Jesus striking down a boy or teacher in moments of frustration.
“This isn’t the Jesus most people expect,” said Tony Burke, a professor at York University and expert in early Christian apocrypha. “But to ancient audiences, stories of blessing and cursing coexisting in holy figures weren’t abnormal.”
Director Nathan emphasized that the original text lacked structure and required imaginative expansion. “It’s written like a laundry list of events. It doesn’t really have an arc,” he said. A historian helped him flesh out the background before he began writing the script.
Interestingly, Nicolas Cage was already familiar with the Infancy Gospel of Thomas before receiving the script. “I never thought of it as a horror film per se,” Cage said. “To me, it’s a family drama wrapped in an existential crisis. That’s what drew me in.”
A Disturbing Yet Reverent Take
Cage’s portrayal of Joseph—torn between paternal love and fear of his son’s unearthly power—grounds the film’s eerie tone in emotional realism.
“Family dynamics are one of my favorite genres,” he said. “And I couldn’t think of a more complex family than the Nativity.”
The film’s disturbing undertones have already sparked criticism from conservative religious groups. The American Family Association has launched a petition opposing the film’s release, claiming it misrepresents sacred figures.
Yet Nathan and Cage insist their approach was reverent. “Nobody wanted to offend anybody,” Cage said. “If people actually watch it, they’ll see it’s made with love, not contempt.”
Joan E. Taylor, professor of early Christianity at King’s College London, argues that the unsettling material is true to the source. “Jesus is portrayed as powerful, but without the moral compass we expect from the Gospels,” she said. “He punishes those who challenge him. It’s disturbing—but that’s in the text.”
Taylor recently authored Boy Jesus: Growing Up Judaean in Turbulent Times, which explores historical depictions of Jesus’ youth.
She believes modern audiences may struggle with stories that portray a fallible or developing Christ. “We like our Jesus perfect from the start,” she said. “These stories suggest a process.”
A Growing Genre of Apocryphal Adaptations
The Carpenter’s Son isn’t the first film to draw from non-canonical gospels. The 2016 film The Young Messiah, based on Anne Rice’s novel, also adapted stories from the Paidika, softening some of its more controversial elements by attributing violent acts to Satan, not Jesus.
Nathan’s film takes a different route, excluding certain stories and leaving others ambiguous. Satan is present in The Carpenter’s Son, tempting Jesus toward rebellion, but some darker moments from the original text are omitted.
The project echoes earlier controversies, such as those surrounding Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ (1988). Cage recalled seeing that film in theaters and witnessing angry protests.
“I asked the picketers if they’d seen the movie,” he said. “They hadn’t. I thought, ‘Don’t you want to understand something before judging it?’”
That sentiment lies at the heart of The Carpenter’s Son—a film built not to mock, but to probe questions of divinity, morality, and identity. Nathan sees it as both faithful and inventive.
“It’s not meant to be doctrine,” Nathan said. “It’s meant to be a story rooted in history, spirituality, and human experience.”
Whether audiences embrace or reject it, The Carpenter’s Son is poised to spark dialogue—and perhaps reintroduce ancient texts to a modern world seeking new ways to understand the divine.
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