The Book of Clarence
The Book of Clarence
Streetwise but down-on-his-luck, Clarence is struggling to find a better life for his family, while fighting to free himself of debt. Captivated by the power and glory of the rising Messiah and His apostles, he risks everything to carve his own path to a divine life, and ultimately discovers that the redemptive power of belief may be his only way out.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 2, 2025
An audacious take on a biblical epic, Jeymes Samuel’s follow up to The Harder They Fall, once again mixes genres, and works with a predominantly black cast injecting a modern perspective on a number of biblical tales. What starts off as a stoner comedy, leans much more into dramatic and earnest, social and religious satire. Reminded me a lot of Kevin Smith’s Dogma, and I’m fairly certain there are some big time nods to that film. Lakeith Stanfield is as charismatic as always, but the entire cast is absolutely stacked. Alfre Woodard as the Virgin Mary is probably my favorite role (cameo), of which there are plenty. There’s a touching exploration of what it means to be a good person, a faithful person, and whether or not those have to go hand in hand.
The film is definitely not going to be for everybody. There are tonal shifts throughout that can be a bit jarring. The film features a chariot race, a hookah lounge, to gladiator fight, a dance sequence, a (spoiler alert) crucifixion….and more. The films pace and structure certainly feels awkward at times, but the more distance I get from my screening, the less those seem to bother me, while the memorable moments and resonant themes maneuver more to the forefront of my mind.