“The road to salvation and freedom is Jesus Christ.” 

Joshua Moore (played by Cameron Arnett), the president of Moore Fitness Co., imparts this message to his new warehouse worker Isaiah Wright (Aspen Kennedy) in a critical scene in The Forge, the latest Biblical drama from Alex and Stephen Kendrick released on Aug. 23.

This line of dialogue could resonate with Christian moviegoers as a breath of fresh air. You would never hear such a proclamation in major popcorn flicks like Deadpool and Wolverine or Inside Out 2. But even most movies in the Christian genre primarily focus on promulgating values of the faith, such as hope, forgiveness and perseverance, rather than preaching that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. 

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Director and co-writer Alex said he and his artistic collaborators have the privilege and responsibility to promote this core Gospel truth.

“It is important to us to point people to the Lord,” said Alex, who spent many years overlapping his filmmaking career with an associate pastor of media position at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. “We hope when people see The Forge, they are stirred. We capture them, not just emotionally, but more than that, the spiritual appetite goes up to say, ‘I want to go deeper in my walk with God. I want to know Him more intimately. I want to honour Him and devote my life to Him.’ ”

Beginning with Flywheel in 2003, which chronicled a car dealer who abandoned his shady business practices following his conversion to Christianity, Alex, 54, and Stephen, 50, have strived to inspire audiences to follow the Almighty in the eight Christian dramas they have co-written together. Seven of these featured Alex in the director’s chair, and five featured him in a significant acting role.

Based on box office return and audience reception, the Kendrick Brothers — including Shannon Kendrick as an executive producer — filmography has struck a meaningful cord. Their projects, which include Fireproof (2008), Courageous (2011) and Overcomer (2019), have grossed a collective $193 million. If surveyed spectators award The Forge with a coveted and rare A+ CinemaScore, widely considered the benchmark metric for measuring a movie’s audience appeal, Alex will join fellow Christian filmmaker Jon Erwin as the only two figures to direct four A+ films.

The Forge is a spin-off of the Kendrick Brothers' most successful film, War Room, which netted $74 million against a $3-million budget in 2015. It told the story of Elizabeth Jordan (Priscilla Shirer), a realtor who learns about the power of prayer from an elderly client named Ms. Clara (Karen Abercrombie). Beseeching God repairs her marriage with Tony (T.C. Stallings), a pharmaceutical salesman.

Months before starting production in June 2023, Stephen watched War Room for the first time in years with his family. He took pleasure in the characters, particularly Ms. Clara, whom he describes as a “hilarious but powerful prayer warrior.”  Elizabeth spoke on the phone multiple times with her unseen twin sister, Cynthia. Stephen thought this presented “an opportunity to put two universes together.” He and Alex approached Shirer, who was keen to portray twin sisters who would interact face-to-face in one scene.

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 Ms. Clara and Elizabeth join Cynthia in prayer for her son Isaiah, who at the start of The Forge is a 19-year-old shirking responsible adult living to play video games and basketball. Cynthia, a hairstylist,  tells her son, who is also carrying emotional scars from his father walking out of his life, that he must find a job.

Joshua Moore, who owns and operates Moore Fitness Co. with his wife Janelle (Cameron Arnett’s real-life wife BJ Arnett), decides to take a chance on Isaiah and invites him to one-on-one mentorship sessions a couple of mornings each week. It is clear that Joshua plans to impart more profound advice than just how to package athletic products effectively. The businessman desires to help Isaiah discover that he needs Jesus and that a life centred around discipleship is fulfilling.

Arnett, Shirer, Abercrombie and Stallings and Ken Bevel, who plays Joshua’s righthand man, James, have all appeared in several Kendrick Brothers films. Kennedy, 29, was a fresh-faced revelation to Stephen and Alex.

“We didn't know who he was when we were developing the character of Isaiah,” said Stephen. “But Aspen is a world-class actor. He's passionate about the message of the movie. And he was even being discipled on set and prayed over by the men after we would shoot the scenes. They are godly men as well as good actors.”

In the narrative context, “The Forge” is a group of fathers, sons and men who gather weekly to build each other up in faith — in other words, iron sharpening iron. Joshua, the founder of the group, invites Isaiah to join. Through this group, he learns about Jesus’ Great Commandment, walking together in faith and the power of forgiveness. During one of the meetings, Isaiah is invited to step into the middle of the group circle and handle a sword with his hand outstretched. At the same time, Joshua delivers a speech about putting on the armour of the Lord. The blade becomes heavier to hold, and his brothers in faith step in to underscore that he need not carry his burdens alone.  

“That scene, man, it's just going to grab and touch you,” said Alex. “And when you see it, I think men will leave the theatre going, ‘I’ve got to get a sword.’ But the symbolism of it and our need for other people around us helping us and walking with us in the faith, the Church, is crucially important.”

While careful “not to oversaturate,” Stephen and Alex said they were determined to share Scripture and prayed to God to provide direction on what verses to use. They drew from Ephesians, Galatians, Hebrews, Psalms and more to communicate a message of letting go of attachments that draw us away from union with Jesus.

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“We need to be willing to let go of things that are hindering our walk with God, that are keeping us from being closer to God or from being obedient to what God's word is leading us to do,” said Stephen. “When God asks us to give up anything, He's going to be replacing it, not only with something far better and more lasting, but we will experience Him within that relationship more deeply and encounter Him at a deeper level personally.”

The Forge is playing in Cineplex theatres across Canada.