Overview
- The film opens in U.S. theaters on November 14 via Magnolia Pictures and is rated R with a 1 hour 34 minute runtime.
- Critics highlight atmospheric production design and cinematography shot on 35mm, noting a mood-first, slow-burn approach over conventional horror thrills.
- Nicolas Cage’s turn as the Carpenter draws polarized reactions, while Isla Johnston’s performance as a mysterious tempter is frequently singled out as a standout.
- Reviews describe an episodic structure and deliberate pacing that some find dreamlike and others find meandering, with questions about tonal cohesion and narrative momentum.
- The story adapts non-canonical material about Jesus’ youth into a supernatural thriller set in Roman-era Egypt, with sequences filmed in Greece to double for the period setting.