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His Only Son

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David Helling

Daniel da Silva

Nicolas Mouawad

Ottavio Taddei

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4 Things You Should Know about His Only Son , Angel Studio's Newest Movie

Michael Foust CrosswalkHeadlines Contributor
Updated Apr 04, 2023

4 Things You Should Know about <em>His Only Son</em>, Angel Studio's Newest Movie

Abraham is a hard-working man who loves his wife, his children and his God.

He knows he's blessed. Long ago, God told Abraham his descendants would equal the number of stars in the sky. God even told him that his descendants would live on a bountiful stretch of land and that all the nations of the Earth would be blessed through them.

But now God is asking Abraham to do the unthinkable: to sacrifice his son Isaac on an altar in Moriah, a land that will take three days to reach.

Abraham weeps at the thought. Yet he also begins preparing for the grueling trip.

"The Lord commands it," Abraham tells his wife.

The new film His Only Son (PG-13) follows the Old Testament story of Abraham, Issac and Sarah.

Here are four things you should know about it:

Photo courtesy: ©Angel Studios, used with permission.

1. It's From the Studio Behind The Chosen

His Only Son is being distributed by the same company, Angel Studios, that brought us The Chosen and The Wingfeather Saga, two well-done and popular projects. It received an impressive 72 percent rating from the Angel Guild – the 64,000 Angel Studios crowd funders who "review and greenlight creator projects," according to a news release.

Angel Studios crowdfunded the marketing and advertising budget, which was more than $1 million. The crowdfunding was "historic," director David Helling told Crosswalk.

"It totally blew away their expectations," he said. "We made the full cap of what they were wanting to raise in a little over 80 hours."

2. It's a 'Controversial' Story of Obedience

"It's such a confusion-inducing or contention-inducing account from Scripture with non-believers in conversations I've had over the years," Helling told Crosswalk.

His Only Son handles the subject well as it follows the biblical text and tackles a few questions – with plausible scenarios – that Scripture doesn't fully answer: What was Isaac's reaction in learning he was the one to be sacrificed? Was he obedient? The final 15 minutes of the film are the best media rendition of the story I've ever seen.

Helling believes the film can serve as a form of apologetics and education.

"[God] had a purpose in testing Abraham in this way and in setting this example – this memorial stone of sorts – that people could look back on for 2000 years from the time of Abraham to the time of Christ," he said.

3. It's the Story of Abraham's Life

The story opens with God telling Abraham to sacrifice Isaac and closes with the angel intervening in the sacrifice. The rest of the film follows Abraham, Isaac and two servants as they travel to Mt. Moriah, the site of the sacrifice. Through flashbacks, we also see scenes from Abraham's life: his witnessing of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, his learning that his descendants will be given a new land, and his being told that he and his wife Sarah will have a child at an old age. The film also confronts the difficult subject of Sarah giving her servant, Hagar, to Abraham as a child bearer. ("Perhaps through her I will bear children," a weeping Sarah tells a surprised Abraham. The family-friendly film does not include any bedroom scenes.)

The film portrays Abraham as obedient and full of grace. Told by Sarah that he should not travel several days to build an altar in Mt. Moriah, he tells her, "It is not my decision to make." Told by a servant that Sodom is filled with wicked people, Abraham responds, "We are no different when we go our own way." Told that he may be worshiping the wrong god, Abraham responds, "There is no other God."

4. It Points to Christ

The story of Abraham and Isaac is not a traditional Easter story, Helling acknowledged, but it has Easter-centric themes. God is "showing us these hints all throughout the Old Testament" about Jesus, he said.

"The Old Testament narrative is Christ's narrative," he added.

His Only Son has an authentic, ancient Middle Eastern look and feel. The landscapes are dusty. The people are dirty (as they should be after walking for three straight days). Nicolas Mouawad, a Lebanese film and TV actor, portrays Abraham, while Tehran-born Sara Sayed portrays Sarah. Both are solid.

The script stays true to Scripture even as it takes artistic license for those in-between-the-verses scenes. It's a thought-provoking film with more than a few powerful scenes. At about 90 minutes in length, the film is not too long, not too short.

His Only Son is another impressive addition to the Angel Studios library.

His Only Son is rated PG-13 for thematic content and some violence.

Entertainment rating : 4 out of 5 stars.

Family-friendly rating : 4 out of 5 stars.

Photo courtesy: ©Angel Studios, used with permission.

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press , Christianity Today , The Christian Post , the Leaf-Chronicle , the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

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DVD & Streaming

His Only Son

Biography/History , Christian , Drama

Content Caution

In Theaters

March 31, 2023
Nicolas Mouawad as Abraham; Sara Seyed as Sarah; Edaan Moskowitz as Isaac; Ottavio Taddei as Kelzar; Alonso Vaya as Eshcolam

Home Release Date

May 5, 2023
David Helling

Distributor

Angel Studios

Movie Review

Abraham had waited so very long.

The one and true Creator had called him out of his former life to live something of a wanderer’s existence when Abraham was not long past his 70th year. But that wandering, Abraham was assured, had purpose. God promised He would make him the beginning of a great nation and bless him. But even more important, God promised Abraham and his wife Sarah a son.

But that was so many years before. So many, in fact, that Sarah gave up hope because of her advancing age. She even pushed Abraham to lay with her maid, Hagar, as a means of bringing forth that progeny.

Despite this lapse of faith, however, the Almighty did eventually—in His own time—give the couple the son they so longed for. They called the boy Isaac, a name derived from the word “laughter,” expressing Abraham’s joy at having a son in his old age.

That, however, was not the end of their story. God still had much to teach, much to give, to require, to … take.

One quiet night, somewhere in Abraham’s 130 th year, God’s spirit met Abraham and told him to proceed to Mount Moriah—a trek of some three days—to make a sacrifice.

In spite of his advanced age, Abraham was more than happy to obey. But it was the second part of the command that set the old man back on his heels. For God required a specific sacrifice: He required that Abraham sacrifice … his son.

He must bind the young man, spill his blood on the top of that distant mountain and offer him as a burnt offering. He must give back the laughter that Abraham had waited so long for.

But if there was nothing else that this old man of God had learned over the many years and Abraham’s many failures, it was that the Creator’s promises were to be believed. His word was true. It was just.

So, Abraham gathered his supplies and called forth his son. For they would travel together and serve God

After waiting so long, Abraham now had only three days left.

Positive Elements

It’s plain to see that Abraham and Sarah love one another. And when Sarah gives her maid, Hagar, to her husband as a “second wife,” she initially does so as a way to, in her mind, show him love and honor God’s promise. (Though later, she realizes that she is very bitter about not having a child of her own and she becomes jealous of Hagar.)

Ultimately God illustrates to both Sarah and Abraham that their impatience was foolish. In spite of that failing, Abraham does his best to remain faithful to God and show his wife love.

Spiritual Elements

When seen from a distance, Abraham’s story can be interpreted as God’s call to mankind to remain patient and trust in His promises. And His Only Son goes beyond that to make a direct connection between Abraham’s called-upon (but suspended) sacrifice and God’s plan to sacrifice His son, Jesus, as a covering for the sins of the world.

Throughout the film, Abraham meets sporadically with glowing individuals who represent a heavenly personage and impart God’s will to him. We see God offering a covenant and Abraham struggling to stand strong and always trust God’s word (despite long passages of time).

While on their journey to Mount Moriah, Abraham and Isaac are accompanied by two other men who give them aid. But they have questions about why God is calling for this sacrifice on a distant mountaintop. One of them, Esh, wonders if it is to earn God’s favor. But Abraham replies that God’s favor cannot be earned. He tells the man of the vast chasm between sinful men and the holy God. “Only He can bridge that gap,” Abraham declares. “I saw myself as I really was: Worthless apart from his grace.”

Esh also notes that “to trek so far seems like an act of penance.” And Abraham remembers back to when Sarah gave him Hagar as a second wife. And it’s clear that perhaps Abraham believes that their journey may be a sort of penance as well. In fact, that distrust of God’s timing turns out to be a major stumbling block for Sarah’s faith and peace of mind, even though she was the one who forced the issue with her maid.

We see Sarah weeping and praying to have a child. But she is praying to “stones and the moon,” an idol worship that Abraham quickly puts an end to.

A moment of peril and danger drives Abraham to remember something Sarah once said to him: “If all your hopes were dashed upon the rocks and all that you loved was lost, would your faith still stand? Or would you curse God?” And Abraham declares that he would not waver.

Abraham prays repeatedly. And in one instance he asks that God take his life and spare his son’s.

Abraham talks with Isaac about several issues and both men ask the rhetoric question, “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?” Later, when they reach Mount Moriah, Abraham admits the truth of God’s request to his son. “We must have faith that our God—the giver and taker of life—has the power to give life again,” he tells his son. Isaac is obviously shaken by what is being asked of him, but he gives himself over to the altar with words that mirror those of Jesus: “Not my will, but His be done,” Isaac states bravely.

“Now I know that you fear God,” the Almighty says as he stays Abraham’s knife hand. “Since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”

During one of his visions, Abraham sees a representation of the holy Trinity. And we’re shown Jesus on the cross, about 2,000 years after the events of Abraham’s life. A Roman centurion kneels and proclaims his faith in the Son of God.

Sexual Content

Sarah makes it plain that she wants Abraham to take her maid as a second wife. And though he at first refuses, Sarah convinces him that it may indeed be God’s will. “Not only has He led you to a barren land, He has made your wife barren as well.”

We never see any physical interactions between Abraham and Hagar, but we do see her pregnant. And we see the look of disdain she has in her eyes when looking upon Sarah.

While Abraham and his group are traveling, they come upon a small tent occupied by harlots. A guy starts to bargain for the women’s services, but Abraham walks past without a word or glance.

Violent Content

In their travels, Abraham, Isaac and their two servants encounter a group of riders who threaten them and search their things for payment to travel the road they’re on. After finding nothing of value in their sacks, they move on. Later, Abraham’s group encounter a dying and bloody man lying by the side of the road. The injured man reports that his daughter was stolen away, before dying.

The riders show up again after that, dragging a young woman behind one of their horses. They say that since the beaten girl “is used goods now” they might take Isaac instead. A conflict arises and both Isaac and Abraham are wounded and beaten to the ground before the men leave. (The two are lightly bloodied and Isaac is held with a sword at his throat.)

In the course of their journey, Abraham has horrible dreams of raising his knife to sacrifice Isaac. And once they reach the mountain top, he binds his son, lays him on the altar and repeats his dream’s action … before being stopped by God’s voice.

A rider recounts the story of a younger Abraham taking a group of shepherds into battle with an army and leading his rabble group to victory. Abraham returns to Sarah after being gone for a few days, covered in blood. The elder Abraham must knock down an attacking young man with his staff.

Crude or Profane Language

Drug and alcohol content, other negative elements.

As mentioned, Sarah has several moments of doubt, declaring that God has given Abraham nothing but an “inheritance of dead land” and “famine.”

Abraham is, of course, an incredibly important figure in God’s story of redemption. That isn’t because he led a perfect life. Like all of us, he was flawed. But he was a man of faith; a man who maintained hope in God’s promise.

His Only Son portrays this sense of enduring trust and hope extremely well. It’s an emotional film that readily helps viewers connect Abraham’s many-faceted story to God’s sacrificial plan for our atonement.

The only real drawback here is the director’s choice to have a younger actor play the elder Abraham, who was well over 100 when called upon to make his momentous trek to Mount Moriah. The truth is, there is solemnity and grace in true age—especially when the aged are faced with struggling for godly insight—and that’s extremely difficult to portray on screen, no matter how much makeup is worn.

That said, this is still a solid film designed to give believers and unbelievers alike some thoughtful biblical insights for the Easter season.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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If we were to sit down and talk about the most challenging stories of the Old Testament, it is most certain that the story of Abraham and Isaac would be near the top of the list of those stories difficult to fathom. It's that story that's brought to life in His Only Son, a feature film opening in theaters on March 31st from Angel Studios.

His Only Son gives us what many consider to be one of the Old Testament's most controversial moments - when Abraham, here portrayed by Nicolas Mouawad, is commanded by God to sacrifice his son Isaac (Edaan Moskowitz) on the mountain of Moriah. It is during his journey to this place that Abraham, accompanied by two servants and Isaac, is flooded with the memories from years alongside his wife Sarah (Sara Seyed) longing for the son they were promised and that he is now called to lay upon the altar.

After several short films, writer/director David Helling tackles one of biblical history's most challenging passages with vivid imagery and a desire to dig deeper into the story. His Only Son attempts to reflect upon some of the questions Christians have asked for years - Why would the Lord require such a sacrifice? Can we still truly stand in our faith when we're asked to give everything?

His Only Son examines mankind's relationship to God and practically demands that the viewer turn inward to ask ourselves how we would respond to such a command.

Rated PG-13, a bit of a rarity for faith-based cienma, His Only Son explores mature thematic content with honesty yet remains both faithful to scripture and accessible to families. Younger and more sensitive children will undoubtedly have questions, though these same children are likely to be captivated by a color palette that mesmerizes and an adventurous production design by Jason Stebbings alongside Nick Walker's lensing and Jordain Wallace's original score.

Helling also aims for a diverse cast including Lebanese film and TV actor Nicholas Mouawad as Abraham, Edaan Moskowitz in his feature film debut as Isaac, and relative newcomer Sara Seyed as Sarah. Here as The Lord, Daniel da Silva has previously played Jesus twice in cinema and adds tremendous gravitas here.

Angel Studios is the team behind The Chosen, His Only Son being an intentional effort to expand their vivid biblical storytelling into the world of feature films and indie cinema.

Set to open in theaters on March 31st, His Only Son will most resonate with those who long for dramatically realized biblical stories that don't serve up the usual Hollywood artistic compromise. While the film won't likely appeal to a crossover audiences, Christians who've ever wanted to dig deeper into the story of Abraham and Isaac will find much to appreciate here.

Written by Richard Propes The Independent Critic

His Only Son

By Alan Ng | April 13, 2023

One of the most controversial moments in the Bible comes to life in writer-director David Helling’s His Only Son . The feature film recounts that fateful moment on Mount Mariah between the father of Israel and what he must do to his only son, Isaac. I’ll just say I’m very familiar with the story of Abraham and Isaac, and I have a Master’s degree to prove it. Abraham (Nicolas Mouawad) was one of the few men directly connected to God.

The movie opens with God telling Abraham to sacrifice his miracle of a son, Isaac (Edaan Moskowitz), on an altar on Mount Mariah. On this three-day journey, Abraham’s heart weighs heavy as the man of faith questions it and the divine voice he followed as a young man. Then, in flashback, Abraham recounts the story of long ago when he was known as Abram and his wife, Sarah, was Sarai (Sara Seyed). God promised Abram that he would be the father of a great nation, but to this point, Sarai was unable to have a child, and both were way beyond child-bearing age. Which begs the question, why would God want Abraham to sacrifice his only son when God promised a fruitful future for his descendants?

For the most part, His Only Son is a faithful retelling of the father of Israel. The first half is almost too straightforward, never wavering from the most common interpretation of Abraham’s life. Helling takes artistic and literary license by opening the story with the sacrificial journey and then fills in the blanks through flashbacks along the way.

Abraham and Sarah’s life is one of faith and patience. As you know, the pair could not have children, and in a moment of weakness, Sarah gave Abraham over to her handmaiden, Hagar, believing that’s how God’s prophecy would be fulfilled. But, unfortunately, this decision would come to haunt them later.

“…that fateful moment on Mount Mariah between the father of Israel and what he must do to his only son, Isaac.”

Writer/director Helling gets the narrative right for his hour-forty-five film. Based on the title, you know that the story takes a Christian bent, particularly in its conclusions. The real question is, how well does His Only Son make the connection between the fate of Isaac and the ultimate fate of Jesus? Not to give away the ending to this many millennia-old tales, but Helling does a good job making that connection, though I would have liked greater weight there. Almost like the majesty of Charlton Heston as Moses standing heavenward holding the Ten Commandments, but maybe I’m asking too much.

Overall, His Only Son feels professional and cinematic, a criticism I have always had with faith-based films over the decades. Here, the sets and costumes look authentic. It also helps that most of the story takes place in the desert. Then again, what faith-based film doesn’t have to employ indie film techniques?

That said, Mouawad and Seyed give fantastic performances. Abraham was not a beloved hero as he walked through the desert, but a flawed man who made almost unforgivable mistakes to get to this point. The confrontation between Abraham and Sara about his “infidelity” is quite chilling, as I imagined it would be from studying the story so many times.

For Christians looking for new Biblical stories this Easter, you won’t go wrong with His Only Son . The film faithfully tells Abraham’s story along with a very Christian ending and top-notch indie storytelling.

For screening information, visit the His Only Son official website .

His Only Son (2023)

Directed and Written: David Helling

Starring: Nicolas Mouawad, Sara Seyed, Edaan Moskowitz, Daniel da Silva, etc.

Movie score: 7/10

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Thursday, March 30, 2023

[review] — "his only son" is an impressive dramatic biblical retelling of abraham and issac.

2 comments:

It sounds like a good Easter movie.

HIS ONLY SON seems wonderful to see and the scenery must be fantastic.

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Review: His Only Son (2023)

His only son (2023).

Directed by: David Helling

Premise: A dramatization of the Biblical story of Abraham (Nicolas Mouawad) who was commanded by God to sacrifice his son Isaac (Edaan Moskowitz) to prove his faith.

What Works: The story of Abraham and his immediate family is one of a man holding onto his faith in the face of hardship and that is the most compelling aspect of this movie. God appears before Abraham and commands a human sacrifice and Abraham spends the next three days walking with his son, knowing all the while that he will sacrifice the boy at the end of the journey. That makes for an interesting tension that is at odds with the warm and fuzzy style of a lot of religious pictures. While on their journey, the film flashes back years earlier to Abraham and his wife Sarah (Sara Seyed) and their struggle to make their way in a desolate land and conceive a child. The scenes between Abraham and Sarah are many of the best scenes in the movie. His Only Son also has an effective atmosphere. The filmmakers create a vivid impression of the difficulty of life at this time and the sparse and arid conditions in which these people live.

What Doesn’t: His Only Son is hampered by pacing problems and a verbose script. The film includes some very long exposition scenes in which the characters debate the merits of faith and sacrifice. This material is relevant to the subject matter but the writing and the execution are flat. These dialogue exchanges are filmed and edited in a shot-reverse shot style that is repetitive and often boring especially given the length of some of these scenes. The two most critical moments of His Only Son are not executed effectively. The film opens with God commanding Abraham to sacrifice his son and the scene is staged clumsily. The moment doesn’t have a dramatic shape and God’s command doesn’t have an impact. The moment of sacrifice is also poorly staged with the filmmakers failing to get much tension out of the climax. His Only Son ’s dramatic shortcomings may be partly rooted in its presumptions about the audience. This was a movie made for an audience who would presumably already be familiar with the Biblical story but that’s no excuse for botching the dramatic beats. The filmmakers also tend to spell out the religious meaning especially with the overuse of Biblical quotes that appear on screen throughout the end of the picture.

Bottom Line: His Only Son will speak to its intended audience and the filmmakers have a thoughtful take on this Biblical story. The film’s dramatic fumbles undermine the potential of the material.

Episode: #943 (April 9, 2023)

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'His Only Son' is a worthy, if imperfect, portrayal of God's love

Nicolas Mouawad (Abraham) and Edaan Moskowitz (Isaac) begin their journey to Moriah in "His Only Son," which retells the well-known story from the Book of Genesis. (NCR screenshot/YouTube)

by Elizabeth Hamilton

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Few figures in the Bible, and indeed the history of Western thought, loom as large as Sarah and Abraham from the Book of Genesis. Abraham's willingness to sacrifice their son Isaac has inspired the imaginations of artists throughout the ages, from Caravaggio and Rembrandt, who each famously painted the scene, to the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, who crafted an influential interpretation of the sacrifice in Fear and Trembling . The story is among the most controversial and well-known in the Bible, evoking disgust, befuddlement, inspiration and rich theological exegesis alike. To capture the grand ethos of this tale in a 90-minute movie is a challenge, to say the least.

If any group could surmount the challenge, it's Angel Studios , the crowdfunded media agency responsible for " The Chosen ," that beloved — and wildly successful — series about Jesus and his followers. Tackle the story they did — to a debatable degree of success. "His Only Son," a feature debut from director David Helling, appeared in select theaters on March 31 and will soon be available to stream on Angel Studios.

Most of "His Only Son" takes place immediately after God commands Abraham (played with finesse by the Lebanese actor Nicolas Mouawad) to sacrifice Isaac (played by up-and-coming Israeli American actor Edaan Moskowitz), during the physically treacherous and emotionally tumultuous three-day journey to Moriah.

Interspersed throughout Helling's interpretation of the journey are flashbacks that show the "greatest hits" of Abraham's life. Here is God commanding Abraham to reject polytheism and worship God alone. Here is God promising Abraham his descendants will be as numerous as the stars. Here is an agitated Sarah (played by Iranian actress and activist Sara Seyed) urging Abraham to have a child with her maidservant, Hagar. And here, at long last, is the birth of Isaac to his now grey-haired mother.

Despite man's confusion, God was — and is — always present. None of us are ever truly alone. " target="_blank">Tweet this

The movie is almost a scene for scene account of Genesis 12 through 22, and it's impressive how much attention to detail went into the script. Sunday school teachers in search of a visually accurate portrayal of Father Abraham need look no farther than "His Only Son." Christians hoping for a film about the Bible that might interest their secular friends — like, say, "The Chosen" — may need to think again.

It's difficult to get past the movie's visual blunders — the sepia hue, the overuse of slow motion, and the stage makeup that does not quite convince viewers of old age (at the birth of Isaac, Sarah is supposed to be older than 90 years old, but she looks no more than 40). Then there is the portrayal of God. How does one successfully convey on screen what it's like to commune with humanity's Creator?

It may not be possible to do so — which again speaks to the enormous challenge at the heart of this film — but a shimmery, white-robed man with a pleasant, echoing accent is probably not the best way to go. The movie tries to make Abraham's faith in God's promises inspiring — but it's difficult to feel inspired by a man willing to kill his own son. And it's difficult to find oneself swept away by the drama of a story when we know how it ends.

That said, what shines in "His Only Son" is its humanness. Sarah, Abraham and Isaac — those giants of Genesis — are made small by the big screen. There are dangerous horsemen and a burning city and hallucinogenic visions, yes, but this is not Darren Aronofsky's " Noah ."

Sara Seyed portrays Sarah, Abraham's wife and Isaac's mother in "His Only Son." (NCR screenshot/YouTube)

Abraham's world is ordinary. His people are shepherds. His land is a bunch of small, bare and windy hills. He and his wife try, and fail, and try again to understand God's enigmatic promises. They wait decades for a child. They hurt vulnerable people (namely, Hagar and Ishmael). They are long-suffering.

In this way, despite the story occurring 4,000 years ago, the movie uncovers a relatable tale. Who among us is unfamiliar with praying to God, and then waiting years on end for an answer that makes sense, that seems good? Who among us has not received something we wanted only to have it snatched away? Who among us has not wondered how to remain faithful amidst endless, unfulfilled longing?

Toward the end of the movie, a distraught Abraham says, "Whatever he's doing in all this, whatever he's trying to teach, whatever he's trying to show, I'm lost." Haven’t we all been there? "His Only Son" serves as a reminder that even the greatest, most faithful figures in the Bible were mere humans who suffered and struggled to fathom God's will. And despite man's confusion, God was — and is — always present. None of us are ever truly alone.

"His Only Son" further uncomplicates the sacrifice of Isaac by providing a standard, straightforward interpretation: the story prefigures the crucifixion of Christ. Both subtle and blunt allusions to the cross are sprinkled throughout the movie, including a tender moment when Abraham breaks bread while speaking about the meaning of sacrifice, and the final scene, which flashes forward 2,000 years to give us a glimpse of Christ on Golgotha.

In perhaps the most moving scene, Abraham begs God to take his life instead of Isaac's. Staring into Abraham's troubled face, one catches a glimpse of both the pain and unfathomable love God the Father must have felt when Jesus was crucified.

God's sacrificial love is the center of the Christian faith. And yet, we can easily become inured to this love, to this story. "His Only Son" invites us to remember. The movie is not perfect. But the message at its heart — the reminder of God's love — is good.

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Movie Review: Abraham’s story aimed at the Easter audience — “His Only Son”

Writer-director David Helling introduces and adds a filmed postscript to his first feature film, “His Only Son,” something not wholly unheard of in mainstream cinema, but not that unusual in faith-based films.

He talks down the film’s budget and talks up the crowd-sourced wide release efforts of this account of the moment when Abraham became the father of the Chosen People, tested by the “new” god Jehovah who ordered him to make a blood sacrifice of Abraham’s “Only Son,” Isaac.

Whenever I’ve seen this sort of huxtering done with a Hollywood film, it smacks of “let’s change the subject,” as in “Let me talk about this movie’s earnest intent rather than its quality.” For faith-based films, it’s prostheltyizing, urging the faithful to rally to a movie as a cause. In Helling’s case here, there’s a bit of both in play.

Yes, churches and donor “angels” got the movie into thousands of theaters. And alas yes, the actual film is strictly straight-to-video quality — not amateurish, but somewhat cut-rate, and more importantly, flatly scripted and acted, a 100 minute cure for insomnia.

Helling got his movie cast and made, and chose that little-touched corner of desert California that generations of Hollywood Bible films have conditioned us to accept as the Ancient Middle East.

So it looks right, if malnourished, a narrow story requiring little more than a handful of actors (less than two-handfuls), a donkey, a couple of horses and robes and military gear that can easily pass for that of assorted states of pre-Roman Palestine.

But the story is boiled down to tedium, its action beats limited and its finale pre-ordained and thus under even more of a burden to produce something that the preceding 95 minutes have not.

Abraham ( Nicholas Mouawad ) is a very old man when we meet him, someone with a military background, it is suggested (Helling makes sure to mention his own Iraq service altar call), and someone who hasn’t heard the voice promising him that he would father a great nation and great people in a new land in a very long time.

When he first heard that voice, he was known as Abram, descendent of Noah. And his very complicated (half-sister, possibly already-married) wife Sarah ( Sara Seyed ) was named Sarai.

But that was ages ago, something something Sarah reminds him of this when he starts talking about that Covenant that Jehovah promised, and going north to the mountains of Moriah t o offer a sacrifice, as Jehovah has instructed. Sarah, who had so much trouble conceiving that she supposedly suggested Abraham father a child with their Egyptian handmaiden, can’t be told what or who is to be sacrificed. And she can’t come along.

“Isaac,” their son, “and I will go alone,” Abraham decrees. “Because the Lord commands it.”

Son and very old father set out on the quest, with a couple of traveling companions. They’re on foot, with a donkey loaded with everything they’ll need for a blood sacrifice — save for the lamb usually used in such offerings. It’s a slow journey, allowing much time for flashbacks, to when Abram and Sarai were young, the earlier tests of “This god has led you iright into a famine, into ” a “barren land” where his wife fears she, too is “barren.”

Soldiers are encountered on the way, and a victim of the soldiers’ predations is met. Injuries are suffered, but Abraham — taking his time with good reason — and Isaac eventually make it to their destination, build an altar and you know the rest.

That’s one thing that would hang over this movie, even if it had a big budget and “name” actors who set off sparks on camera. As we know where it’s going, we need things to enliven the journey and spice up the proceedings, and Helling finds that impossible to achieve with this rather bland cast.

Impatience is sure to set in, with this being one of the most famous stories from the Bible and thus well-known throughout the Western world for millenia.

There are modest effects achieved with lighting ( Daniel da Silva is The Lord) and ancient cities and battlements are added to the scenery through the haze (Digitally? Optically, with painted glass camera backdrops or miniatures?).

But by the climax, you realize why the filmmaker was cheerleading his finished film at the opening, and promising a”story by story” series of tales from the Old Testament. This is weak tea indeed. Helling’s begging us to grade it on the curve, as it were.

It’s great that Helling was able to spearhead a self-funded/crowd-funded theatrical release, something only Billy Graham was able to do with movies produced under his banner in an earlier era. No doubt “His Only Son” will be make a profit in fairly short order, especially as Helling makes the connection between Abraham’s planned sacrifice and that of Jesus 2000 years later overt, and just in time for Easter.

But the movie is what it is, and what it is isn’t very good, very engrossing, involving, enlightening or entertaining. One should never make a Biblical epic without remembering the Bible’s great hook as literature. The stories in it, passed from generation to generation, have drama and pathos and hope and triumph rising out of despair and hardship.

There’s a reason others have filmed the Abraham/Isaac story, but always left it as merely a chapter in the larger narrative of “The Bible…In the Beginning” or “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” It’s just a vivid but short anecdote, not material for an epic.

Rating: PG-13, violence

Cast: Nicolas Mouawad, Sara Seyed, Edaan Moskowitz and Daniel da Silva

Credits: Scripted and directed by David Helling. An Angel Studios release.

Running time: 1:43

About Roger Moore

10 responses to movie review: abraham’s story aimed at the easter audience — “his only son”.

So, you’re criticizing someone for promoting and trying to present their effort in a positive light, as well as appealing to the intended audiences’ attraction to the subject matter-How dare he…

By the way, how are your movie projects doing?

It’s a movie that starts and ends with a sales pitch, or by passing the collection plate, if you prefer. And it isn’t very good. So him doing that is the equivalent of Jeb Bush saying “Please clap.” Still confused?

Obviously you are entitled to your opinion, but obviously the box office numbers say otherwise as do most of the crowds reviews. So maybe you should stick to reviewing movie genre that you actually understand.

People talked into going by their preacher? And what, just over $4 million in ticket sales (Maybe 400/450,000 people saw it)? Perhaps you should stick to what your pastor tells you to “believe,” “Sid.” I know movies, all genres, including this one. My opinion is that it wasn’t very good, for the reasons I ennumerated. It’s not a “hit,” not by a long shot, and that’s a simple statement of fact.

Hhhmmm… a secular critic reviewing a Christian movie is tantamount to a junk food junky reviewing the new vegan restaurant. I just don’t think it’s reliable or worth considering. But thanks for your time. Keep watching, there’s always hope that you’ll hear the message. And with all the crowd-funding, there’s sure to be a lot more. Happy Easter and God bless!

Actually, it’s your opinion of it that is blinkered by myopia, and thus unreliable. But thanks for making my car payment this month by reading.

I for one was disappointed in the movie. Yes I am a born again believer. Am 74 years old so I have read and heard the word 1 I have heard this story many times over the decades. I had to go back and look up the story because neither my husband or I remember two servants that went on the trip. Their only mention two versus one that they’re going, and the other wanted to stay put when the sacrifice was going to be made. 2 the one servant was talking about his ill treatment given to his people. I had to go back and read about Noah’s three sons, and how the one was cursed to be a slave to the other 2 sons. 3 the servant mentioned above mentioned, the ill treatment of Hagar, and Ishmael. It was a one line mention that people in general wouldn’t know what they were talking about. 4. Abraham in a flashback told Sarah to do whatever she wanted with Hagar. Needed a longer flashback of Hagar, taunting Sarah, because Sarah could not have children. Again, this is some thing that I knew about but the general public and some Christians may not know what is going on. 5. I might’ve missed something in rereading the Bible account. But I don’t know where these military men came from and killed the man and took his daughter. Should’ve spent more time fleshing out the story of who Abraham and Sarah and Isaac were. 6. I spoke with a woman in the lobby and asked her how she liked it. She attended the movie based on its title and hadn’t looked at the trailer. As Christians when we hear His Only Son, we would automatically think, especially at this Easter season of his only son, Jesus Christ crucified. This is what this woman was expecting. 7. Some of the music was loud and you couldn’t hear what the people were saying. 8. The Bible verses may have been pointing to Jesus. Yes, I read the verses, but I was there to watch a movie and did not make any connection. 9. I feel there was not a strong representation of the Jewish people, nor of Christians that would make anyone be a seeker of the faith. 10 I know they want this movie to go around the world but I personally don’t see where it would have any effect on nonbelievers. They be clueless of what they were watching. For the people who might see it since the title sounded interesting. They talked at the end of the movie about another movie they wanted to produce. They better do a lot better at telling the story. I am not expecting a movie like the 10 Commandments. At least you knew who Moses was and what God was going to have him accomplish.

Someone went in not knowing what this film was about ?? I call fibs 100%

Well, I guess you’re calling the lady that I spoke with in the lobby a liar. She said she didn’t look at the trailer just went by the name, and the only person that I’ve ever heard his only son referred to was Jesus.

How is anybody supposed to know who you talked to in the lobby? The trailers tell one exactly who the movie is about, and knowledgable preachers have long linked “only begotten son” bookends. So you’re saying the title’s misleading. Fine.

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HIS ONLY SON

"god will provide the sacrifice".

What You Need To Know:

Miscellaneous Immorality: Nothing else objectionable.

More Detail:

HIS ONLY SON is a dramatic retelling of the Bible story from Genesis 22, about God’s commandment to Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as a burnt offering on Mount Moriah, with some scenes showing what Abraham and his wife, Sarah, went through earlier. HIS ONLY SON is a biblically accurate historical drama that points to the connections that Abraham’s story has with the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Jewish Messiah who has become a Light for Gentiles as well as for Jews.

The movie takes a contemplative look at God’s paradoxical command about Isaac to Abraham, Abraham’s struggle with carrying it out, and the meaning of this difficult passage from Genesis 22. As one Hebrew scholar puts it, “God took a landless man and a childless woman, gave them both of these gifts, and then tells the man to sacrifice his heir, the son of promise, on a mountaintop.” As Abraham, his son and two servants travel to the mountain, the movie artfully depicts the patriarch’s life up to the moment of his supreme test. It begins with God’s call to Abraham to leave Haran and travel to the Land of Canaan. It then proceeds to God establishing his covenant with Abraham in Hebron in Canaan. Other flashbacks show Abraham and Sarah’s attempt to speed up God’s plan, followed by Isaac’s birth.

Along the way to the mountain, Abraham’s party runs into the servants of Abimelech, the Philistine King of Gerar, who once experienced firsthand the power of the God of Abraham (Genesis 20). As they arrive at their destination, the tension is palpable as this man of faith says, as he does in Genesis 22:5, “I and the boy will go over there and worship and come back to you.”

Many people have wrestled with this story’s meaning throughout the years “with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). However, what might this new revisiting of Abraham’s story have to teach viewers today?

HIS ONLY SON has overall good performances, especially that of the patriarch Abraham (Nicholas Mouawad), but so-so production values. Following the narrative of Genesis 22 faithfully, the filmmakers’ additions are historically accurate, probable and plausible. It has a darker, contemplative mood, which is very fitting given what must have been the state of mind of Abraham, the “father of a multitude,” as he traveled to carry out a task that, if he goes through with it, will not only break his heart but also would be the obliteration of the divine promise he has received from God concerning in his only son, Isaac. Here, one of the most emotional and illustrative stories from all of Scripture, comes alive with all the anguish, uncertainty and dismay that Soren Kierkegaard expressed while wrestling with the meaning of story of Abraham and Isaac the story in his book, FEAR AND TREMBLING. HIS ONLY SON invites moviegoers to enter into this dramatic struggle of faith and fear, and, hopefully, emerge the better for having done so.

HIS ONLY SON has a strong Christian, biblical worldview the movie’s overall worldview is biblical Christianity. The story of Abraham is one of the oldest recorded historical stories. The movie depicts Abraham as the great man of faith that he was. In one scene talking to his son, Abraham says, “Sometimes the Lord calls us to difficult tasks. . . impossible tasks.” Isaac responds, saying, “Is anything too difficult for the Lord?” Abraham, with obvious pain, answers resolutely, “No.” Ultimately, the filmmakers accomplish what is difficult to do for any retelling, to make a well-known Bible story seem fresh for a new generation of human beings desperately seeking a reliable, meaningful and transcendent story to inspire them and guide them.

HIS ONLY SON, which was completely crowdfunded, focuses on a very difficult biblical passage, and handles it well. As such, it delves deeply, not only dramatically, but also philosophically and psychologically, into Abraham’s plight. The movie opens with an image reciting two powerful statements by Jesus to the Jews in John 8:56 and 8:58 in the New Testament: “Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad,” and “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am,” obviously connecting the story of Abraham’s test in HIS ONLY SON to Jesus Christ. The movie ends by taking viewers to the scene of a man on a cross 2000 years later, on the same mountain on which God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son. This recalls the teaching of Christ reported in Luke 24:27: “And, beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He [JESUS] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children due to the story’s weighty nature and content, plus some peril and discussion of the inability of Abraham’s wife to become pregnant. Otherwise, HIS ONLY SON is a movie for the whole family to see.

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CULTURE MIX

Where Lifestyle Cultures Blend

Review: ‘His Only Son,’ starring Nicolas Mouawad, Sara Seyed, Edaan Moskowitz, Ottavio Taddei and Nicolai Perez

Arts and Entertainment

Alexandria Lior , Daniel da Silva , David Helling , drama , Eta Pico , His Only Son , Kevin Kapellas , Luis Fernandez-Gil , Mario Dagget , Matthew Dorio , movies , Nathan Tetreault , Nicolai Perez , Nicolas Mouawad , Ottavio Taddei , Reji Lukai , reviews , Sara Seyed , Steve Judkins

April 7, 2023

by Carla Hay

“His Only Son”

Directed by David Helling

Culture Representation: Taking place in ancient Canaan and Moriah, the dramatic film “His Only Son” features a white, Middle Eastern and Egyptian cast of characters representing the working-class and middle-class from Judeo-Christian teachings.

Culture Clash: Religious prophet Abraham travels to Moriah after he gets a command from God to prove his loyalty by sacrificing the life of Abraham’s son Isaac.

Culture Audience: “His Only Son” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in faith-based movies that are dramatic movie versions of religious teachings.

“His Only Son” is a worthy, low-budget drama about religious figure Abraham, when he was called by God to make his greatest sacrifice: the life of his son. The depiction of Abraham’s troubled marriage gives this reverent movie some grit. “His Only Son” is a mixed bag, with some acting performances and technical aspects that are better than other acting performances and technical aspects in the movie. However, viewers who are inclined to watch faith-based films will probably find a lot to like about this earnest movie.

Written and directed by David Helling, “His Only Son” is truly a passion project, since Helling decided to become a filmmaker so he could make this movie and other movies about religious figures from the Christian Bible. Helling has said the production budget for “His Only Son” was only $250,000. That low budget can be seen in the movie’s hairstyling (wigs and fake beards that look cheap) and the small number of locations and cast members in the film. However, the movie’s cinematography is often striking, visually creative, and on par with movies that have production costs that are 100 times higher than what it cost to make “His Only Son.”

People who already know the story of Abraham’s journey from his land of Canaan (where he is the leader) to Moriah to sacrifice his son Isaac won’t find any surprises in “His Only Son,” regarding the outcome of this journey. The movie also has faithful depictions of the Judeo-Christian teachings of Abraham frequently having visions where he communicates with God and gets commands and prophecies from God. What might surprise people is how the movie portrays how all of these visions took a serious toll on Abraham’s marriage.

“His Only Son” frequently shows flashbacks of Abraham’s life while Abraham (played by Nicolas Mouawad) goes on the journey to Moriah with Isaac and two other young men from Canaan: loyal Kelzar (played by Ottavio Taddei) and skeptical Eshcolam (played by Nicolai Perez, also know as Reji Lukai). Kelzar is son of Abraham’s chief servant Eliezer (played by Luis Fernandez-Gil), who offered Kelzar to be a part of this travel group.

The trip to Moriah takes three days by walking. “His Only Son” has a subplot about this group facing a moral dilemma concerning a severely wounded man (played by Matthew Dorio) and his kidnapped young adult daughter (played by Alexandria Lior), who have been attacked by four marauders (played by Kevin Kapellas, Steve Judkins, Nathan Tetreault and Mario Dagget). “His Only Son” doesn’t make too much of a detour in this subplot, but it seems like it was put in the movie to fill up time and so the story would have some action-oriented suspense.

The flashbacks to Abraham’s life go as far as back 40 years before he took this journey to Moriah. Abraham has been having visions of God (played by Daniel da Silva), who promised Abraham that he would rule over Canaan and pass on this legacy to his children. The problem is that Abraham’s wife Sarah (played Sara Seyed) has spent several years of their marriage trying to get pregnant, to no avail. Canaan’s barren land has made the couple’s financial future very insecure. And so, at Sarah’s urging, Abraham and Sarah move to Egypt for more fruitful land.

As the years go by and Sarah still appears to be infertile, she becomes tired of Abraham telling her to be patient. Abraham repeatedly reminds Sarah that God told Abraham that Abraham would have a son. Sarah begins to panic when she approaches the age range when most women are menopausal. She thinks the prophecy that Abraham will have a son is God’s way of saying that Abraham will have a child with another woman, so she offers her maid Hagar (played by Eta Pico) to be Abraham’s other “wife.”

Sarah regrets the decision after Hagar gets pregnant. Sarah is angry and ashamed, because she thinks that she has lost respect from Hagar and others in the community who know about this arrangement. Sarah verbally lashes out at Abraham for accepting Sarah’s insistent offer to get another woman pregnant so that Abraham can have an heir. Abraham isn’t wrong when he reminds Sarah that it was all her idea for him to impregnant Hagar, because Sarah lost faith that Sarah would get pregnant.

It’s not spoiler information to say that Sarah gets pregnant and gives birth to Isaac. It’s necessary to mention that information in this review because “His Only Son” mishandles the subplot about Hagar getting pregnant. Hagar and her pregnancy are not seen or mentioned in the movie again after Sarah gives birth to Isaac. It’s a plot hole that ignores the religious teaching that Hagar gave birth to Abraham’s first son Ishmael, who lived to a very old age. Therefore, it’s not entirely accurate to name this movie “His Only Son.”

As the Abraham character, Mouawad gives a solid performance in portraying someone with strong faith that still gets tested. Seyed’s depiction of Sarah can get a tad too melodramatic, but she’s a scene stealer who grounds the movie in the realism that it would not be easy to be married to a prophet who claims to have a direct line of communication with God. It’s also refreshing that “His Only Son” does not portray all of the women in the film as passive or subservient to men (as many Bible-oriented movies tend to do), since Sarah has a very strong-willed and opionionated personality. The rest of the cast members are serviceable in their roles.

“His Only Son” occasionally plods along at a dull pace. And some of the dialogue is terribly simplistic. However, the main characters are compelling, and the movie does a very good job of showing people’s different perspectives of what it means to have “faith in God.” Helling also admirably didn’t try to make these characters sound British or American (another historical inaccuracy that many Bible-based movies have) and instead had the characters in “His Only Son” talk with historically accurate Hebrew or Egyptian accents. It’s a movie that certainly makes the most out of its low budget and delivers a capable story about one of the most lauded religious figures of all time.

Angel Studios released “His Only Son” in U.S. cinemas on March 31, 2023.

Forgiveness
Resurrection

General Christian
Religious Art

Review: His Only Son

Many years ago, some very clever television executives realized that around the big holiday seasons, movies with a Biblical theme became quite popular. And so it was that generations of children grew up with Charlton Heston parting the Red Sea while yelling for Pharaoh to let his people. These films like The Passion, Risen , and the more recent film, Church People , became part of our family traditions. This year, a new entry is hoping to become part of your family viewing tradition. It’s called His Only Son and it’s a retelling of the story of Abraham and Isaac. You can see the trailer here:

Beautifully produced, this movie is distributed by Angel Studios, the folks behind the breakout hit, The Chosen . His Only Son flies in the face of those who often cry that quality films can’t happen without deep pockets and many investors. It’s not unusual with lower budget films and historical stories in particular to have something, somewhere, will take you out of the story. (Even science fiction suffers from this. The blue milk in the original Star Wars: A New Hope served in tupperware cups that were undoubtedly on the tables of many of the audience members is a good example of this.) That is not the case here. As someone who works in film, it was easy for me to see where they chose to put their funding. Extraordinary makeup and costuming dovetail beautifully with gorgeous landscapes and sweeping epic shots that give you a larger than life feel. If you have an appreciation of cinematography, you will want to watch this one in theaters for sure.

The only thing that bothered me was from a script/story perspective. Having written and produced many Easter and Christmas presentations and programs, I am keenly aware that many people don’t like adding to the Biblical stories. I personally don’t have a problem introducing extra-Biblical scenes or dialogue. When reading from the Word, you often only get the high point of the story and I love to disappear into the reality of what it might have been like. It’s not unusual for me to imagine what it was fully like to be there and live it. It’s also not unusual to break down the Bible into individual stories that are easy to cover in Sunday School or Bible study, but this can often create a disconnect where people isolate these stories instead of realizing they all happened to the same person or group of people. Someone looking at the life of Abraham might forget that he is the same man who was there when Sodom and Gomorrah fell or that he had, in his past, heard directly from God. How might those life experiences have informed his choices when confronted with the sacrifice of his beloved Isaac? These questions are explored beautifully during the course of His Only Child .

I deeply enjoyed having these pieces connected together and brought to life to create a more real-life Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac. It’s wonderful to have a new perspective on something we’ve always felt we knew backward and forward. His Only Son delivers this new vision in a powerful way as the story bounces back and forth between memories and Abraham’s current task of getting Isaac to Mount Moriah.

A few new characters were also introduced to drive the narrative and push some things forward and I enjoyed some of the challenges they presented to Abraham and Isaac. My only hesitation when coming out of the movie was that from a story perspective, I felt we didn’t give those new characters a satisfying conclusion. I went into this film feeling like I knew the story of Abraham and Isaac inside out and ultimately it wrapped their story and tied it to the resurrection with a neat bow. But I would have liked to see these other characters get some sort of closure or clarity that might have even changed the rest of their lives. When deeply exploring and adding depth and heft to such well known people like Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac, this left the new characters feeling a bit neglected and somewhat caricature-like. As a storyteller, I would have loved to see them be more than just characters that felt like they were thrown in to drive more of the narrative for the lead. But honestly, in the overall scope of things, that is such a minor nitpick when considering all that this first time filmmaker accomplished with this beautiful piece of entertainment.

His Only Son was, for me, a wonderful conversation starter and a film that challenged many of my own preconceived notions. It’s still in theaters around the country and should be playing for at least one more week. If you loved Risen , Ben Hur , or if you’re a fan of The Chosen , this is definitely one you will want to catch in theaters.

Angel Studios
Bible Story
His Only Son
theatrical release

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His only son.

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Would not see again., god is the most important, wow, incredibly beautiful and touching, unique biblical film, his only son is an emotional, theologically-sound movie, yes, go watch, definitely emotional walking the steps of abraham., his only son.

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His Only Son

Film synopsis.

His Only Son is the first feature-length film chronicling one of the most controversial moments in all of scripture--when the Lord God gave Abraham the ultimate test by commanding him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, on the mountain of Moriah. Answering age-old questions as to why the Lord would require such a sacrifice, His Only Son profoundly explores mankind's relationship to God and encourages viewers to turn inward and ask: Can your faith still stand when you are asked to give everything?

Release Date

March 31, 2023

David Helling

Michael Thomas Kaney II

Roman Medjanov

Distributor

Nicolas Mouawad

Edaan Moskowitz

Dan da Silva

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‘A cold place to have a premiere’: Angel Studios debuts ‘His Only Son’ in Utah

‘his only son’ details the story of abraham and isaac, but with other parallels.

By Hanna Seariac

VINEYARD — “Utah is a cold place to have a premiere,” joked Angel Studios co-founder Neal Harmon. Rain drizzled outside on Wednesday as the film “His Only Son” was shown for the first time on the big screen to Angel Studios investors and donors alongside media personalities.

Walking into the Vineyard Megaplex, there was something that you don’t often see at red carpet premieres — some families were in attendance together. As everyone made their way into the theater, there was lots of buzz about “The Chosen” and speculation about what “His Only Son” — releasing in around 2,000 theaters on March 31 — would be like.

The film opened with a message from director David Helling , discussing the origins of the movie. He said that since his conversion to Christianity while serving active duty in the Marines, his passion has been bringing scripture to life. He told the audience to temper their expectations, as the film had a budget of a quarter of a million dollars compared to the typical $50 million Hollywood films have. But, he said, $250,000 can go a long way.

“His Only Son” details the story of Abraham (Nicolas Mouawad) and Isaac (Edaan Moskowitz). In Genesis 22 , God commands Abraham to sacrifice Isaac at Moriah. Eventually, as the story goes, Abraham is told to not go forward with the sacrifice and that it was a test. It only spans 18 verses in the chapter, so to make into a feature-length film required a lot of creative reimagining.

Full disclosure — spoilers are ahead.

The film was shot in the middle of the California desert during summer 2019. Daniel de Silva, who has worked with Helling on other projects, said that the location of filming transported him in his mind back to ancient times. He recalled that when he first arrived on set, after driving hours in the middle of nowhere, he went inside Abraham’s tent and said that it even smelled like he thought an ancient tent would smell like.

Setting the events of Genesis 22 as parallel with earlier biblical narratives of how Abram and Sarai became Abraham and Sarah, as well as Sarai’s struggles with infertility, Hagar and the Abrahamic covenant, the film has multiple storylines woven throughout. One theme that ties them together was the difficulty of understanding why God would withhold certain blessings or ask certain things of the family.

Abraham is pensive during the film. Even though Isaac doesn’t know what’s happening, there are close-up shots of Abraham throughout that indicate Abraham’s own emotional struggles with the theophany and command to sacrifice Isaac. Lebanese actor Nicolas Mouawad played Abraham and said that he wanted to portray Abraham as a human being.

Mouawad emphasized that he was in awe of Abraham, but had noticed that some films portray biblical characters more as superheroes than human beings. Throughout his performance, he said he tried to remember that Abraham “is a man who loved God and had a son.” He said that he let that guide his performance.

One of the two young men who accompanies Abraham and Isaac on their three-day journey to Moriah peppers Abraham with difficult questions. In the film, Abraham doesn’t shy away from the questions, even as the young man expresses anger directly to him. That’s one of several examples of how the film goes beyond the biblical text and reconstructs potential storylines and emotions that characters would experience.

Sarai, played by Sara Seyed, for example, doesn’t have much known about her emotional struggles with infertility in the biblical narrative, but in the film, it becomes a central point.

The film is decidedly a Christian take on the story of Abraham and Isaac. Watching closely, there’s imagery of an open tomb, white stones, broken bread, rushing water and other image cues that could remind the audience of Jesus. Other phrases like “death is the penalty for sin” seem to be borrowing from the later text of Romans 6:23 and acts as a verbal cue to remember Jesus.

When Abraham is told to stop sacrificing Isaac and that God will provide a ram, a ram belts out in the background before the scene switches to Jesus on the cross. De Silva said being on the cross for this end scene was the most difficult part of filming. A centurion knelt in front of Jesus and said, “Truly, this was the son of God.”

The final scene is the culmination of parallels between the story of Abraham attempting to sacrifice Isaac and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Scholars have teased out similarities between these two sacrificial narratives before, and Helling tries to draw these out in the film. Jesus dies at the exact same location as the altar Abraham and Isaac built at Moriah.

Helling said that he did that because some have said that Jesus died at Moriah and he believes that Abraham attempted to sacrifice Isaac in the same spot that Jesus died. When asked about the historical research he did for the film, Helling said that a lot of the film was directed by prayer and that he’s looked into the anthropological and archaeological record.

In the context of Christian entertainment, the film seems to veer implicitly towards a Christian audience due to the symbolism throughout. When de Silva was asked to sum up the film in one word, he said “belief.” His response encapsulates what seems to be the central focus on the film, comparing Abraham and Isaac’s story with the story of Jesus.

More so on the technical side of the film, the group did a lot with being on a shoestring budget. It takes place entirely outside in the desert and on the mountains. The costumes are typical of biblical productions (and done well), and the cinematography focused on connecting the audience with emotions of the characters, especially Abraham.

The cinematography also concentrated on how to send visual cues to the audience that they should reflect on Jesus when watching the film. The flashbacks to earlier times of Abraham’s life run into the contemporaneous plot of the film as well as what happens around 2,000 years after Abraham. Since the timing can feel blurry due to the way it’s filmed, that also seems to be the goal.

Helling said that he felt driven to make the film to give believers a response to skeptics about the Abraham story and because he wanted to show these parallels. That was apparent in the plot as well as the cinematography.

If you’d like to see the film in theaters, it premieres nationwide on March 31. Angel Studios provides audience-driven (i.e. crowdfunded) entertainment and “His Only Son” also fell into that category. The distribution of the film in theaters was made possible due to investors.

Traditional Thomistic Catholic

Perspectives of a traditional Catholic based on a Thomistic philosophical point of view

Movie Review: His only Son

This was decent movie. It was entertaining and not totally unlike the Bible narrative. But what was not in the movie, and I understand artistic license, was when God communicated with Abraham in the Bible he mostly used angels, He did not come himself to speak to Abraham. When God did communicate directly with Abraham it appears to be in dreams in the Bible.

I think this movie is for adults, because it deals with Abram having a concubine, which may tend to confuse children who one is trying to teach the faith to. Also, there is mostly dialog and not much action except for a couple of soldiers being jerks. Finally, it deals with the adult subjects of murder and rape. The wrongness of these things are illuminating, through the acting, of how these things should be abhorrent to humans and how decent humans should react to such things.

In fact, I only remember 2 times God communicated with man directly, once with Moses to give him the 10 commandments and once to the society of the Jewish people as Jesus Christ to show them the commandments and His beatitudes, through example. There can be arguments about this but just as by the individual Eve man first fell, the “society” of Adam and Eve fell when Eve convinced Adam to also “fall.” Each individual must accept and work for God in his on heart and work for Him together with His fellow Christians as part of the mystical body of Christ, in his own life to help God bring about the kingdom of heaven (Romans 12:5 and Colossians 1:18). It has been left to man to be Jesus Christ’s words of good news and hand’s to help the needy and helpless of this world and help them to possibly reach the happiness that most of the rich and learned, in their pride, will not reach.

Back to the movie, I also missed the fact that in the Bible when the 3 angels said that Sarah would have a son when they returned next year, she laughed behind them because she was so old and thought herself unable to have any children. What I did like in this movie was the feeling I saw in the relationship between Abraham and his wife Sarah. This exemplified what I saw in the Bible as what the feelings of each should have been. It brought out the emotions I thought should be there based on the various situations portrayed in the movie. In the end they made a reference to Jesus’ death and attempted to draw out how the request for Abraham’s sacrifice was a type of God the father’s sacrifice of his son. It exemplifies how God desires mercy not sacrifice (Hosea 6:6, Hosea is also called Osee in some bibles and also Matthew 9:13) for us, but does not spare even His only begotten Son to help humankind.

Screen Rant

Shogun finale ending explained: does toranaga become shogun.

Shōgun’s finale masterfully concluded the series with an episode that subverted expectations and revealed Lord Yoshii Toranaga’s true goal.

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Shōgun episode 10.

Toranaga's goal was to overthrow the Regents and essentially become shōgun to lead a new age of peace in Japan.
Ochiba-no-kata's support led Toranaga to victory over Ishido.
Blackthorne's ship was burned by Toranaga to keep him in Japan, as well as to prevent the Portuguese from killing him.

Shōgun episode 10 masterfully concluded the show and wrapped up the stories of all main characters, raising the question of whether Yoshii Toranaga became shōgun following his victory against Ishido. The critically acclaimed FX series was based on James Clavell’s Shōgun novel, which itself was inspired by the true story of Tokugawa Ieyasu . The major changes Japan went through at the end of the 16th century set the narrative for Shōgun , whose finale confirmed Toranaga’s goal was indeed to overthrow the Regents and lead Japan into a new era.

Yabushige, who committed seppuku for helping Ishido kill Mariko, was the only Shōgun character to hear from Toranaga himself the full extent of his plan. While the battle between the forces of Toranaga and Ishido wasn’t shown, Shōgun ’s finale made it clear that Toranaga was going to win the war. John Blackthorne, whose story was based on William Addams , dreamt of returning home and growing old thinking of Mariko, but his ship was destroyed. Therefore, Blackthorne might never return to England . Shōgun ’s bittersweet finale highlighted how complex of a character Yoshii Toranaga was.

Does Lord Toranaga Become Shōgun?

Toranaga sought to become shōgun the whole time.

Lord Toranaga secretly sought to become shōgun the whole time, as revealed by his conversation with Yabushige toward the end of episode 10. Toranaga envisioned a period of peace for Japan in which there would be no wars over the control of the country, with him serving as the absolute military leader as the first true shōgun in years. None of Toranaga’s closest allies were aware of the true extent of his plan, which included defeating Ishido before the war even started. Toranaga’s plan will succeed, and he will eventually become shōgun.

Lord Toranaga’s character is based on Tokugawa Ieyasu, who, after the Battle of Sekigahara against Ishida Mitsunari, replaced the Council of Elders as the true ruler of Japan. Ieyasu originally had the support of the Taikō’s heir and his mother, Yodo-no-kata, but their influence on his rule was minimal. However, a few years after establishing his power as shōgun, Ieyasu made a move against the heir, Toyotomi Hideyori. This attack ended with the heir committing seppuku and his mother becoming a nun. Yodo-no-kata was the inspiration for Shōgun ’s Ochiba-no-kata , whereas Ishido was based on Ishida Mitsunari.

Considering James Clavell’s Shōgun novel is based on the origins of Tokugawa Ieyasu's shōgunate, it can be assumed that Lord Toranaga’s story concludes similarly to that of his real-life counterpart. With the support of Ochiba-no-kata, who represents the heir until he comes of age, it became easy for Toranaga to gather allies that were once supporting Ishido. Without the heir under his banner, Ishido had no chance of winning the war. This is why Shōgun did not show the Battle of Sekigahara in full – Toranaga’s plan had already succeeded before he even met Ishido on the battlefield.

How Toranaga Won The War Against Ishido In Shōgun’s Finale

Ochiba-no-kata’s support won toranaga the war.

Lady Mariko’s death in Shōgun episode 9 helped Lord Toranaga in many ways. Firstly, it brought instability into the Osaka Castle and disrupted Ishido’s power now that the daimyos realized he was keeping hostages. Without the support of some of the most powerful lords in the region, plus the inner conflicts within the Council of Regents, Ishido became much weaker after Mariko’s sacrifice. Additionally, the death of Lady Mariko took a toll on Ochiba-no-kata. Mariko and Ochiba essentially grew up as sisters , and the former’s demise led the latter to rethink her stance on the war.

The scene in which Ochiba-no-kata read Mariko’s poetry to her son demonstrated how much of an impact Mariko’s death had on the heir’s mother. Ochiba likely realized that it was not worth it to risk her son’s life in a war against Toranaga, especially because the chances of Ishido winning were now much lower. Before she died, Mariko tried to convince Ochiba to support Toranaga , which ended up happening after all. With the heir on his side, it became easy for Toranaga to consolidate his power. Ishido arrived at the Battle of Sekigahara having already lost the war.

In the Shōgun novel, Toranaga captures Ishido after the Battle of Sekigahara and buries him up to his neck, with Ishido dying three days later.

Who Burned John Blackthorne’s Ship In Shōgun’s Finale

Blackthorne survived but did not return home.

Lord Toranaga had John Blackthorne’s ship burned at the end of Shōgun . While Toranaga made it seem like a traitor in Ajiro was responsible for it, the Lord of Kanto secretly acted so that Blackthorne would never leave Japan. The destruction of Blacthorne’s ship was also part of a deal Mariko worked with the Portuguese in exchange for the Anjin’s life. Blackthorne’s life would be spared, but he would never leave Japan. The Portuguese made sure the English Protestant would never bring his allies to Japan, whereas Toranaga got to keep his unusual ally close.

Shogun Season 2 Can't Happen, But There Are 4 Sequel TV Shows That Could

According to Toranaga, he liked having Blackthorne around because the Anjin made him laugh. Additionally, Blackthorne helped create distractions for Toranaga. The Anjin created a lot of trouble as soon as he arrived in Japan, giving Yoshii more freedom to act while his enemies were focused on the barbarian and his ship. Both the Council of Regents and the Portuguese merchants were too busy worrying about Blackthorne to realize the Lord of Kanto was about to take over the country. Blackthorne believed he was using Toranaga, yet it was actually the opposite that was happening.

Why Toranaga Smiles During Yabushige’s Seppuku

Yabushige learned about toranaga’s true plan before dying.

Yabushige was one of the most interesting characters in Shōgun . Loyal to no one but himself and fascinated with death, Yabushi was Shōgun ’s wild card and met his end in episode 10. After being exposed for conspiring with Ishido to orchestrate the attack on the Osaka Castle , Yabushige was sentenced to commit seppuku. Toranaga served as his second, leading to arguably the most important scene in the whole show. Yabushige wanted to know the truth about Toranaga’s plan , and since he was about to die, he got to hear everything from Toranaga himself.

After the seppuku ritual was concluded, a subtle smile could be seen on Lord Toranaga’s face.

Lord Toranaga explained his plan and vision for the future of Japan down to the minimum details for Yabushige. This is when Shōgun ’s finale included a montage sequence depicting Toranaga’s victory against Ishido. However, once Yabushige asked Toranaga if his plan was always to become shōgun, the Lord of Kanto did not give a direct answer. After the seppuku ritual was concluded, a subtle smile could be seen on Lord Toranaga’s face. This implied that Yabushige was right – Toranaga did plan to become shōgun the whole time. With Yabushige dead, no one will ever know the truth.

John Blackthorne’s Visions Of The Future Explained

Blackthorne’s “dream of a dream” will not come true.

Shōgun episode 10 opened with an elder John Blackthorne lying down on his bed as his grandchildren talked about the sword he has up on his wall. The children talked about their grandfather’s feat against “savages” in a major battle in what appeared to be a flashforward set decades after the events of Shōgun . Blackthorne had Lady Mariko’s cross on his hands, and the scene initially suggested that he eventually returned to England. However, given that Blackthorne let go of the cross in the sea, it is safe to say the episode’s opening sequence was a dream.

What Happens To John Blackthorne After Shōgun

The anjin’s fate is to remain in japan forever.

According to Lord Toranaga, it is the Anjin’s fate to remain in Japan. Toranaga will only tell the truth about what happened to Blackthorne’s ship once the Anjin has built a new one. Even then, Toranaga will “probably burn it too.” It is implied in James Clavell’s Shōgun novel that John Blackthorne never returned to England and lived the rest of his life in Japan. The Anjin’s fate was in Toranaga’s hands since the beginning, which Blackthorne failed to realize. The dream sequence from the start of the Shōgun finale will never come true because Blackthorne will never leave Japan.

What The Ending Of Shōgun Really Means

Shōgun told the story of how toranaga’s rule came to be.

Shōgun episode 10 may not have been the action-packed finale some were expecting, but it was still a great conclusion to the series. The episode honored the source material and followed the end of the Shōgun novel quite closely. Shōgun was about the intertwined stories of Lord Toranaga, John Blackthorne, and Lady Mariko, all of whom played a role in shaping the next two centuries of Japan’s history according to their real-life counterparts. Both Blackthorne and Mariko ended up being pawns in the long game played by Toranaga, whose rule as shōgun will begin in Edo.

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Shogun is an FX original mini-series set in 17th Century Japan. Shogun follows John Blackthorne, who becomes a samurai warrior but is unknowingly a pawn in Yoshii Toranaga's plan to become Shogun. The series stars Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne and Hiroyuki Sanada as Yoshii Toranaga, along with Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano, and Yûki Kedôin.

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The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time.

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Runtime 2 hours 2 minutes

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Unsung Hero Review: Uplifting True-Story Drama About a Budding Singer Will Inspire Families Everywhere

The real-life Smallbone family moved from Australia to the U.S. in search of the American dream. Bring tissues, even if it all gets a tad cheesy.

Joel Smallbone plays his real-life dad, David, in Unsung Hero , wearing his dad's jacket from 30 years ago.
Smallbone's remarkable performance will floor you, along with the convincing supporting cast. A family of Aussies with Grammy winners.
Unsung Hero balances faith and grounded drama, exploring the Smallbone family's struggles before achieving stardom. A heartwarming family flick.

In Unsung Hero , Joel Smallbone plays his own, real-life dad as he parents the child that would become, well, Joel. He even wears his dad's authentic jacket during the film from 30 years ago. Take that, Hollywood multiverses! Smallbone's remarkable turn as his dad, David, will simply floor you. The rest of the cast is pretty darn convincing, too.

It's a family of Australians, and if you haven't heard of the Smallbone family, maybe you've heard of either Rebecca St. James or the Christian pop duo for KING & COUNTRY. Said musical artists are biologically related — and both are Grammy winners, while we're on the subject. Years earlier, they were economically struggling young kids whose jobless dad took the riskiest of risks in emigrating from Down Under to the U.S. with hopes of starting anew.

The rest is history, as one of the kids is ultimately discovered for having a remarkable singing voice. But the road to discovery isn't always easy. When Unsung Hero doesn't lean into occasional overt cheesiness, you might just have a grand ol' time rooting for the Smallbone family on the big screen, especially if you're surrounded by friends or family during the viewing experience. It exists in a similar vein as the terrific Ordinary Angels , which is equally emotional for a PG movie. A family-friendly double feature should be in order down the line, if you have enough tissues.

Unsung Hero

Solid performances by Joel Smallbone and Daisy Betts
Supporting turns by Lucas Black and Kirrilee Berger also great
Not too heavy on faith-based
Falls into traditional family-friendly cinema tropes too often
Too heavy on cliched musical score, when thumping soundtrack isn't involved

A Balance of Faith and Grounded Drama

Some terrifying movies have emerged out of Australia in recent months, such as You'll Never Find Me and Monolith , but Unsung Hero is a far cry away from that kind of dark subject matter. The only scares here are the fear of failure. You don't have to be an Aussie to relate to David's palpable struggles of career woes and everything tied to finances.

You might wince at his wretched face when he returns home after a long day to an epic surprise birthday party thrown by his wife, seven kids (yes, seven), and his own parents (one of whom is played by Lost star Terry O'Quinn , donning a makeshift accent here). Oh, and the icing on the cake: Wife Helen ( Chicago Fire star Daisy Betts) is pregnant! Gosh, what is David to do? Some of us can't even afford to support one kid in this day and age, let alone almost 10.

Unsung Hero is being marketed as a faith-based film, but how you perceive religion shouldn't be a dealbreaker in deciding which seat to fill at the cinema this weekend. The power of faith certainly plays its part in helping the Smallbone family hold on and never give up, but the movie succeeds by exploring the practical ways in which they get by before ultimately achieving stardom.

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Once they set up shop in a rundown house in rural America, for example, a chance run-in with neighbors leads to the Smallbones doing yardwork and cleaning homes for profit until David can re-establish himself as the somewhat successful music promoter he once was. One home they stumble upon for cleaning happens to belong to famed musician Eddie Degarmo (Jonathan Jackson), who David subtly keeps tabs on. Maybe one day, a business deal can blossom...

The Realities of Aiming High

But until then, the Smallbones visit the local church, where they meet priest Jed Albright ( Friday Night Lights star Lucas Black, shining in a role he was born to play) and wife Kay ( Full House star Candace Cameron Bure, certainly looking the part). This sort of local power couple will simply warm your heart — and then drive you mad, when the stubborn David often refuses their help by letting his pride get in the way. That includes when Helen finally gives birth and spawns a $6,000 hospital bill. Soon following is a remarkable scene where David gets in Jed's face after learning Jed secretly paid the bill to help them out. It's tense, grounded moments like these that help boost a traditional family flick.

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Unsung Hero also proves Joel Smallbone can carry a film, in addition to his successful real-life music career as one-half of for KING & COUNTRY. The film's uplifting excitement kicks into high gear when Joel's sister Rebecca (played well by young Australian-American actress Kirrilee Bergee) accidentally lets the community know that her singing voice is simply remarkable. Berger is a star in the making, with a real-life music career budding as well, and it's gripping storytelling seeing her and dad David trying to navigate the U.S. music scene down South.

Another standout performance from Joel Smallbone comes when Rebecca is struggling to find representation, and David (played by Joel) is losing hope, so he tries to give his daughter a reality check by shouting "You will never be enough!" This is perhaps a manifestation of his failed dreams , something many of us can perhaps relate to. Sure, Unsung Hero is a family film, but it's not all smooth sailing along the way. Yes, some corny cinematic tricks could have been dialed back, but Unsung Hero is an inspiring, harmless little song & dance.

From Lionsgate, Unsung Hero is now playing in theaters.

Review: In 'Unsung Hero,' a family's musical success story comes to life via the clan itself

C inematic memoir can be a complex creative endeavor. Film is a collaborative medium and memoir requires a certain acknowledgment of the author’s creation. Without that self-reflection, it can slip into murky, confusing territory. This space is where the new film “Unsung Hero,” which is billed as a “For King & Country Film,” exists.

If you’re not yet aware of the Grammy-winning Christian pop duo For King & Country, comprising brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone, “Unsung Hero” will introduce you to their folksy family lore, if not their musical successes. The film is a biographical drama about the Smallbone family, a large brood from Australia who immigrated to Nashville in the early 1990s, following father David’s dreams of working as a promoter in the music industry.

“Unsung Hero” is co-written and co-directed by Joel Smallbone (with Richard L. Ramsey) and he also stars in the film playing his own father, who eventually managed the music careers of For King & Country, and Joel’s sister Rebecca St. James. Their siblings work in the family business as managers, lighting directors and documentarians (they all make cameos in the film), and there’s a sense of can-do collaboration among the tight-knit Smallbone family. This theme runs throughout the film and it makes sense that Joel would undertake the telling of his family’s own story in such an intimate way.

Therefore, “Unsung Hero” is like a much more expensive extension of the camcorder home movies that serve as a running motif throughout. This isn’t just a music biopic or a family drama — it’s a presentation of a family narrative as told and embodied by the family members themselves. A valid endeavor, to be sure, but important context when considering the work as a cultural product.

Joel Smallbone is an appealing actor, even if it is a bit distracting that he’s portraying his own father (he has described the experience as a “therapy session”). Joel is also a character in the film, as a child (Diesel La Torraca), while Daisy Betts plays Helen, the Smallbone matriarch and Joel’s mother. Helen is, of course, the unsung hero of this story, the heart and spine of the family who insists on keeping them together while David makes one last-ditch attempt to make it in the music industry in Nashville. Betts is the emotional center of this film, her character unflagging in her determination, keeping spirits up as David’s dreams are slowly crushed.

The family of attractive Aussies arrive in the United States without a stick of furniture in their rental home, and they nest in beds of clothes while they get on their feet with the help of a couple from their church (Lucas Black and Candace Cameron Bure). They clean houses and landscape yards, clip coupons and accept the charity that comes their way, reluctantly, on David’s part.

While David struggles with the dampening of his dreams, his daughter Rebecca (Kirrilee Berger) is just starting to embrace her musical aspirations. But she can’t chase them until her father gets over his own deep hurt at being rejected by the industry. It takes him some time to understand the advice given to him by his own father, James (Terry O’Quinn), back in Australia, that his family isn’t in the way of what he wants. Rather, they are the way.

“Unsung Hero” follows a predictable narrative path of struggles and salvation, but it’s not a traditional music biopic — it doesn’t start with a record deal, it ends with one. The focus is on their hardships to get to that record deal, which is clearly what matters to filmmaker Joel Smallbone. It’s not the success, the Grammys, the stadium concerts, but the ways they stuck together, eked it out, allowed themselves to dream, all thanks to their mother, who never let David’s challenges get in the way of her kids’ imaginations.

It’s a humble story, one with the capacity to inspire in its simple message of perseverance. But the film itself, as an artistic product, feels limited in its observational scope, because the filmmaker doesn’t have any distance from the material. Smallbone is a fine actor, but alongside Ramsey, he’s a limited filmmaker. Their visual style is drab at best, and the storytelling lacks the kind of self-reflection that might elevate this project. As it is, “Unsung Hero” feels more like band merch than an insightful family portrait.

Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times .

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HIS ONLY SON
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Everything You Need to Know About His Only Son Movie (2023)
"His Only Son" Tells the Story of Abraham, Isaac and the Mercy of God

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His Only Son
83% 12 Reviews Tomatometer 96% 1,000+ Verified Ratings Audience Score His Only Son is the first feature-length film chronicling one of the most controversial moments in all of scripture--when the ...
4 Things You Should Know about His Only Son, Angel Studio's Newest Movie
A film adaptation of the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac, distributed by Angel Studios, the makers of The Chosen. The movie explores Abraham's obedience, Isaac's reaction, and the foreshadowing of Christ in the sacrifice.
His Only Son Movie Review
A biblical drama that centers on the story of Abraham being tested by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. The movie has mixed reviews from parents and kids, who praise the faith-based messages but criticize the loose adaptation and the portrayal of Sarah.
His Only Son
And His Only Son goes beyond that to make a direct connection between Abraham's called-upon (but suspended) sacrifice and God's plan to sacrifice His son, Jesus, as a covering for the sins of the world. Throughout the film, Abraham meets sporadically with glowing individuals who represent a heavenly personage and impart God's will to him.
His Only Son (2023)
His Only Son: Directed by David Helling. With Daniel da Silva, Nicolas Mouawad, Sara Seyed, Luis Fernandez-Gil. After being called on by the Lord, Abraham's faith is tested on his three day journey to sacrifice his son.
His Only Son (2023)
8/10. This movie is so powerful. robfollower 10 April 2023. The film "His Only Son," based on the biblical account of Abraham and his son, Isaac (Genesis 22), has made history by becoming the first-ever crowdfund film to have a nationwide theatrical release.
The Independent Critic
Rated PG-13, a bit of a rarity for faith-based cienma, His Only Son explores mature thematic content with honesty yet remains both faithful to scripture and accessible to families. Younger and more sensitive children will undoubtedly have questions, though these same children are likely to be captivated by a color palette that mesmerizes and an ...
His Only Son Reviews Film Threat
Movie score: 7/10. "…feels professional and cinematic..." One of the most controversial moments in the Bible comes to life in writer-director David Helling's His Only Son. The feature film recounts that fateful moment on Mount Mariah between the father of Israel and what he must do to his only son, Isaac. I'll just say I'm very familiar with ...
[Review]
HIS ONLY SON, directed by David Helling, portrays one of the most contentious events in the Old Testament—when God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac on the mountain of Moriah. While traveling to the sacrificial site with Isaac and two servants, Abraham gets struck with vivid recollections of the years he and Sarah spent longing for the child God had promised them—the son he must now ...
Review: His Only Son (2023)
Bottom Line: His Only Son will speak to its intended audience and the filmmakers have a thoughtful take on this Biblical story. The film's dramatic fumbles undermine the potential of the material. Episode: #943 (April 9, 2023) Sounds of Cinema review of His Only Son directed by David Helling and starring Nicolas Mouawad and Sara Seyed and ...
'His Only Son' is a worthy, if imperfect, portrayal of God's love
A movie that retells the biblical story of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac, with flashbacks of his life and God's promises. The review praises the movie's humanness and faithfulness, but criticizes its visual and theological shortcomings.
Movie Review: Abraham's story aimed at the Easter audience
Writer-director David Helling introduces and adds a filmed postscript to his first feature film, "His Only Son," something not wholly unheard of in mainstream cinema, but not that unusual in faith-based films. He talks down the film's budget and talks up the crowd-sourced wide release efforts of this account of the moment when Abraham became the father of the Chosen People, tested by the ...
HIS ONLY SON
The movie takes a contemplative look at God's command, Abraham's struggle with carrying it out, and their meaning. As Abraham and his son travel to the mountain, the movie artfully depicts the patriarch's life up to that moment. The tension is palpable as Abraham, the man of faith, and his only son reach the mountain. HIS ONLY SON tells a ...
Review: 'His Only Son,' starring Nicolas Mouawad, Sara Seyed, Edaan
Nicolas Mouawad and Edaan Moskowitz in "His Only Son" (Photo courtesy of Angel Studios) "His Only Son" is a worthy, low-budget drama about religious figure Abraham, when he was called by God to make his greatest sacrifice: the life of his son. The depiction of Abraham's troubled marriage gives this reverent movie some grit.
Review: His Only Son
Beautifully produced, this movie is distributed by Angel Studios, the folks behind the breakout hit, The Chosen. His Only Son flies in the face of those who often cry that quality films can't ...
Parent reviews for His Only Son
His only son. Well made movie just wish they would've done Sarah's character less infuriating. Sarah made me mad every time she came on screen. Which was about 5+ times. She was crying, blaspheming God, questioning Abraham, questioning God, nagging her husband. She literally ruined the movie for me.
His Only Son
His Only Son is a 2023 American biblical drama film produced, edited, ... On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 83% based on 12 reviews, ... Roger Moore of Movie Nation was highly critical of the film, giving it 1.5/4 and saying, "There's a reason others have filmed the Abraham/Isaac story, but ...
Everything You Need to Know About His Only Son Movie (2023)
Across the Web. His Only Son in US theaters March 31, 2023 starring Daniel da Silva, Nicolas Mouawad, Sara Seyed, Ottavio Taddei. His Only Son is the first feature-length film chronicling one of the most controversial moments in all of scripture—when the Lord God gave.
His Only Son Now streaming
Film synopsis. His Only Son is the first feature-length film chronicling one of the most controversial moments in all of scripture--when the Lord God gave Abraham the ultimate test by commanding him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, on the mountain of Moriah. Answering age-old questions as to why the Lord would require such a sacrifice, His ...
His Only Son (2023) Movie Reviews
His Only Son is the first feature-length film chronicling one of the most controversial moments in all of scripture—when the Lord God gave Abraham the ultimate test by commanding him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, on the mountain of Moriah. ... His Only Son (2023) Fan Reviews and Ratings Powered by Rotten Tomatoes Rate Movie. Close ...
Angel Studios debuts 'His Only Son': review and release date
As everyone made their way into the theater, there was lots of buzz about "The Chosen" and speculation about what "His Only Son" — releasing in around 2,000 theaters on March 31 — would be like. The film opened with a message from director David Helling, discussing the origins of the movie. He said that since his conversion to ...
Movie Review: His only Son
April 16, 2023. This was decent movie. It was entertaining and not totally unlike the Bible narrative. But what was not in the movie, and I understand artistic license, was when God communicated with Abraham in the Bible he mostly used angels, He did not come himself to speak to Abraham. When God did communicate directly with….
Shogun Finale Ending Explained: Does Toranaga Become Shogun?
Shōgun episode 10 masterfully concluded the show and wrapped up the stories of all main characters, raising the question of whether Yoshii Toranaga became shōgun following his victory against Ishido. The critically acclaimed FX series was based on James Clavell's Shōgun novel, which itself was inspired by the true story of Tokugawa Ieyasu.The major changes Japan went through at the end of ...
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Movie Review: Abraham’s story aimed at the Easter audience — “His Only Son”

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