[Movie] Inside the Life of Isaiah: "The Forge"

I still recall how my church youth Facebook page was buzzing in 2024 when some people were recommending this movie and saying that it was a good watch for the. Some others went ahead by saying it was a perfect follow-up to "War Room". The following Sunday after it was released, the Sunday school sermon even made reference to it. But I didn't watch this last month after another recommendation from a friend.

While growing up, I was used to watching movies like this because of the family I came from, especially the Kendrick Brothers movie, and when I got to know that they were the ones who made this movie, I already got half of the message because they never disappoint when it comes to movies like this.

Towards the end of the movie, I got to realize the reason why "The Forge" was given as the title. Of course, it is a Christian drama that was released in August of 2024, almost 2 years ago now, and it was directed by Alex Kendrick, and it is, in a way, similar to War Room, just a little spin. This movie stars the main character, Isaiah, a nineteen-year-old boy who recently finished his high school education, always playing video games or hanging out with friends with no job or aim of finding one. Joshua Moore, a man who runs a gym company who became his mentor, and Cynthia, a hairdresser, prayerful woman, and Isaiah's single mother.

Like I said earlier, the movie opens with Isaiah, who spends his time always on video games with friends or playing basketball around while his mother always encourages him to do something meaningful with his life. No changes from him, which made his mom give him a condition to start paying her rent, get a job, or move out of her house. And I got glad that he took a bolder step by finding a job and ended up working for a successful businessman, Joshua, who lost his son to a car accident when he was eighteen or so. Joshua is a follower of Christ, and he was in charge of a spiritual faith group known as The Forge, the same faith group that he allowed the man who killed his son to let in.

Isaiah took a job in Joshua's company, not knowing how the job would impact his life in a very positive way I didn't expect. This movie got me so emotional at some point. I had to pause, take a break, and then resume when the emotion was gone.

I watched this movie alone, not with anyone, and one important thing that stood out for me, which I learned a lot from, was how Isaiah's growth was not rushed. I was carefully handled and was properly mentored by Joshua with nothing dramatic, just consistent little pushes from Joshua that slowly turned him into a real grown man who became capable of doing the right thing. At some point, I was like, is there still people like Joshua? Because I was so amazed with what he did with the support of his wife too.

Like I told a friend recently, even though I watch Christian films, I am not a big fan like these, I just watch it once in a blue moon, but you see this movie, I learned quite a lot from it because i didn't feel like I was recieving a lecture, I felt more of watching someone slowly become who they were meant to be, and this alone made me reflect a lot about myself, those people around me who have never for once made it look like a big deal while trying to put me on the right path, but they have shaped me positively.