The world of entertainment has long caught on to the fact that biblical stories are epic in nature and, therefore, make for compelling productions. Cinema brought viewers ambitious undertakings like Charlton Heston’s The Ten Commandments and Darren Aronofsky’s Noah, both of which proved that you don’t even have to be a Christian to enjoy stories adapted from the Bible. Now, the new Prime Video series House of David brings the epic scale of the silver screen into a series format – and proves once again that there are still a lot of biblical stories that can be retold in compelling ways.
At first glance, you may think that House of David is just trying to emulate other epic hit series like HBO’s Game of Thrones — or even The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which lives on the same streamer. However, over the first three episodes provided for review, the Jon Erwin and Jon Gunn series makes it clear that it may be taking a page from those books, but only as a model for shaping its story into something equally intricate and interesting.
What Is ‘House of David’ About?

House of David tells a story that many likely already know, as one of the Bible’s highlights is a moment in which David (Michael Iskander) is able to take down a literal giant foe named Goliath while armed only with his simple sling and a single stone. The tale has become a metaphor for a person with little resources or abilities deciding to fight a much bigger opponent, especially in legal battles. The Prime Video series, however, begins by following David’s life starting from his childhood, as well as the events that led up to that major conflict.
The fact that House of David doesn’t try to be Game of Thrones is both good and bad. On the one hand, if Erwin and Gunn wanted to make the series what it clearly isn’t, it would end up without an identity of its own. That said, even though the Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings influence is clear, House of David just doesn’t have enough of a backbone to be as impactful as those other two franchises.
That’s not to say that House of David isn’t bold: the show dares the audience to keep up with its numerous characters, their own agendas, and the intrigue that starts to form when King Saul (Ali Suliman) starts to indicate that he will vacate the throne. The series also jumps through different timelines pretty often, but doesn’t rely on needless exposition to help viewers keep up with those shifts. As far as faith-based productions go — in the sense that things tend to be over-explained — House of David is a giant leap forward, script-wise.
‘House of David’ Could Be Much Bolder

The problem with the series’ approach to story, however, is that it quickly becomes clear that, in terms of characters, there isn’t much to keep up with. For instance, Saul’s wife Ahinoam (Ayelet Zurer) has her own voice and is quietly preparing for a shift in power in the family, but we don’t stick with her enough to develop a full picture of her perspective. The same is true for several other characters, like Samuel (played by Avatar: The Way of Water’s Stephen Lang); in a world where divinity is widely accepted, but few people talk directly with God, he should be a far more interesting character who often deals with moral corruption — his and from others — but that’s barely touched on.
However, at least most members of the show’s ensemble have something going on, which is more than can be said for its title character. House of David’s cardinal sin is that the series is largely uninterested in its own protagonist who, more often than not, is also just reacting to the story with no agency whatsoever. Of course, part of this is by design: David’s victory over Goliath was surprising due to the fact that he wasn’t regarded as much of a warrior. But there’s a difference between making a character who’s perceived as unassuming in his environment and a character who’s tedious to watch.
On the other hand, House of David really shines when the story shifts to Saul’s family. A king with deteriorating health is nothing new, but depending on who’s been cast, the story can find new ways to intrigue us. In that sense, Suliman is House of David’s equivalent to Paddy Considine (House of the Dragon); his character becomes desperate because he’s starting to show vulnerability, doesn’t want to let go of power, and is starting to wonder if his condition is a direct consequence of his relationship with God or a curse inflicted on him — or possibly even both.

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The show premieres on February 27.

‘House of David’ Goes Big (and Small) When It Needs To

Erwin and Gunn also make the clever choice to keep God’s participation in House of David more suggested than bluntly exposed. One of the biggest elements that connects viewers to the people depicted in the Old Testament is faith and the fact that, more often than not, we have doubts and questions about our own beliefs until we’re given a sign or witness a miracle. Without explicit and miraculous events happening all the time in the series, it’s possible to look at the story from the perspective of non-believers and better understand both the context of the time and why David and his peers faced so much opposition.
Ultimately, House of David is a series that isn’t afraid to go big when it needs to in battles and with a certain amount of violence. It understands that the names we know from the Bible aren’t necessarily black and white, but the series would benefit from investing more in each character’s agenda to make the story arcs a lot more compelling. From a “Christian universe” standpoint, though, House of David is a leap forward that has the potential to burst out of its faith-based bubble.
House of David premieres February 27 on Prime Video.

House of David

House of David is a series that has every intention of being bold but lacks in backbone where it counts.

Release Date

February 27, 2025

Network

Prime Video

Cast

Pros & Cons

The epic series justifies its own scale.
The story knows how to create intrigue.
House of David challenges viewers to keep up with it.

The show doesn’t care much about its own protagonist.
The story’s conflicts could cut much deeper.
We don’t spend enough time with good characters to fully understand them.