PLOT: During the American Revolution, two brothers find themselves on opposite sides of the war, while an enslaved woman fights for freedom and a family struggles to stay together.
REVIEW: I went into Drummer Boy expecting a straightforward Revolutionary War drama. Then the first musical number started, and I realized I had absolutely no idea what I’d signed up for. Somehow, despite the unexpected singing, I walked away pretty impressed. There’s a genuinely good movie here, even if it occasionally gets in its own way.
The story follows brothers Jeremiah (Joel Smallbone) and Benjamin Clem (Lucas Leach). Jeremiah sides with the British, while Benjamin wants to fight for American independence despite an injured leg. Their opposing beliefs threaten to tear the family apart. Meanwhile, Jeremiah becomes entangled with Lady Elizabeth (Beth Easdown) and Emmaline (India Brown), an enslaved woman seeking her freedom. It’s an Angel Studios production, so you can probably guess where some of this is heading. Still, the journey surprised me more than I expected.
First, Drummer Boy looks fantastic. Gorgeous cinematography, striking locations, and strong production design sell the period. Even the battle sequences have an impressive sense of scale. And unlike some of the AI-enhanced battle sequences in another film *cough* Young Washington *cough*, everything here looks remarkably convincing. This never feels like a cheap production trying to disguise its limitations.
Leach brings heart to Benjamin, Brown gives Emmaline emotional weight, and Melora Hardin makes the most of her role as the brothers’ mother. Smallbone commits fully to Jeremiah, although there’s one small distraction: the guy is obviously in his 40s playing someone I assume is in his 20s. Then again, we’ve got dudes pushing 30 playing teenagers on Outer Banks, so what the heck do I know?
My bigger issue is that the titular drummer boy doesn’t always feel like the main character. Benjamin has an interesting journey, but Jeremiah’s romantic and political problems keep taking center stage. It’s a strange choice when the movie’s title points us toward the younger brother. What’s frustrating is that his determination to prove himself, despite everyone treating his disability as a limitation, is easily one of the film’s strongest storylines. Every time the movie returns to him, I found myself wishing we’d spent a little less time worrying about Jeremiah’s love life.
There’s also a scene where Benjamin tries to prove his drumming skills to join the soldiers. I know it’s supposed to be inspirational, but all I could think about was Drumline. I half expected Nick Cannon to appear and challenge him to a drum battle.
The musical numbers are easily the most divisive part of Drummer Boy. Some work, especially when they let the actors express something the dialogue can’t. Others practically announce the characters’ feelings in giant neon letters. The lyrics are painfully on the nose, and there’s only so much earnestness one movie can get away with.
Worse, much of the soundtrack has that stomp-clap-HEY! sound that was everywhere about ten years ago. You know exactly what I’m talking about. It’s not necessarily bad music. I mean, it is to me, anyway. But it feels bizarre against the backdrop of the American Revolution. I kept wishing the filmmakers would trust the drama instead of interrupting it with another anthem. And yes, “The Little Drummer Boy” turns up, despite the fact that the song wasn’t written until 1941. Yeah, I’m that much of an a** that I fact-checked it. Then again, A Knight’s Tale used David Bowie’s “Golden Years,” and that movie rocks. So, I’ll give this one a pass. But I got my eye on you, Angel!
Speaking of music, someone should also call New Order, because there’s a bizarre love triangle going on between Jeremiah, Lady Elizabeth, and Emmaline. The relationships could have added complexity, but they often lead to cringeworthy dialogue. It’s especially frustrating because Emmaline’s fight for freedom is far more compelling than Jeremiah’s romantic problems. There’s something fascinating about a country fighting for its independence while denying that same freedom to others, and I wish the movie explored that contradiction a little more
At nearly 130 minutes, the movie tries to juggle too much. Between the war, the family conflict, romance, slavery, faith, and songs, it feels overstuffed. A tighter script could have made the strongest moments land harder. Still, I respect what Joel and Ben Smallbone accomplished. Drummer Boy was a labor of love years in the making, and their personal experience with disagreements and reconciliation gives the story added meaning.
The central message is that opposing political beliefs shouldn’t automatically destroy a family. As the movie sees it, loving one another and sharing a love for Jesus should matter more than which side you’re on. That’s a timely idea, even if the film sometimes delivers it with the subtlety of a marching band. The sincerity gets cheesy, sure. But I’d rather watch filmmakers who genuinely believe in their material than a movie that’s afraid to feel anything.
All jokes aside, for all its problems, Drummer Boy surprised me. It’s beautifully shot, well-acted, and more ambitious than I expected. In fact, I’d put it among Angel Studios’ best movies. The songs and romance often hurt what could have been a terrific historical drama, but there’s still a solid film underneath.
If you love this particular style of Christian pop, you’ll probably enjoy it more than I did. As for me, I appreciated the effort, admired the craftsmanship, and just wished someone had occasionally put down the drumsticks.
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