‘Revenge is a mother’
The Apology is a 2022 American drama thriller about a recovering alcoholic mother who is surprised by the arrival of her ex-brother-in-law.
Written and directed by Alison Locke [as Alison Star Locke]. Produced by Ben Fritz, Stacy Jorgensen, Michael Kagan, Kim Sherman and Lisa Whalen.
The Company X production stars Anna Gunn, Linus Roache, Janeane Garofalo, Holland Bailey, Esmé McSherry and Zena Leigh Logan
Plot synopsis:
Twenty years after the disappearance of her daughter, recovering alcoholic Darlene Hagan (Anna Gunn) is preparing to host her family’s Christmas celebration again with the help of her friend and neighbour, Gretchen (Janeane Garofalo).
Late Christmas Eve, Darlene’s estranged ex-brother-in-law, Jack (Linus Roache) arrives unannounced, bearing nostalgic gifts and a heavy secret. Soon, Darlene finds herself caught between reason and ruthless instinct. Trapped together by a dangerous storm, a battle of wits escalates to a violent game of revenge…
Reviews:
“Where The Apology slips up, and where it slips up frequently, is in the journey between that wonderful opening turn towards darkness and the heart-wrenching conclusion, in which all three stars give it everything they’ve got and Locke’s script once again ratchets the tension and the darkness all the way up. In between are scenes that sometimes feel like profound moments of character discovery, and sometimes feel like filler…” AV Club
“The Apology is both an excellent debut and a big win for indie genre movies. The bracing story is well told and full of surprises, the performances are all around impressive, and the writing is impactful. Alison Locke drops one of the most agonizing Christmas stories in recent years, but also includes a glimmer of hope.” 4 out of 5, Bloody Disgusting
“Gunn and Roache are up to the challenge with The Apology, which opens with an unexpected reunion during the Christmas holiday and gradually devolves into an understanding of diseased minds and the crippling weight of guilt. It’s a solid endeavor with outstanding performances, and if you’re sensitive to spoilers, this is the place to stop reading, as any basic inspection of the picture has to detail a few of the screenplay’s turns.” 4 out of 5, Blu-ray.com
“It’s just too bad that writer/director Alison Locke didn’t understand the assignment quite as well as she did. This isn’t a terrible movie by any means, but it’s certainly not one that I would call “good,” either. The Apology is an incredibly predictable thriller that focuses way too much on its themes of vengeance rather than exploring its complex characters.” Caillou Pettis Movie Reviews
“The Apology is a new Shudder thriller-drama film that is just good enough for a quick watch, even though it’s nothing worth remembering for long […] The Apology is adequate in almost every department and is overall a nice and somewhat effective watch.” Digital Mafia Talkies
“The plot alone does reveal a bit. However, don’t worry, during the runtime of 91 minutes, you’ll be intrigued from beginning to end. All the events play out during just one night during Christmas, so this holiday season release is well-timed. With a story eerily realistic and featuring a tiny cast delivering strong performances, you’ll want to watch this…” Heaven of Horror
“There is a power hidden behind Gunn’s eyes that conveys both panic and resolve, components that force us to stay with Darlene throughout the night and relate to each choice she is forced to make. Gunn is genuinely and harrowingly captivating. Alison Locke has gifted us an unnerving thriller surrounding a volatile central topic, highlighted by standout performances.” The Hollywood Outsider
” …there’s nowhere else for this plot to go except non-stop conflict, and Locke imagines that as a repeated back-and-forth of one character getting the upper hand over the other, only for the tables to turn over and over again […] The Apology raises some ideas about guilt and the choice between justice and revenge. Mostly, though, it’s a game of trying to maintain some sense of conflict and tension, even if the movie has to manufacture of it.” 2 out of 4, Mark Reviews Movies
“A play-like trudge through seesawing power dynamics, bursts of violence, perpetual gloom and a ludicrously attenuated finale, The Apology could have doubled its tension by halving its running time. When the resolution of a movie depends in part on a fortuitously constipated dog, the only apology required is from whoever convinced you to watch in the first place.” The New York Times
“The setting, lighting, set design as well as the wintry weather all contribute to The Apology‘s foreboding, eerie atmosphere that makes it clear from the beginning that you’re about to watch something unsettling. Unfortunately, the film’s style doesn’t compensate for its lack of substance. At a running time of 90 minutes, The Apology is a psychological thriller that morphs into an increasingly preposterous, clunky, contrived and dull B-movie.” The NYC Movie Guru
“Locke keeps the running time short in the film and treats the pacing as a play. The big reveal happens before the thirty-minute mark, and the next hour is an acting showcase for Gunn and Roche. In contrast, Locke can’t avoid the typical tropes that fill this kind of thriller, the choices she makes for Darlene works.” Reviews and Dunn
” …the violence in The Apology is disorienting and appropriately tamped down. Gore, declamatory speeches, and other displays of melodramatic sturm und drang are all theoretically fine and pleasurable, but only when they’re used in a way that enhances whatever else is going on in the movie. Watching The Apology, one gets the sense that Locke and her team got to tell the exact story they wanted to and on their terms.” RogerEbert.com
“Overall, The Apology is a tight thriller with emotional performances at its center, especially from Gunn. You feel her character’s ache. While some may prefer their holiday movies to have a little more cheer, The Apology is a thriller that questions what exactly it means to enact revenge.” Signal Horizon
” …viewers who can appreciate a film based on tension and suspense should appreciate the way the script sets up two almost equally matched adversaries and lets the advantage shift back and forth. Topped off with excellent acting and some nice work from cinematographer Jack Caswell (Adventure Force 5, Archenemy) it’s an unexpected Christmas treat.” 3.5 out of 5, Voices from the Balcony
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