The Forge takes a long time creating any dramatic tension and spends too much time on cliched tropes — the addictive nature of videogames – to make its point.
Read full articleThe main and only reason the film works is Taylor-Joy, sleek and alluring in a cropped black bob, all business and ninja nimble in great action sequences but also evoking free-spirited fun.
Read full articleWhile The Forge speaks to the power of mentorship, that doesn’t speak or account for a real world. The Kendrick Brothers take a promising faith-based story and turn it into a fairy tale with a neat and tidy happy ending.
Read full articleScreenwriters Stephen & Alex Kendrick may have set out to make an inspirational tale with The Forge, but sadly that uplifting message ultimately gets buried and smothered to the point where it ends up having very little to say at all.
Read full articleone cannot deny that the kind of mentoring showcased in the film could be of spiritual benefit to teens and young adults, especially those looking for direction in their lives.
Read full articleUnfortunately, after years of compromise and stubbornness, these Heaven-minded filmmakers have successfully crafted a road that leads directly to a cinematic Hell.
Read full articleThe struggles in this story are subtle, spiritual, and never melodramatic, but the characters are richly portrayed and deeply engaging... you come away feeling that you know and care about these people surprisingly deeply.
Read full article“The Forge” is a Black-presenting Christian film from a group of very conservative White Christian creators about fatherlessness and respectability. I’ll just leave that there.
Read full articleThe Forge is a pleasantly formulaic faith-based drama that tends to be preachy and mundane. However, the acting is solid, and the characters are likeable in this story about a young man who finds his identity and purpose.
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