Synopsis
Over a weekend in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, a random accident reverberates through the lives of both the local Muslims and Western visitors to a house party in a grand villa.
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Cast
- Ralph FiennesDavid Henninger
- Jessica ChastainJo Henninger
- Matt SmithRichard Galloway
- Caleb Landry JonesDally Margolis
- Abbey LeeCody
- Christopher AbbottTom Day
- Marie-Josée CrozeIsabelle
- Alex JenningsLord Swanthorne
- Saïd TaghmaouiAnouar
- David McSavageWilliam Joyce
Recommendations
- 90
The Hollywood Reporter
Scripted, directed and acted with intelligence and panache, it’s a very grown-up film but never a bore, a morally alert drama that leaves the scolding to us. - 83
IndieWire
While this nasty film seems headed toward a conclusion where the rich win and the status quo is maintained, that’s abruptly shattered by a violent climax that assures that no one on either side of the divide is left without a bloodstain. - 81
TheWrap
Dark and unsettling, The Forgiven doesn’t ask us to like its characters, but it forces us to watch as privilege begins to shatter and people for whom everything feels inconsequential have to deal with consequences. - 80
Variety
McDonagh’s characters are more complex than the initial caricatures make them out to be — perhaps, in the end, even pitiful — leaving audiences to decide how they feel about their ultimate fates. - 70
Slashfilm
The Forgiven runs the risk of becoming a thoughtless movie about a vile white man who is taught a lesson by wise brown people, but McDonagh, who also wrote the script, manages to (mostly) avoid that with a subtle touch. - 60
The Guardian
The film’s strange scrappy indefinability is both its blessing and curse. We’re left with pieces, interesting on their own and sometimes together, but not quite enough to complete the puzzle. - 60
Screen Daily
The storytelling ends up a little too murky to be the grand commentary on privilege and exploitation McDonagh intends. - 60
Vanity Fair
Chastain pulls focus whenever she can, operating as one of the film’s main resources of levity and acerbic bite. I wish the movie had more of that energy—McDonagh keeps the proceedings oddly muted given the circumstances—but at least Chastain is there, pepping things up a bit.
