Diksha Sundriyal
Directed by Alex Kendrick, Netflix’s ‘The Forge’ follows the story of a 19-year-old boy named Isaiah who is entirely directionless in his life. His mother prays for him to grow up and take responsibility for himself, but Isaiah does not feel motivated to take any action. That is until he meets Joshua. Joshua not only gives Isaiah a job in his company, but he also takes the young man under his wing and teaches him the true meaning of believing in the Lord. The Christian drama film focuses on Joshua’s mentorship of Isaiah and delivers a heartfelt and inspiring story, which feels incredibly real, owing to the characters and their relatable situations. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Forge’s Story is Inspired by a Story in the Bible
The screenwriting duo of ‘Forge’ — Alex and Stephen Kendrick — is known for making faith-based films and has always credited God for the inspirations and ideas that come to them. They credit the Lord with the making of this Netflix production as well. Alex revealed that he was praying to God when the thought of writing a story about discipleship came to him. Once they started working on the fictional story, the brothers found that it shared many similarities with the themes they had explored in another film, ‘War Room.’ So, they wrote ‘The Forge’ as a sequel to their 2015 film.
With respect to the discipleship portrayed between the characters Isaiah and Joshua, the writers referenced the story of Timothy and Paul in the New Testament. Isaiah’s character draws parallels with Timothy in that Timothy was brought up by his mother and grandmother and did not have a father figure in his life, as his father had been out of the picture, which is what we see in Isaiah’s background as well. Thus, to put Timothy on the right path, God sent Paul to him, and under Paul’s discipleship, Timothy’s life changed completely. The Kendrick brothers wanted to tell a similar story but with a modern twist to make it more approachable for the audience. This is how the characters of Isaiah and Joshua were born.
Apart from the biblical figures, the brothers looked towards the mentors in their own lives while writing the scripts. The Kendrick brothers have been men of faith their entire lives, and they credit their father as the first person to disciple them. In several interviews over the years, they have talked about their father’s influence on them, how he set an example for them by being a devout man of faith, how he would take responsibility for his actions, and didn’t hesitate to apologize when accepting his faults. The Kendrick brothers wanted to show the importance of leading through action, so they infused Joshua’s character with this quality.
Through the Fictional Premise of The Forge, the Makers Intend to Spark Real Change in Society
Through ‘The Forge,’ the Kendrick brothers hope to reignite the movement of discipleship in the Christian community. In speaking about how much the right mentorship has forged their paths, they have talked about the youth pastors and other figures who gave them the right direction in their formative years. The filmmakers highlighted the importance of such connections, particularly in the current digital world where people have become socially disconnected. They spoke of the importance of a positive influence in the lives of future generations, which is what makes discipleship an even more important thing.
In the movie, the Forge is introduced as a group that has seven men take seven young men under their wing to show them the way of the Lord while also helping them make their own path in the world. While it is not based on any particular group, the Kendrick brothers have personal experience with mentoring, especially considering that they have both worked as pastors previously. Stephen Kendrick revealed that he is part of a men’s group that focuses on discipleship, and he is currently mentoring two young men under his wing. Similar values were imparted in the fictional Forge, led by Joshua, which changes the lives of several young men, especially Isaiah. The Kendrick brothers hope that the film, even though made up, will lead people to pick up the idea of discipleship and help bring some real change in society.
Read More: Best Christian Movies on Netflix
