The Forge is the latest movie by the Kendrick brothers, following on from their 2015 box office hit War Room. It was released on the 23rd August in the United States, where it finished fifth at the box office (grossing $6.6 million for the weekend). The movie will be released in Australia on the 29th of August and is screening in 109 cinemas across most major cinema chains, including Hoyts, Event Cinemas and Cineplex.
I recently attended a pre-screening of The Forge; these are my observations and thoughts.
Overview
The Forge follows Isaiah Wright (played by Aspen Kennedy), a 19 year old boy from Charlotte, NC, who is a year out of high school and is still floating around with no plans for his life. I say “boy” intentionally, because that is made very clear by the opening of film - he may be 19, but Isaiah is not a man.
When his single mother finally tells him to get a job or get out, Isaiah is rudely jolted into the “growing up” process. During this process, he gives his life to God, begins to clean up his act, and comes under the mentorship of his new boss, Joshua Moore (Cameron Arnett). He is introduced to “The Forge”, a group of men who have been individually mentored by Joshua over the past 15 years, and serve to provide encouragement and accountability to one another. Isaiah learns to embrace responsibility and become a leader in his own right, while simultaneously dealing with the sacrifices that must be made to follow Jesus. In short, it is the film of a boy becoming a man, and of a man becoming a disciple. And yes, there are swords. But sadly no sword-fighting 😥
The Movie
Unlike a run-of-the-mill movie, there is no strong, object-oriented plot in The Forge - rather, it has Isaiah’s character growth as the overarching focus. This certainly doesn’t mean that film is dull - although there are a few moments which drag on a little, as a whole, the storyline progresses at a good pace. Additionally, there are a number of smaller subplots which fit in with - and add to - the overall story. Importantly, they are sufficiently developed to avoid seeming like an afterthought. The conclusion of the movie is well-crafted, with very few “loose ends” which haven’t been tied up by the time the credits roll.
In terms of the cast, there are no big-name movie stars which the average person off the street would know. The best-known would be Priscilla C. Shirer, who plays Cynthia - Isaiah’s mother. Shirer is fairly well-known among the evangelical world as an author and motivational speaker, and from her starring role in War Room. I found her acting to range from quite acceptable to good in this film. Perhaps because I’m not used to it, I found that the more “pentecostal” prayer scenes (particularly in the womens’ prayer group) seemed a bit artificial or forced. The interactions in the mens' groups came across as more genuine and relatable. Cameron Arnett's acting as Joshua Moore was largely effective, although his main role was as the "strong pillar", with less emotional scenes required compared to the other main characters.
The main thing that sold the film to me was Aspen Kennedy’s portrayal of Isaiah. I think he is certainly an actor to keep an eye on over the next few years. Kennedy was able to capture the nexus of masculine stoicism (pride?) and the raw emotions of anger and guilt which grip all of us. One thing that I really did appreciate about The Forge is that it didn’t shy away from these raw emotions - and thus provided what I think is a more realistic view of the Christian life than most explicitly “Christian” movies. Too often, they tend to be trite and thus end up being completely unrelatable.
One gripe I do have with The Forge is that while it did show the process of Isaiah making positive changes to his life, it barely showed anything of the difficult side of maintaining those changes. Salvation is a once-off process, but sanctification is a daily - even an hourly - process. As one specific example, Isaiah admits in the film that he has an addiction to video gaming, but then seemingly gives it up without a second glance back. I know from personal experience that it is incredibly challenging to break old negative habits and build new positive habits, but this fact is rarely - if ever - acknowledged in the Christian film sphere.
"Taking up your cross means something's gotta die." - Joshua Moore
The Message
The best way to describe The Forge in a single word would be “discipleship”, something which is sorely lacking in many churches. Although not a strictly biblical term, the concept of discipleship and mentoring certainly is throughout the Bible.
So in a Christian context, what is discipleship? Well, a disciple is a follower, pupil or adherent of Christ. Discipleship is the process of becoming and growing into this role as a follower of Christ. And it pairs up closely with mentorship - being guided in this process by someone older and more experienced.
I think of Moses mentoring Joshua (for about 40 years), Elijah mentoring Elisha (about a 6 year period), and the three years that Jesus spent with His apostles. In the Great Commission, Jesus commands more than just preaching of the gospel. He says to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matt 28:19-20). Prov 22:6 says “train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it”. And in Titus 2:2-8, Paul says that the older women should “train” the younger women, and implies the same mentoring process occurring between older and younger men. There is certainly more to this than just a casual “how are you going?” at church every second or third week.
As a brief aside, I think that the main thrust of The Forge is specifically at promoting mentorship between males. This is primarily a function of the film following Isaiah's life, but this choice is certainly not an accident. Needless to mention, mentorship between females is also essential and I hope that this film will support growth in that area. However, there are two main reasons why this focus on male mentorship is urgently needed. The first is that I think we as males have dropped the ball on mentorship and discipleship even more so than amongst females. This is due to a range of factors, including our sense of pride, our need to "do it on my own", our packed schedules, and our tendency toward surface-level relationships. The second is that men are specifically called - and made - to shoulder responsibility, to be protectors and leaders in their families and communities. In today's world, men are being told that this truth is "toxic masculinity" and that they need to become something else than what they were made to be. Growing up steeped in this culture, young men become confused, disillusioned, and take the easy out. Switch off, numb out and shirk responsibility. Discipleship and mentorship is urgently needed to call out this truth and show young men what this looks like.
From my experience, there are two extremes which church congregations can tend toward when it comes to evangelism and discipleship. The first is almost wholly focused on evangelism and “getting people in the pews”; however, they neglect the spiritual growth (discipleship) of the people once they are in the pews. On the other hand, some churches are so focused on serving and teaching their existing members that they leave no energy for evangelism. And of course there is the possibility of having the worst of both worlds, where you have church “attendance”, but with no evangelism or discipleship.
However, both are important and neither should be sacrificed at the absolute promotion of the other. The Forge serves as a wake-up call to many contemporary churches that it’s not just about the numbers that come through the door or on a membership list. Each one of those numbers is a soul who needs a relationship with God, and the church - as a body and as individual members - should be helping them with this.
Discipleship is an ongoing process and it should start at an early age. As Joshua Moore says in the film, “Whoever wants the next generation the most will get them”. We are in the middle of a culture war and it is centred around winning the next generation. I hate to say it, but as a global church, I think we have largely been outplanned, outmaneuvered, and outgunned. In short, we haven't wanted the next generation as much as the other side has wanted them.
Many older churchgoers recognise the problem of youth leaving the church, but how many are willing to build genuine relationships with them before they reach the point where they give up on God? To put in the hours required, to be vulnerable and honest about their experiences, to reach out and establish that connection? If we as a church are to change our mindset about mentoring, I believe it is the older generation who have to drive this change.
A secondary theme which I saw throughout The Forge was that of respect. It taught respect for yourself; to see the value in yourself. This was strikingly evident in the changes in how Isaiah dressed and carried himself - from his beginning as a teenager in oversized tees and sweats, who could barely look anyone in the eye - to a confident, well-dressed young man by the ending. And it taught respect for others, even when you may not think much of them. The scene where Joshua made Isaiah run through a practice greeting was particularly memorable for me. I hadn't considered before that greeting someone "properly" was primarily about respect - all from looking them in the eye, to making the effort to remember their name.
Cinematography & Soundtrack
Although I’m not a cinematography expert, this certainly feels and looks like a high-budget, professional movie. The cinematography has improved a long way since the Kendrick brothers’ early forays into filmmaking (e.g., Flywheel, Facing the Giants). The movie was a pleasure to watch; the sets were largely authentic and aesthetic; and the colouring was spot on.
The movie soundtrack was similarly well-constructed and added to the emotions and storyline with nary an exception. There was also skilled use of several contemporary Christian hip hop tracks, which helped set the mood of the predominantly African-American culture which Isaiah lived in. I cannot think of a better way to portray Isaiah's initial life than the scene of him in a Chicago jacket and backwards cap, riding an under-sized bike down the Charlotte footpaths to the beat of “Motions” by Hulvey. Tracks by Lecrae, Wande and CeCe Winans also occurred throughout the film. For King and Country’s “What are we waiting for?” was used to good effect throughout the montage of Isaiah’s “growing up” phase.
Final thoughts
For me, this movie comes in with a rating of 7.5/10. It's not the best movie that I have seen in the last 12 months (that is still The Sound of Freedom), but it has a lot of value in its intended category. Despite a handful of scenes which seem a little forced and a few other bones which I have already outlined, I think it is well worth your time to watch. I really hope this is one of the frontrunners of a new era of high-quality, honest, raw and enriching Christian movies.
I think The Forge will particularly speak to two target audiences: young men who are beginning or struggling with their walk in Christ; and mature men who are comfortable with where they are and haven’t realised the impact they can have in younger men’s lives. There is a lot to learn from the film for both of these groups. My hope is that The Forge will spark serious discussions about discipleship and mentoring in the church.
First published: 28 Aug 2024. Last updated: 29 Aug 2024.