The Carpenter's Son ending explained: The evolutionary journey of the young Jesus

The newly released psychological horror, The Carpenter's Son, explores the story of Jesus Christ during his younger years.

But this is not a traditional depiction of the biblical tales. In this film, director Lotfy Nathan chooses to show Christ's journey through a somber, subversive, and more humanized lens.

The Infancy Gospel of Thomas serves as the impetus of its story. The gospel, belonging to the period of Early Christianity, explores the story of Jesus Christ during his childhood. It stars Nicolas Cage, Noah Jupe, FKA Twigs, Isla Johnston and Souheila Yacoub.

Its synopsis, as per IMDb, goes as follows:

"Family hiding in Roman Egypt. Son known as 'the Boy' doubts guardian 'the Carpenter', rebelling with mysterious powers. As he uses abilities, they face natural and divine horrors."

So what happens in the ending of The Carpenter's Son?

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for The Carpenter's Son. Reader discretion is advised.

In the end, the Boy, who goes through a messy journey to find himself and exercise his divine powers, eventually walks onto the path of liberation and compassion. In the climax, he does not kill the Stranger.

Keep reading to find out more about the ending of The Carpenter's Son.

The ending of The Carpenter's Son: When teen Jesus walks the path from cruelty to compassion

The Carpenter's Son explores one of the most complex and debatable parts of the Gospel. It explores the story of how a young Jesus Christ might have caused the death of a teenager. This is highly contradictory as well as dark, because it completely subverts the traditional sanctity attached to the portrayal of Jesus.

Jesus Christ has been a highly revered figure for centuries, who has always been showcased as an epitome of benevolence, unconditional love and saintliness. But the most interesting part of the film is, it takes us on a more personalized and realistic journey about the fragility and complexity of mortality. It brings us the story of an imperfect teen, Jesus Christ, who goes through his own emotional dilemma and crisis. Here, The Boy undergoes a transformative journey to become the compassionate, holy and merciful figure that we know Jesus Christ to be.

The Boy is a normal, restless teenager who is navigating himself. He has his own flaws, moral dilemmas and confusions while he discovers his divine powers. He does have those abilities, but the Boy is yet to learn how to use them judiciously.

In one crucial moment in the story, he spots a teenager who sees him and his family striving to escape. As The Boy's survival instinct kicks him, he debilitates the Stranger so that he does not inform others. The fate of the Stranger, especially regarding whether he died or not, is quite obscure.

As a result, heavy guilt strikes upon The Boy, as he feels responsible for the supposed 'killing' of the teen. This brings about a fundamental change in his moral compass and conscience. He realizes the importance of compassion, humanity and accountability, which showcases huge emotional growth.

At the end of The Carpenter's Son, during a confrontational scene between The Boy and The Stranger, The Boy does things differently. He showcases mercy and kindness towards The Stranger and does not kill him. The Boy, who previously misused his powers by participating in an act of cruelty, finally realizes the responsibility that comes with mighty powers. He understands the actual importance of power: it is not about having it, it is about how we choose to use it mindfully.

The transformative journey of The Boy, when showcased with a humanized perspective, makes us realize that values such as compassion, mercy and empathy are not necessarily endowed upon an individual naturally. In The Carpenter's Son, The Boy undergoes a challenging journey filled with ambivalence. He even does morally wrong acts. But he consciously chooses to do the inner emotional work and healing, and emerges as the Jesus Christ that history has known.