Angel Studios creates a kid-friendly musical with David, sharing the biblical king’s story—or, at least, David’s life leading up to his kingship. The movie is careful to sanitize the more visceral moments of David’s life, scarcely depicting violence. While some other creative liberties twist a couple of moments from David’s story, the overall tale provides a family friendly dive into David’s God-guided rise to the throne.
When the prophet Samuel comes around, history comes with him. And when Samuel enters into David’s home, history follows suit.
Israel’s king, Saul, has been rejected by God for his sins, and God has sent Samuel to anoint the new king—one whom God has chosen, whom history will call a “man after God’s own heart.”
Presently, that man is a boy who smells a whole lot like sheep.
Who would expect David to become king over Israel? Notwithstanding the fact that Saul is still alive, the man also has a son, Jonathan, who is primed to take Saul’s place one day. Besides, what does Samuel expect: Shall a meager shepherd boy go against his king?
No, Samuel comforts, there will be no battle to the death. Yes, David isn’t much to look at. Yes, he’s not whom most people would choose. Yes, by David’s own strength, there’s no way he’d come close to the throne.
But people like David are precisely the kind of people through whom God likes to show His glory—and God’s plan will come to pass.
Knock knock knock.
It’s one of King Saul’s guards, beckoning David to Saul’s throne to play music for the king.
It appears God’s plan to put David on the throne has just begun.
David encourages those around him to stay courageous and faithful to God despite their circumstances. Though we may endure times of hardship—even times that may result in our deaths—that doesn’t change the reality that God and His plan are good.
We see an instance in which David has the opportunity to kill Saul. However, David instead shows Saul mercy, knowing that the man is nevertheless still God’s current chosen king. The act may help viewers learn how to remain forgiving and merciful, even to those who refuse to show the same kindness in return.
David covers the latter half of 1 Samuel, starting with the prophet Samuel’s visit to Jesse’s household (David’s father) and ending just after Saul’s death (which is not depicted here). The film mostly follows the events of that book, however, certain moments are skipped—likely due to the intense content that would make the movie too mature for its PG rating.
That said, two stories are noticeably changed from their source material. The first comes from 1 Samuel 27 and 29, wherein David takes refuge with the Philistines and earns their king’s trust and a home in the Philistinian town of Ziklag. Instead, the movie depicts David and his men taking refuge in Ziklag, which the Philistinian king has abandoned due to fear of the Amalekites. Finding abandoned armor there, David and his men plan to disguise themselves and join the Philistines as they go into battle—so that they might turn the tide of battle and regain Saul’s favor.
The second changed story comes from 1 Samuel 30, when David and his men attack the Amalekites for capturing their families. While the people are indeed kidnapped here, the movie instead shows David travelling alone and getting captured. Just before he is put to death, the rest of his men show up to save the day.
Saul makes a monument to himself. When a priest asks whether Saul’s plans are in accordance with God’s will, Saul retorts that, as anointed king, his bidding is God’s will. Saul also suffers from a vision of an evil spirit sent to torment him, depicted as an Amalekite—presumably the dead King Agag. (The movie shows a flashback of Saul’s previous attack on the Amalekites and Agag; there, Samuel delivers news that Saul will have his kingdom torn from him.)
Meanwhile, Jonathan sides with David against his father. He tells Saul that the crown belongs to God, and Saul angrily responds that “God has turned His back on me, and now, He has turned His back on you.”
We otherwise hear or see occasional pieces of Scripture scattered throughout the film, including 1 Samuel 13:14, Psalm 121:1-2 and Psalm 139:13. Likewise, other biblical events are referenced in passing: We see tapestries which depict Moses parting the Red Sea, receiving the Law and speaking with God at the burning bush; David references God’s power in parting the Red Sea and guiding the Israelites with a pillar of fire through the wilderness. People sing to God, asking Him to protect them.
Goliath curses by his god’s name: “By Dagon!” After hearing David’s speech regarding the battle belonging to the Lord, Goliath presumes that God will fight him, so he yells up into the clouds that God should come down and do as much. Later, David states that his battle against Goliath was actually a battle about a “giant standing against the Maker of heaven and earth.”
A song encourages listeners to “follow the light” if they want to feel alive. In another song, David sings, “What’s the fear when heaven is with me, when the unknown calls my name?” When told to have a little faith, a man retorts, “Oh, I do have a little faith—very little.” When David tells people to look at God rather than him, the people respond, “Look at him, the way he looks at God!” We see the inside of the tabernacle.
This depiction skips over any reference to the sexual material that appears in David’s biblical story; the movie doesn’t introduce any of David’s wives or concubines.
Some of the male Philistines come to battle shirtless.
Most of the more graphically violent moments in David’s biblical story are only alluded to here rather than shown. Armies clash, but we don’t see any bloodying or bruising.
When we do see someone die in battle, he simply falls off his horse into a sea of enemies—implying his death rather than showing it. Likewise, the movie hints at the slaughter of the priests at Nob (1 Samuel 22) rather than showing it onscreen.
The film doesn’t show any of David’s battles, portraying him as more of a diplomat than a warrior. That said, David sinks a stone into Goliath’s forehead, causing the giant to fall forward, dead. (For PG reasons, the film skips the later decapitation.) The Israelites charge into battle.
Saul throws a spear at David. A man gets smacked in the face. After kidnapping Israelites, the Amalekites knock David to the ground, beat him and attempt to execute him. The Amalekites all wear the skulls of deer as masks.
Goliath threatens to make David a snack for the crows. A house burns. A man collapses due to dehydration.
The worst we heard was one instance of “heck.”
None.
David is a bit of a town menace with his sheep, allowing them to run wild and causing distress to any who find themselves in the way. A man attempts to rob David.
If there were any person in the Bible whose life seems most appropriate for a musical, it’s definitely the guy who wrote at least 73 psalms.
Angel Studios’ David seeks to tell David’s story (well, half of it, anyway) through musical numbers and animation in a way that’s sanitized for children. Not all of the violence can be avoided—it certainly wouldn’t be David’s story if we skipped Goliath—but David’s other blood-spilling battles remain offscreen. For similar PG-centric reasons, the kiddos won’t be seeing anything that happens after David becomes king.
Still, despite some story omissions and changes, the movie depicts David’s rise with relative accuracy. It shares messages about courage, faith and mercy. What’s more, it may help parents get their kids interested in reading the fuller story behind this animated biopic.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He’s also an avid cook. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
