Review by Jon Donnis
David arrives as an ambitious animated biblical musical that sets out to retell one of the most familiar stories in the Old Testament with warmth, colour and a surprising amount of confidence. Following on from the Young David television miniseries, this feature-length continuation charts the shepherd's journey from quiet devotion to reluctant leadership, with faith as both its anchor and its engine.
The film opens gently, rooted in Bethlehem and in the music of David's early life. He is presented not just as a future warrior, but as a poet and musician, shaped by his mother's love and a deep, personal sense of God's presence. That calm is shattered when Samuel anoints him as Israel's future king and he is pulled into the troubled orbit of Saul, a ruler already unravelled by divine rejection. From there, the story moves steadily towards the Valley of Elah and the confrontation with Goliath, a sequence that is handled with real visual scale and narrative clarity.
Visually, David is often breathtaking. The animation is richly detailed, painterly without feeling static, and confident enough to linger on faces, landscapes and moments of silence. Battle scenes carry weight without becoming overwhelming, while quieter passages, especially those involving music, allow the film to breathe. For a 2025 release, it comfortably sits among the most impressive animated features of the year on a purely technical level.
The musical elements are another strength. Songs are woven into the story rather than bolted on, often functioning as expressions of faith, fear or resolve rather than simple spectacle. David's final act of singing in the face of execution stands out as a bold choice, turning worship into defiance and giving emotional logic to the film's climax. It is sincere, sometimes almost disarmingly so, but rarely cynical or hollow.
Narratively, the film covers a great deal of ground. From David's anointing to Saul's jealousy, from exile to mercy in the cave, and finally to the recognition of David as king, the script remains broadly faithful to the biblical account laid out in Samuel. The relationship between David and Jonathan is given room to develop, adding emotional texture, while Saul's descent is portrayed with a tragic edge rather than cartoon villainy.
That said, the film's biggest weakness is its length. At one hour and fifty minutes, it occasionally feels stretched, particularly in the later sections where pursuit, escape and regrouping follow familiar rhythms. Younger viewers may feel the drag in places, even if the quality of the animation and music does enough to keep attention from fully slipping.
Still, these are minor complaints in what is otherwise a confident and heartfelt production. David may be aimed at families, but it does not talk down to its audience. Its themes of loyalty, courage, mercy and faith are clearly articulated without feeling aggressively didactic, and the emotional beats are allowed to land without being rushed.
As a surprise, it is a significant one. David feels like a film that arrives quietly and then lingers, offering something sincere, beautifully made and unapologetic about what it believes in. Whatever the wider critical noise, this is a strong piece of faith-based animation that understands both its source material and its audience.
I would give David a confident 9.5 out of 10. For me, it stands as the best animated film of 2025 and a reminder that family storytelling, when done with care and conviction, can still feel genuinely special.
Out In Cinemas Now
More details at https://www.angel.com/movies/david
