Kiefer Sutherland is trading government conspiracies and action heroes for a priest’s collar in “Father Joe,” a new crime thriller that sends him into the dangerous streets of Manhattan’s Little Italy.
Sutherland plays Father Joe, a Catholic priest who secretly wages war against organized crime while trying to protect people caught in the city’s underworld. The film also stars Al Pacino and Ever Anderson and recently premiered at the Venice Film Festival.
Kiefer Sutherland Plays a Priest Who Takes on the Mob
“Father Joe” is set in Manhattan’s Little Italy, where criminal organizations hold enormous influence and faith is beginning to disappear.
Instead of remaining inside his church, Father Joe takes matters into his own hands, targeting crime rings and confronting dangerous figures throughout the neighborhood.
The first footage shared by Deadline presents Sutherland as a man of faith willing to use unconventional — and sometimes violent — methods against the criminal world around him.
As the conflict grows, he is forced to form unexpected alliances and cross moral boundaries in an effort to protect people who have nowhere else to turn.
Al Pacino Joins Sutherland in the Crime Drama
The project brings together Sutherland and Al Pacino, giving “Father Joe” two actors strongly associated with intense crime and action stories.
Ever Anderson also plays a major role in the film, with Father Joe becoming involved in the life of a young woman caught between danger and the possibility of redemption.
Their presence adds to a story that mixes crime-thriller action with themes of faith, guilt and morality.
Luc Besson Wrote the Screenplay
“Father Joe” is directed by Barthélémy Grossmann from a screenplay by Luc Besson.
According to the official Venice Film Festival listing, the 106-minute film is described as both a modern fable about faith and redemption and an action thriller inspired by classic genre cinema.
Sutherland also serves as one of the film’s producers alongside Luc Besson’s production companies.
“Father Joe” Makes Its Debut in Venice
The film screened in the Venice Open – Out of Competition section of the 2026 Venice International Film Festival.
Its unusual combination of a Catholic priest, organized crime and vigilante-style action gives Sutherland a very different kind of character while placing him alongside Pacino in a story rooted in New York’s criminal underworld.
For audiences who enjoy crime films with a darker moral conflict, “Father Joe” offers a priest whose fight against evil extends far beyond the walls of his church.