The Forge (2024)

Faith, forgiveness and a rush order of gym equipment: The Forge builds toward all three, and only the last one feels forced. Isaiah Wright is nineteen, glued to basketball and video games, and his mother Cynthia, played by Priscilla Shirer, is out of patience. He mouths off to the wrong man while applying for a job, and Cameron Arnett’s Joshua Moore, who runs the company, answers with a lunch invitation and three questions. Their mentorship is the warm center, and the film is sincere about second chances and showing up on time. In this War Room spin-off, Karen Abercrombie’s Miss Clara arrives to pray with Cynthia. Some speeches run long, the story about Isaiah’s absent father wraps up very neatly, and the big finale plays like the last scene from a different movie. Audiences gave it an A+ CinemaScore, and it made $40.4 million worldwide on a reported $5M. A 6.4 because the mentoring rings true even when the plot gets tidy. $166 says you finally go out and fix whatever has been sitting half-finished in your garage.

What works: The mentorship between Isaiah and Joshua feels genuine, and the cast plays the faith and family themes with real sincerity.

What doesn’t: A few long speeches spell out what the scenes already show, and the business-race finale feels tacked on after the personal story has already landed.

Who it’s for: Church groups, families and fans of the Kendrick brothers’ earlier films like War Room.