A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Positive Messages
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Faith-based messages: Belief and faith will overcome obstacles, and the Lord will keep his promises.
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Positive Role Models
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Abraham's faith and belief are deep, and he's willing to do anything that God requests. Sarah, his wife, is devoted to her husband; she stands by him despite being shown to struggle with her faith. They both face challenges: Abraham from the pain he's made Sarah endure due to his obedience, Sarah from her impatience and contempt. Their son, Isaac, is shown to be brave and willing to stand up for what he believes is right, even if that means putting himself in danger.
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Diverse Representations
a little
All of the actors are of Middle Eastern descent, which is authentic for the setting. The majority of important characters are men. There are several women, but most aren't shown for very long besides Abraham's wife, Sarah, who's featured prominently in flashbacks. Other women are portrayed as victims; there's judgment implied on those who are sex workers.
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Violence & Scariness
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Abraham finds a man on the side of the road who's been attacked: He has several stab wounds that are covered in blood and he dies from his injuries. A soldier pulls out a sword and hits Isaac on the head with it. The same soldier stabs Abraham and pushes him to the ground. Soldiers tie a young woman up and have her walk behind a horse; it's implied that they sexually assaulted her. One of Abraham's men tries to attack him with a rock; Abraham hits him with his staff. Abraham ties his son to an altar and takes a knife out to kill him as a sacrifice.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
a little
Fertility issues are part of the story. Sarah talks about Abraham impregnating her maid, Hagar. During the journey, sex workers try to sell their services to Abraham and his companions.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that His Only Son is a biblical drama that centers on the story of Abraham (Nicholas Mouawed) being tested by God (Daniel da Silva). There are several scenes of violence, including kidnapping and implied sexual assault. A man is found on the side of the road, beaten up with stab wounds; he dies from his injuries. His kidnapped daughter is tied up and forced to walk behind soldiers' horses. It's implied that they've sexually assaulted her and will do the same to Abraham's son, Isaac (Edaan Moskowitz). Soldiers use swords and attack Isaac and Abraham. Abraham is told by God to sacrifice Isaac, so he ties his son to an altar and raises a knife to kill him. There's no substance use or strong language, but infertility is addressed: Abraham's wife, Sarah (Sara Seyed), talks about being unable to give him an heir. There's also a scene in which a man asks Abraham and his companions whether they'd like to spend time with his many women for a fair price. And Sarah gives her maid to Abraham as a second wife so that the maid can have his child. Overall, the film focuses on faith, belief, and obedience to God. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
What's the Story?
HIS ONLY SON is a fictionalized account of the biblical story of Abraham's (Nicolas Mouwed) journey to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as an offering to God (Daniel da Silva). In the film, God tells Abraham to go to Moriah, where he must sacrifice Isaac (Edaan Moskowitz) as a burnt offering. Abraham tells his wife, Sarah (Sara Seyed), that God spoke to him and that he'll be going on a three-day journey and taking Isaac with him, as well as two servants. Through flashbacks, viewers learn about the first time that God spoke to Abraham, telling him to move to a new land. During the flashbacks, Sarah isn't sure about Abraham's choices -- or that listening to God is the right thing for them and their families. Since infertility has prevented her from becoming a mother, she starts to lose faith that she will be the one to birth Abraham's heir. Out of sadness and desperation, she offers her maid to Abraham to help fulfill God's prophecy of Abraham's offspring being multiple and creating nations. Back in the movie's present, Abraham is having nightmares and feeling conflicted about his upcoming sacrifice. If he can make it through the remaining trials of his journey, will Abraham be obedient to God and sacrifice his only son?
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how His Only Son depicts faith and belief. Do faith and belief impact your decisions? How does Abraham's faith and belief in God's promises affect the way he lives his life?
Talk about the movie's violence. Is it necessary to the story? Can you think of other ways the story could have been told effectively?
Isaac was willing to trade his life for that of the kidnapped woman. Was that courageous? Should he have listened to his father and stayed out of it?
One of Abraham's servants says that Abraham places blame quickly and believes a group of people is capable of doing bad things based on a previous experience. How does Abraham respond? Do you agree with his response? Do you see examples of this happening with groups of people today?
Abraham is accused of giving himself license to do whatever he wants -- and enslaving whomever he wishes -- as long as he can say "the Lord says." What do you think about Abraham's response to this?
Movie Details
- In theaters: March 31, 2023
- Cast: Nicolas Mouawad, Sara Seyed, Daniel da Silva, Edaan Moskowitz
- Director: David Helling
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Middle Eastern/North African actors
- Studio: Angel Studios
- Genre: Drama
- Character Strengths: Courage
- Run time: 101 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: thematic content and some violence
- Last updated: February 15, 2024
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