David

David (2025) Review: Steals your heart & leaves an impact

Brighton Nelson

05 Mar 2026 — 6 min read

While I couldn't catch the film at Christmas time, I was able to watch this movie at the local dollar theater in February... yeah, I was pretty behind for this one. The film looked awesome, but I was just super busy during the holiday season! And while I was very excited to check out this film because the animation is gorgeous and the source material is interesting, this movie was so much more than I ever expected! As such, I, Brighton Nelson, am very excited to dive into David in today's Reel Ranker review.

As always, I will start with the film's negatives. However, this is a fantastic film, so there aren't all that many things to discuss here. My biggest gripe with the film (which still isn't that big of a deal) is Goliath's design. It felt out of place and far too goofy for one of the scariest people in the Bible. Another questionable choice here was not giving Saul a proper resolution. Even just a copy-pasted version of Jonathan's death would've been enough, but with Saul being such an imperative part of David's story, it felt odd for him to just be cut out of the film. While Saul committed suicide in the Bible (or at the very least is implied to do so), there's a better way to handle his death than avoiding him entirely, even in a PG film.

My final criticism, albeit a minor one, is that, while the reprise of "Follow the Light" was incredible (even if it was a little bit corny), the original version of "Follow the Light" is a little too far into the realm of contemporary Christian music for a film like this. While I'm all about contemporary Christian music that sounds like this (Jordan Feliz and Matthew West are among my favorites in this specific CC style), it just didn't feel right for this film. However, when those are my three biggest negatives of the film, and none of them really affected my experience with it, you know this is an incredible film.

My mom audibly gasped at how ugly and unintimidating Goliath looked compared to how he's described in the Bible. Also, why is he nigh-on albino compared to everybody else?

Firstly, this movie did a fantastic job of retelling the story of David from the books of Samuel in the Bible. One criticism I've seen many online hail at the film is that it only tells the rise of David, not his fall. While I would also enjoy seeing the fall and repentance of David, perhaps in a sequel, sleeping around with your friend's wife after sending him to war and cutting off foreskins are both far too rated R for any family film. This film was quite obviously not trying to pretend David was perfect and avoid the bad; it was just trying to be family-friendly.

Secondly, the animation in this film was incredible. There are times I was on the verge of tears because certain sequences were just so well-crafted. The character designs are so unique amongst the world of animation, and every backdrop is just as beautiful as the last. The scenes leading up to Goliath and the music sequences were incredible. Any environmental shot in this film could've been my new laptop wallpaper!

Both of these guys are two of the hottest dudes to grace animation since Flynn Rider. They (almost) make me feel a little zesty. Fruit-flavored, if you will.

Speaking of music sequences, the music in this film was awesome. While I wasn't blown away by the songs during the movie (perhaps because I was so focused on the gorgeous animation), immediately after the film, I rushed to the car and threw the soundtrack. Why? I just wanted to be immersed in the movie one more time and reflect on the journey I'd just experienced. And since that car ride home, the movie has become one of my favorite film soundtracks of all time. The lyrics, the vocals, the instrumentation... it was all beautiful. Also, this film marks the only time I've ever liked both reprises better than their original songs. The songs were great, but I've never seen a movie do such a phenomenal job of understanding how to reprise its own songs. Both reprises have brought tears to my eyes each time I've watched the film. The "Follow the Light" reprise is the closest thing I've ever experienced to the Endgame portal scene in the world of animation: it was corny yet peak cinema.

The Reel Ranker Verdict

Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 98%
Letter Score: S+
Star Ranking: 5 out of 5

David is an incredible film in every respect, and one of the best animated films ever to grace the world. This is one of those films that has made a significant difference in my life since I've watched it. The words of peace, the animation, and the film's emotions have stuck with me, and they have carried me through some hard times. It's truly brought out a piece of me and a sense of peace that almost no other film has given me. That's the mark of one of the greatest films ever crafted: one that can allow a feeling of "peace with you wherever you go: shalom."

Interested in checking out my reviews for some other recent animated projects? Check them out below!