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Biblical themed horror film,
The Carpenter’s Son
, was banned from screening in the Philippines.Nicolas Cage’s latest film received an X rating from the Film and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB).
In the Philippines, an X rating from the MTRCB means the film is not for public release or is essentially prohibited or not suitable for release in cinemas or television due to highly explicit content, extreme violence, or other inappropriate material.
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MTRCB, as reported
Rappler
in November 2025, stating that the film was ultimately banned after undergoing two separate screening reviews.
The council cited violations of the rules and regulations implementing Presidential Decree no.1986 of 2004, Article 201 of the Revised Criminal Code, and Presidential Decree No.960.
These articles are related to prohibiting content that is considered to be highly offensive to religion, public morals and Filipino cultural values from being played in public.
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The Carpenter’s Son is set in a quiet Egyptian village, where a carpenter and his young family find themselves in the midst of a disturbing spiritual phenomenon.
The film was inspired by the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, a Gnostic text that is considered heretical and depicts the young Jesus as rebellious, evil, or apparently under the influence of the devil.
These characteristics conflict with core Christian doctrine.Such creative choices could be seen as highly disturbing or offensive to religious audiences.
Directed by Lotfy Nathan, the film depicts Jesus’ childhood in a “non-canonical and horror-oriented manner.”The MTRCB deemed the story “blasphemous or highly offensive,” especially to the country’s predominantly Christian population.
The MTRCB also noted the film allegedly uses sacred icons and imagery in violent, sexual, or degrading contexts, and depicts sacred figures in a manner that is interpreted as insulting rather than artistic.
These elements, he said, are sufficient to provide an X rating based on PD 960 and Article 201.
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The distributor or production house revised the film for review, but a different committee still gave an X rating to the film, which also stars FKA Twigs.
The MTRCB stressed its decision “does not limit artistic freedom,” but it must fulfill its mandate to ensure material for the public “does not seriously violate standards of morality, decency, or respect for religious beliefs.”
Director’s response
Nathan as the director said that his film was not meant to convey something hidden.
This was conveyed because the film never clearly named the three main characters as Joseph, Mary and Jesus.They are referred to as children, mothers, and carpenters.
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“I don’t mean to cover it up or anything,” Nathan was reported to have said
TIME
on November 17.
“I think it’s pretty clear who the people in this film are. It made sense to me to try to tell this somewhat obscure origin story in a narrower scope with a bit of anonymity, when Jesus was probably just a carpenter’s son.”
Despite the criticism, Nathan has no regrets about making The Carpenter’s Son.
“There are a lot of very sterile and conventional approaches to Christianity and religious films. I tried to do something a little different, and I found that interesting and valuable,” Nathan said.
Despite everything, Nathan believes that people who actually watch the film will probably see things very differently.
“Basically, there are sects of Christianity that do not agree with the idea that Jesus could have been the human being depicted in the films,” he said.
“But it (The Carpenter’s Son) isn’t as evil as people assume. It doesn’t go as far as Infancy Gospel.”
Director Responds to The Carpenter’s Son Not Being Shown
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