David Movie Review: Animated Feature Sparks Outrage and Controversy

Describing David as a simple misfire would be far too generous. This animated film, released by Angel Studios—the same company behind Sound of Freedom—presents itself as family-friendly entertainment, but it ’s loaded with a clear ideological message that feels especially jarring in today’s climate.

Sanitized Storytelling and Historical Revisionism

Directors Brent Dawes and Phil Cunningham take a story rooted in violence and conquest and repackage it as a sanitized, almost sugary lesson fit for Sunday School. The film doesn’t just gloss over the complexities of its source material; it bulldozes them, turning a nuanced historical narrative into a blunt instrument for a particular worldview. The end result is a movie that’s as visually unappealing as it is troubling in its intent, functioning more as a justification for a divisive perspective than as a genuine story.

The script is heavy-handed, humorless, and relentlessly didactic. Characters don’t feel like real people from a distant era; instead, they deliver lines that echo modern political rhetoric. Audiences are subjected to statements like

“We are His people”

and

“We must fight for our God”

—phrases that sound more like rallying cries than dialogue. At nearly two hours, the film drags, offering little relief from its relentless messaging and sluggish pacing.

Visuals and Character Design Under Fire

On the visual front, the movie falls flat. But beyond uninspired animation, the character designs raise serious concerns. The Philistines are depicted as a faceless, darker-skinned mass, playing into harmful stereotypes that strip them of any individuality or humanity. This portrayal leans into old tropes, making their on-screen treatment feel calculated and cold.

Goliath, voiced by Kamran Nikhad, stands out as the only character with distinctly white features, cast as a “God-hating demon.” Meanwhile, the Israelites are designed to appear just ethnically ambiguous enough to claim authenticity, yet still palatable to a broad American audience. This approach to visual storytelling seems engineered to dehumanize one group while sanitizing another, sending a deeply problematic message.

Technical Shortcomings and Performances

From a technical standpoint, David is a letdown. The animation, produced by Sunrise Animation Studios, lacks depth and polish, resembling a low-budget mobile game more than a feature film. Backgrounds, supposedly inspired by real-world locations, come off as generic and lifeless. Character movements are stiff, and emotional moments fall flat due to the lack of expressive animation.

The soundtrack doesn’t fare any better. The music is a bland mix of worship tunes that fails to enhance the story. The film leans heavily on casting Christian music stars like Phil Wickham and Lauren Daigle, but their performances lack the nuance needed for voice acting. Even experienced actors struggle with a script that never lets them sound natural or relatable.

Dangerous Framing and Political Undertones

The most troubling aspect of the film is how it frames its central conflict. By presenting the story solely through the lens of divine right, the filmmakers strip away any moral ambiguity, painting violence as both necessary and righteous. This isn’t just a retelling of a biblical tale—it’s a modern political statement wrapped in animation, ignoring the real-world complexities of the region it depicts.

David ultimately alienates viewers across the board. It takes a spiritual story and turns it into a vehicle for a divisive message, all while targeting a young audience. By pushing a narrative of divine entitlement and violent conquest, the film crosses a line, leaving behind any sense of genuine faith or humanity.