PG-13 | 1 h 48 min | Drama | 2026
The first law of the biblical Ten Commandments is simple enough: “I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods before me.” A new faith-based film, “Daniel and the Fiery Furnace”—produced, written, and directed by the Kooman brothers, Matthew and Daniel—brings that to life on screen.
It’s 605 B.C., and Jerusalem’s conceited King Jehoiakim (Zachary Coffin) ignores promptings from God’s prophet Jeremiah (Roberto Zenca). So it’s not long before the more arrogant Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar (Elijah Alexander) kills Jehoiakim and enslaves many Hebrews.
Among those Jewish exiles is fervent young Daniel (Mena Massoud). His devout friends Hananiah (Sunjay Midda), Mishael (Adam Lahraoui), and Azariah (Zaki Ali) accompany him to Babylon.
There, amid worshippers of the pagan god Bal, their severely tested faith draws fortitude from the prayers of a faith-imbued Susanna (Sophia Decaro) back in Jerusalem.
The Hebrews are sent to Babylon as slaves, in “Daniel and the Fiery Furnace.” EKKL Entertainment
Instead of resigning himself to torture or death under haughty Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel makes himself useful. Slaying a charging lion in the desert, he saves Nebuchadnezzar’s life.
Related Stories
Moved by Daniel’s courage and the obviously divine gift of interpreting dreams, the king favors Daniel and his friends over his own sorcerers. When the young men end up having to make a mountainous statue of the king just to please him, the spurned sorcerers plot to have them killed.
Charmed by Daniel’s telling of his god, the king seems to forget Bal. But with his flatteringly gleaming image now unveiled, he listens to his sorcerers. Either Daniel and his friends bow to the idol of the king himself or be flung into the furnace they used to forge it.
The prophet Jeremiah (Roberto Zenca), in “Daniel and the Fiery Furnace.” EKKL Entertainment
Fast-Paced Storytelling
The narrators nicely fill gaps in the on-screen narrative. But in the first half, they don’t always catch up with the fast-paced visual storytelling. Audiences unfamiliar with the source material (the biblical Book of Daniel) may find parts confusing; this is perhaps less so if subtitles clarify what the narrators, with heavy accents, say.
Tyler Michael Smith’s score supports rather than overwhelms the screenplay. The song during the closing credits, “Walk Thru Fire,” written and performed by Trevor McNevan, features TobyMac.
For an indie film, “Daniel and the Fiery Furnace” delivers refreshingly gripping cinematography, convincing set and costume design, and production design. The Kooman brothers bring a solid authenticity to their scenes, depicting the splendor of Babylon when needed: at night in the desert, in daylight in palaces, and in stunning dream sequences. The unveiling of the mighty statue is spectacular.
For a film shot largely in South Asia, some lead actors are of South Asian origin. But too many visibly South Asian supporting-cast faces and voices undermine the ethnic authenticity that’s intended. This is especially so since the principal actors of Middle East and North African (MENA) origin here have the required, distinctly MENA looks and accents far better covered.
Poster for “Daniel and the Fiery Furnace.” EKKL Entertainment
Massoud as Daniel shines in a scene where he’s praying with Susanna for God’s help. Even as the camera glances at him through a decorative trellis, his expressions breathe pathos, and his tone, despair.
This biblical live-action film, too, is as much King Nebuchadnezzar’s story as it is Daniel’s. It is the hulking Alexander who carries the film. His expressive eyes and looming screen presence memorably convey Nebuchadnezzar’s whimsicality, fear, anger, and remorse.
His cry “ayaah” mirrors mild dismay, lending him a playful air. His habit of repeating himself conveys doubt, not certainty. He allows sudden bursts of reflectiveness to disrupt his deceptively decisive demeanor. All told, he makes his king more than a caricature of cruelty.
(L–R) Hananiah (Sunjay Midda), Mishael (Adam Lahraoui) and Azariah (Zaki Ali), in “Daniel and the Fiery Furnace.” EKKL Entertainment
Here too, the Kooman brothers use imagery and dialogue that unite the Old and New Testaments. They’re hinting that the Old and New are not two books but like two chapters of the same book. They are like distinct verses, but from the same song.
The point of prophets like Daniel or David is about who they’re pointing to. Daniel here insists, “It is not the prophet who speaks but the Most High.”
The first commandment, then, isn’t the tantrum of a tyrant. It’s more like someone who loves fish, pleading that the fish don’t ever leave the ocean, no matter how promising the sandy shore looks and feels. For what do fish know of land but death?
Life’s ordeals, or the furnace’s fire here, aren’t meant to test one’s faith for the fun of it. As Daniel clarifies, they’re meant to purify and refine the spirit so it cleaves not to itself, or to meaningless proxies for God, but to God himself. For without God lies certain death.
You can watch “Daniel and the Fiery Furnace” in theaters from Sept. 18, 2026.
‘Daniel and the Fiery Furnace’
Directors: Daniel and Matthew Kooman
Starring: Mena Massoud, Elijah Alexander
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 1 hour, 48 minutes
Release Date: Sept. 18, 2026
Rated: 3 stars out of 5
