Movie · 2025 · Animation, Drama, Family, History · 1h 49m · PG · English
Curator score: 2.3/10 (18.9K ratings)
A giant musical event.
Overview
From the songs of his mother’s heart to the whispers of a faithful God, David’s story begins in quiet devotion. When the giant Goliath rises to terrorize a nation, a young shepherd armed with only a sling, a few stones, and unshakable faith steps forward. Pursued by power and driven by purpose, his journey tests the limits of loyalty, love, and courage—culminating in a battle not just for a crown, but for the soul of a kingdom.
Ratings
Curator score: 2.3/10
IMDb: 6.9/10
Letterboxd: 3.16/5
Metacritic: 55
TMDB: 8.1/10
Director
Phil Cunningham, Brent Dawes
Production
Sunrise Productions, Slingshot USA, Angel Studios, 2521 Entertainment
Cast
Brandon Engman, Brian Stivale, Shahar Taboch, Aaron Tavaler, Hector, Miri Mesika, Jack Wagman, Jonathan Shaboo, Sloan Lucas Muldown, Mike Ciporkin, Katie Bernstein, Lauren Daigle, Mark Jacobson, Nitzan Sitzer, Adam Meir, Adam Michael Gold, Asim Chaudhry, Kamran Nikhad, Phil Wickham, David Rosenberg
Where to watch
Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Angel Studios
Curator Review
Verdict
A sincere, handsomely made animated retelling of a familiar biblical epic, with strong music, expressive visuals, and enough scale to feel cinematic. It’s likely to work best for faith-based audiences and viewers open to a reverent, family-friendly approach, though the pacing and tonal seriousness may not land for everyone.
Best for
families looking for a biblical story
viewers who enjoy faith-based animation
fans of mythic, old-testament-scale drama
audiences interested in musical or choral animation
Skip if
you want sharp modern humor or fast pacing
you’re tired of biblical adaptations
you prefer lighter animation styles
you’re looking for a fully secular historical drama
Overview
David is a reverent animated epic that treats its source material with real seriousness. The film leans into devotion, destiny, and the burden of leadership, and it gives the story a larger-than-life visual treatment that feels closer to mythic fantasy than Sunday-school simplicity.
Worth noting
The animation and music are the main draw here, with enough polish to make the familiar beats feel grand. It also seems willing to let the material breathe, which gives the emotional arcs some weight, even if that comes at the cost of tighter pacing.
Bottom line
That same earnestness is also the film’s limitation. It’s not especially playful, and some viewers will find the tone too solemn or the storytelling too direct. But for the audience it’s aiming at, this is a sturdy, sincere adaptation with genuine craft.
Top Letterboxd reviews
DallinWeech (3★) · 864 likes
Man this David seems like a really good and upright guy. I really hope he doesn’t get his friend killed just so he can steal his wife.
Emmy (3★) · 476 likes
Everyone saying this is zionist propaganda does not know their history. Biblical Israel is NOT current day Israel. Telling this bible story doesn’t mean pushing the idea of an innocent Israel.
This is NOT me being pro genocide though. Free Palestine!
🏳️⚧️💕Belle Forger💕🏳️⚧️ (0.5★) · 351 likes
Yikes, I didn’t realize that a children bible animated film would be the most controversial film I’ve seen this year. This is a very pro Israel and anti Palestine film. It goes out of its way to show Israel are innocent people and that Palestine are awful people that kill Israel people and steal there land.
I was very offended by this and fuck this film. I stand by Palestine.
Edit: I’ll openly admit I was wrong. But regardless not… more
Tommy Williams (3.5★) · 260 likes
This was a very ambitious remake of Dave and the Giant Pickle.
Root Beer Lord The One & Only (3.5★) · 241 likes
I’m pretty sure David and Jonathan were gay, but I can’t prove it