Thinking Fellows Podcast

Episode: A Review of David (Angel Studios 2025)

Hosts: Caleb Keith & Scott Keith

Release Date: December 23, 2025

Overview

In this special episode, Caleb and Scott Keith dive into a review of David, the new animated children’s film from Angel Studios, which dramatizes the biblical account of David from his anointing by Samuel through the death of Saul. While typically an academic podcast, the hosts use this episode to reflect on engaging, faith-based family entertainment, focusing both on the film’s quality and its theology. Their conversation splits into two main sections: first, assessing David as a movie, and second, analyzing its theological fidelity and implications.

Why Review David?

• The Keiths note that this is a rare Thinking Fellows movie review, motivated by increasing parental frustration with mainstream studios like Disney embedding progressive moral and social values into children’s media ([02:37]).
• Angel Studios seeks to offer "wholesome" alternatives for families—something the hosts see as increasingly valuable for parents wanting to preserve their children’s moral imagination and catechesis ([03:15]-[06:00]).
• Review aims:
  • First half: Is David a good movie, irrespective of its theology?
  • Second half: Does its theology align with Scripture, or miss the mark? ([02:05])

Movie Review: Is David Entertaining and Well-Made?

(No Theology Yet)

Animation, Storytelling, and Musical Elements

• Animation & Production:

  • Attempts to reach Disney/Pixar level in animation and musical numbers ([03:50]).
  • Not off-putting; voice acting is solid, though some line delivery is "on the nose." The film "warmed up" as it went along ([16:48]).

• Musicality:

  • Heavily reliant on singing; likened to Frozen in frequency, though not as sing-along-friendly ([10:49], [12:09]).
  • Some lyrics incorporate lines from the Psalms, creatively depicting King David as Israel’s lyricist ([12:33]).
  • For those not keen on Christian or praise music, the musical portions might feel "preachy," especially since the film’s moral messaging is delivered primarily through songs ([14:50]).

Memorable Quote

“When I took Esther to the bathroom, like in the middle of the movie, she looked at me and she goes, ‘It’s a good movie. The singing’s a bit much.’”
— Scott Keith ([11:47])

Engaging for Kids?

• Children’s reactions varied. Caleb’s oldest daughter rated David “better than Moana 2, on par with Bad Guys 2” ([10:49]).
• Compared favorably to previous faith-based animated releases and avoided being "cringe" or "hallmarky" ([25:00], [46:53]).
• Successfully balances entertainment and moral messaging—at least better than most other faith-based films ([25:00]-[27:08]).

Story Creativity & Character Portrayal

• Takes "creative license" like The Chosen, inserting elements not directly scriptural but not egregiously so ([09:02]).
• Focuses on David’s relationship with his mother (“Ima”), who acts as a narrator and primary female character—a notable creative choice since the biblical text gives more prominence to his father Jesse ([17:07]-[19:56]).
• The dynamic between David and Jonathan is particularly well handled and heartfelt ([16:50], [25:27]).
• The depiction of parents, especially fathers, is less resonant than shows like Bluey, which the hosts hold up as a cultural gold standard for positive fatherhood ([19:44]).

Memorable Quote

“There’s two people sort of types of people given to you in this movie. There’s the people who are with David who trust that the Lord will make it happen and there’s the people who are trying to trust themselves and they get worried and doubtful.”
— Scott Keith ([21:40])

Standout Moments, Emotional Resonance, and Critique

• No "tearjerker" Disney moment—film tried to create emotional bonds between David and his mother, didn’t always fully land ([25:00]).
• Filmmakers made a conscious effort not to dwell excessively on the David-and-Goliath scene, avoiding the usual Sunday school tropes ([26:42]).

Memorable Quote

“I would go watch a lot of movies right now if you didn’t try to like pigeonhole into it, your political agenda in the mouth of the character…It’s like you go to a Marvel movie and it’s preaching for two hours.”
— Scott Keith ([46:53], [48:06])

Overall Family Recommendation

• Hosts would take kids to see it again—solid for family viewing, especially for those seeking overtly safe, morally clear films ([20:32]).
• Rating: Caleb gives it a 4 out of 5 for today’s kids’ movies ([25:00]); Scott awards slightly lower marks due to a lack of emotional climaxes compared to Disney classics.

Theological Review: Accuracy & Implications

1. Story Accuracy

• The hosts give David high marks for sticking to the major biblical beats (anointing, Saul’s failure, David’s rise) and including most major narrative elements.
• Where it departs:
  • Tones down David’s violence, frequently shifting the responsibility for bloodshed onto Saul or Israel collectively ([29:58]-[32:13]).
  • For example, David does not behead Goliath on screen; the violence is moved off-camera or rendered more peacefully ([29:58]).
  • David’s military campaigns, per Scripture, are reframed as moments of mercy rather than judgment ([31:13]).
• Scott’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 for biblical accuracy, knocked down a notch for these "whitewashing" moments ([29:01]-[29:58]).
• Caleb gives it a 5 out of 5 for hitting all the “major pieces and parts” of the story, “just with some creative color" ([27:50]-[28:54]).

2. Central Theological Messages

• Trusting God vs. Trusting Self:
  • The film’s main plot is whether the Israelites (and David) trust in God’s promise and providence or in human strength ([21:44]-[22:00]).
  • Strong theme: when God makes a promise (e.g., deliverance from the Philistines), trusting him brings victory ([34:24], [36:12]).

Notable Quote

“If God is with Israel, specifically, Israel is not alone and nothing can stand against them if God is with them… If God is true to his promises, none of that’s going to matter.”
— Scott Keith ([34:24])

• God’s Surprising Choice & Sovereignty:

  • The unexpectedness of David’s selection is a core motif. God works against people’s preferences—including Jesse’s ([38:05], [41:22]).
  • David as “Christ-figure”—the unlikely, unexpected deliverer point repeatedly emphasized ([38:05]).

• Human Agency vs. Divine Choice:

  • The film’s theology lands between trust in God’s providence and promoting the individual’s choice to follow God (reflecting typical “American theology”) ([34:24], [40:30]).
  • The musical numbers, in particular, stress individual choice and taking action “for God"—often at odds with the narrative of God’s initiative ([40:30]-[42:08]).
  • The film’s opening presents David being anointed against his own protest and everyone else’s expectations—a subtle pointer to the Lutheran theme of the bondage of the will ([40:58], [43:15]).

Notable Quote

“It’s the thing where I wish they could just let the Bible stories speak for themselves. That’s what the scripture does. It’s when all of a sudden there was somebody with a theology in the room who said, ‘We have to convey this theological…They can choose to be David too.’”
— Caleb Keith ([42:08]-[42:10])

3. Missed Theological Opportunities/Cautions

• The film at times succumbs to the standard “Sunday school moralism,” emphasizing the power of choice and the certainty of success for those who “choose God” ([40:58], [44:48]).
• This is critiqued as unfaithful to the biblical David, who is often a passive, even reluctant, recipient of God’s choice. The Psalms themselves show David’s deep recognition that his success is from God alone ([44:48]-[45:26]).
• The hosts are wary of children learning “if they just have faith, they’ll never be defeated”—an incomplete and potentially damaging lesson ([36:54]).

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment Topic | Timestamps | |--------------------------------------|---------------------| | Why review this movie? | 02:37–05:16 | | Movie vs. “preachy” kids’ content | 05:16–09:02 | | Animation/singing/child response | 10:49–14:50 | | Characters and creative license | 16:48–19:56 | | Family/parental impact | 20:32–25:17 | | Bible story accuracy review | 27:12–33:35 | | Violence/moral “whitewashing” | 29:58–33:38 | | Theology: Trust, faith, sovereignty | 34:24–38:05 | | God’s choice vs. moral decision | 40:30–42:10 | | Critique: “Preachy” vs. storytelling| 46:53–48:06 |

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the film’s cautious approach to sensitive content:

  “They did do a lot of the off putting of the violence off of David.”
  — Scott Keith ([30:52])

• On modern movie messaging:

  “All you have to do is just not insert force in certain issues. Then it’s good…like all movies right now.”
  — Caleb Keith ([46:41])

• On letting the Bible story stand:

  “If you would have just let the Bible story not compete with itself, you would have ended up in a better place.”
  — Caleb Keith ([46:18])

• On the problem of over-moralizing:

  “It’s not that it’s Christian. That’s cringy. It’s that they can’t stop preaching. Now all movies are like that now.”
  — Caleb Keith ([47:26])

Bottom Line: Should You See David?

• The Keiths both recommend it for families who want to enjoy a safe, visually engaging, theologically decent Bible-story movie, especially compared to most modern children’s fare ([47:03], [46:40]).
• While not flawless and occasionally succumbing to the genre’s didactic impulses, David stands out for respectfully handling the biblical narrative and avoiding the heavy ideological hand present in much of today’s mainstream kids’ entertainment.

In Summary

David (Angel Studios 2025) is an ambitious, visually appealing retelling of Scripture that mostly avoids the pitfalls of past faith-based movies, though it steers toward moralizing in musical moments. Its greatest achievement, per the hosts, is being an option for Christian families who want entertainment that doesn’t undermine their faith or values—an outcome increasingly rare in animated film.

“If a million kids saw this, it’d be a good thing.”
— Scott Keith ([27:09])