The Forge (2024) Affirm Films/Drama RT: 123 minutes Rated PG (thematic elements) Director: Alex Kendrick Screenplay: Alex and Stephen Kendrick Music: Zachary Leffew Cinematography: Bob Scott Release date: August 23, 2024 (US) Cast: Aspen Kennedy, Priscilla C. Shirer, Cameron Arnett, BJ Arnett, Ken Bevel, Joseph Curtis Callender, Jonathan Evans, Brendan Goshay, Tommy Woodard, Benjamin Watson, Dylan Cruz, Marianne Haaland, Bobby Hardin Jr., Willie Mellina, Brian Porzio, Justin Sterner, Brad Worch II, Karen Abercrombie, T.C. Stallings, Alena Pitts.
Rating: ***
The first thing you need to know about the new faith-based drama The Forge is that it’s a de facto sequel to 2015’s War Room. It doesn’t actually continue the story, but some of the characters make return appearances including Miss Clara (Abercrombie), the feisty prayer warrior who always tells it like it is. She doesn’t fend off any muggers through the power of Christ in this one, but she offers up plenty of prayers and spiritual advice to a single mother having problems with her teenage son. BTW, the single mom in question is the twin sister of Elizabeth Jordan, the troubled wife and mother from War Room who learns to put her problems in the hands of God.
Isaiah Wright (Kennedy, Kingdom Business) has just graduated from high school. He has no plans for the future. He doesn’t even have a job. He spends his days playing basketball and video games much to the annoyance of his firm but loving mother (Shirer). She finally tells him he has a choice, find a job or get out. Isaiah unenthusiastically goes out looking for work. That’s when his life changes for the better.
Isaiah goes to a fitness equipment company to apply for a job. He meets the president of the company, Joshua Moore (Arnett, Vindication), in the reception area. Moore sees something in the boy and decides to give him a job with a condition. He has to allow his new boss to mentor him. This entails meeting with him before his shift for a heart-to-heart. What Moore’s actually doing is discipling, sharing the words of the Lord with his young protégé.
It takes some doing, but Moore finally makes Isaiah see the light. The boy accepts Christ as his personal savior and starts to become a responsible young man. It’s not a smooth road. He hits a few bumps along the way like running into the deadbeat dad that abandoned him and his mother when he was child. There’s a lot of anger there, but Moore tells him to give it over to the Lord and let Him carry the burden. He speaks from experience. He carried a lot of anger towards the drunk driver who killed his teenage son several years earlier, but he took the advice of his mentor and let it go.
So what does the title The Forge mean? It’s the name of a group of Christian men who meet every couple of weeks for support and to hold each other accountable. Moore invites Isaiah to join the group which includes his Uncle Tony (Stallings), the flawed husband from War Room.
People talk about the audiences for horror films being rowdy. Try watching a religious movie with a theater full of black church ladies. That’s what happened with War Room and again with The Forge. Let me tell you, it’s quite the experience. It’s like they’re in church with their cries of “Amen!” and “Uh huh!” I have to admit I found myself nodding in agreement at several points. The spirit of this movie is infectious.
I have no problem with religious films. Some of them are pretty good, especially the ones made by the Kendrick brothers, Alex (director) and Stephen (co-writer). Alex, formerly an associate pastor at Sherwood Baptist Church (in Albany, GA), has found his second calling as a filmmaker. His work looks as polished and professional as any major Hollywood production albeit with a much lower budget. It’s fine because one doesn’t need hundreds of millions of dollars to tell a story involving the world’s first superhero, Jesus Christ. I realize I sound like a counselor at a Bible camp with a statement like that, but I’m reviewing a film aimed at Christian audiences. It only makes sense to put it in terms they’ll understand and appreciate.
The Forge is a good movie, but it goes get preachy and melodramatic at several points. It ends with a dramatic call to arms (figuratively speaking) for all Christians to spread the Word wherever and whenever they can. The music swells as we watch folks from all walks of life sharing the Word in classrooms, on college campuses and over coffee. It’s actually rather stirring. Now for the part I don’t like. It seems the Kendricks have taken a cue from Angel Studios. They show up during the closing credits asking audiences to buy tickets for those who can’t afford it. It still seems like a shameless move to solicit donations that way, but I guess it works.
ANYWAY, I don’t mind that The Forge gets preachy and melodramatic. It’s all part of the experience. And you know what? It works in its own way. Now I’d like to talk briefly about the acting. It’s pretty much what you’d expect from this type of film; however, I’d like to give special props to Kennedy who absolutely crushes it as Isaiah, a black teen who isn’t actually a thug or criminal. Is he irresponsible? Yes, show me a teen that isn’t. Is he disrespectful to adults? Yes, show me a teen that isn’t. In short, he’s like any teen of any race. Thankfully, he meets a good man who teaches him how to be a man, a real man, one who shows respect and shows up. Kennedy does a wonderful job in the role. I hope to see more of him in future projects.
It’s great seeing Miss Clara again. The Kendrick boys should put her in all of their films. They could build a whole universe kind of like Marvel only without all the CGI mayhem. I really hope they get to read this review. Even so, The Forge is a really good movie. In fact, it’s the best one I saw this weekend. I just know the Sunday after-church crowd will love it.
