David, 2025, PG, 1 hr 55 min

David

Age Rating: PG

Runtime: 115 minutes

Studio: Angel Studios

Country of Origin: United States, South Africa

Franchise: Standalone

Franchise Position: N/A

A beautifully animated retelling of the biblical story of David, emphasizing faith, courage, humility, and God's providence in the life of Israel's future king. 

Ratings:

My Rating: 7.6/10

The Dove Foundation: PG

IMDb: 7.1/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 83%

Metacritic: N/A

TMDb: 7.4/10

Plot Summary:

David follows the life of the young shepherd who would become one of Israel's greatest kings. Beginning with the prophet Samuel's anointing of David, the film chronicles his rise from obscurity, his musical service in King Saul's court, his friendship with Jonathan, and his famous confrontation with the Philistine giant Goliath. As David grows in influence, Saul's jealousy intensifies, forcing David into exile and a life of danger.

The film portrays David's journey as one of faith, perseverance, and trust in God. Rather than focusing primarily on military conquest, the story highlights David's dependence on the Lord and his desire to honor God despite overwhelming obstacles. The narrative concludes with David's emergence as Israel's destined leader. 

Critics Review:

Critics generally praised the film's animation quality, musical score, voice performances, and respectful handling of the biblical source material. Many reviewers highlighted the film's ability to make an ancient story accessible to modern family audiences while preserving its spiritual core. The visuals, character designs, and musical numbers received particular praise. 

Some critics felt the screenplay occasionally simplified complex biblical events and omitted darker aspects of David's life to maintain a family-friendly PG rating. However, most reviewers agreed that these adaptations allowed the film to serve as an effective introduction to David's story for younger audiences. The movie has been favorably compared to classic faith-based animated films such as The Prince of Egypt. 

Christian Perspective:

David is one of the strongest explicitly Christian and biblically based animated films released in recent years. The film consistently emphasizes themes central to Christianity, including faith in God, obedience, humility, courage, worship, forgiveness, and reliance upon divine guidance.

David is portrayed not as a flawless hero but as a servant of God who succeeds because he trusts the Lord rather than his own strength. The story repeatedly reinforces biblical principles such as God using ordinary people for extraordinary purposes, the importance of faith over appearances, and trusting God's plan during adversity.

The movie also encourages worship, prayer, and dependence upon God. While some events are simplified and certain mature portions of David's biblical life are omitted, the overall presentation remains respectful to Scripture and communicates solid biblical values. Many Christian families will appreciate its reverent tone and positive portrayal of faith. 

Family Friendliness:

Because the film is rated PG, it is generally suitable for most families and children. The primary concerns are scenes of battle, peril, Goliath's intimidating presence, and several sequences involving danger, pursuit, and warfare. Violence is mild by modern standards and largely bloodless. 

Children under 6 or 7 may find some scenes involving Goliath, Saul's instability, or the skull-masked Amalekites frightening. Older children and preteens should generally handle the content without difficulty. There is virtually no sexual content, profanity, or substance use. Parents looking for faith-based family entertainment will likely find David to be one of the better options currently available. 

Notable Songs:

Original songs performed by Phil Wickham

Songs featuring Lauren Daigle

Original musical score by Joseph Trapanese