David (PG)
25/02/26 22:09 Filed in: 2025
Starring: Brandon Engman
December 2025
Warning! This is NOT a movie review. This is a critique of the film. Intended to initiate a dialogue, the following analysis explores various aspects of the film and may contain spoilers. For concerns over objectionable content, please first refer to one of the many parental movie guide websites. Ratings are based on a four star system. Happy reading!
As a kid, my favorite Sunday School story was “David and Goliath.” Though considerably time-compressed from the Biblical account, history’s most lopsided showdown is thrilling, inspiring and told with visual verve in Angel Studios’ animated David.
The aesthetic choices made by directors Phil Cunningham and Brent Dawes in this sequence are a mixed bag: whereas the aerial shot of David (voiced by Brandon Engman) walking through a field of red flowers is a striking visual, the pasty-skinned Goliath (the 10-foot-tall giant, voiced by Kamran Nikhad) is an unusual element. There’s also a Zemeckis-style flourish (feather in Forrest Gump and golden ticket in The Polar Express) in the film—a butterfly flits in and out of key sequences in the movie.
As the centerpiece of the movie, which fittingly takes place close to the middle of the action, the David vs Goliath spectacle is both the most well-known and most interesting part of David. Unfortunately, the rest of the film, which is dominated by David’s flight from Saul’s army, isn’t nearly as riveting or cinematic.
For those wondering how the story of young David would be adapted for a kids’ film, have no fear. Writers Dawes, Kyle Portbury and Sam Wilson have wisely avoided some of the more graphic elements from the Bible narrative. Raising Goliath’s helmet, rather than his decapitated head, was one wise choice. Also, the movie’s combat sequences are completely bloodless . . . we don’t even see sword clashes or arrow strikes.
However, despite the writers’ best efforts to make David a family-friendly film, there are some concerning elements to consider. Though the stone striking Goliath’s forehead and Saul throwing a spear at David are indispensable parts of the Biblical story, they may be too intense for young viewers. Also, the Amalekites, adorned with sticks and skulls, are a curious choice by Cunningham and Dawes—will the creepy-looking adversaries be too frightening for some kids?
I’m not a huge fan of musicals (or songs in movies, in general), but the handful of songs here work quite well within the story; though they’re nowhere near as emotional or memorable as the ones in The Prince of Egypt (1998). Many of the movie’s songs are written and performed by Christian singer, Phil Wickham, who also provides the speaking voice of the adult David.
Though a sequel seems unlikely (story elements involving Bathsheba, Uriah, Absalom, etc., are far too mature for a kids’ movie), the Young David (2023) series, created by Cunningham, serves as a prequel for this film and may be of interest to those who want to dive deeper into David’s early life.
In the end, this is a finely-rendered, fairly reverent animated retelling of select moments of David’s life from the book of Genesis in the Bible.
So, how will David perform against other major studio films released concurrently with this film? Though some will maintain it doesn’t have a prayer of succeeding, I believe it has a legitimate chance of toppling the competition.
Rating: 3 out of 4