To say that my expectations for the animated movie, David, were not exactly high is a bit of an understatement. Brought to us by faith-based movie makers, Angel Studios, David is a story about David, from the classic David and Goliath story. If I am being honest, I had no idea that David had all this lore about him, and I just thought his story began and ended with David and Goliath… yes, I am that ignorant.
Where to Watch David
David was released on December 19, 2025. You can stream the film from Angel.com. If you’re looking for other animated films from Angel, check out also The King of Kings.
The Movie Review
Angel Studios’ David: Sequel to Young David Series
Angel Studios makes some pretty good faith-based content, so them being attached to this did make me interested. This is actually a sequel to a series called Young David, which is also made by Angel Studios. I have never seen an episode of that, and if I am being honest, I had no idea it even existed until after I had seen this.
A Fresh Take on David and Goliath
This is a pretty fun version of the David and Goliath story. David is a young guy who just wants to be a musician and live a good life. However, David is told by the Prophet that he will one day be King. But that is not yet, as David is actually taken to King Saul so that he can perform for him.
King Saul, the Philistines, and Goliath’s Threat
King Saul is having some real difficulties as he does not feel like he is the real King. Things are made extra tough for King Saul as the Philistine Army is causing trouble, and they have a giant called Goliath in their ranks. I think the whole David standing up to Goliath thing would be more than enough for the entire movie to be based around. However, this actually has far more than that going on.
David as a Coming-of-Age Hero
I would say that David is best described as a coming-of-age story, a story about a young man who is finding his way in the world and who realizes that having a King does not just mean everything is going to be ok. It is about treating people right, standing up for those who cannot defend themselves, and, in all, there is a pretty good message here. It is not as preachy as some of the other Angel Studios movies can be, either. I can see kids being entertained by this, even if the religious message goes over their heads.
Visual Style and Animation Quality in David
This is a pretty impressive-looking movie. It is not on the same level as the stuff from Pixar, DreamWorks, Sony, or Illumination, but it has a cool style. In many ways, and I do not mean that as a form of disrespect, David has a kind of video game cut scene look about it, which I thought was kind of unique in comparison to other recently released animated movies.
Final Thoughts
While I do not think I would watch this again, nor did it make me want to rush and watch the series it spawned from. I did end up enjoying David far more than I thought I would. I do feel that they could have given it a catchier name, though. Although it was the plain-sounding title of David that made it capture my attention, so what the heck do I know? If you are looking for something “different” to watch with your kids, this could be what you are looking for.
