As the fictional pop star Samantha James (Anna Faris) once sang, forgiveness is more than saying sorry. Ralph Fiennes (The Grand Budapest Hotel) is about to find that out in an illustrious, intense new thriller, The Forgiven. Based on the novel by Lawrence Osborne, The Forgiven is sinister, stylish, and unsettling. Drunken accidents, guilt, and a decaying marriage are simply the set-up of a picture spilling with characters and color. The trailer offers a glimpse at the star-studded cast and teases viewers with a hint of the spectacle spread throughout this sleek drama.
The Forgiven is John Michael McDonagh’s (Calvary) latest adaptation. It appears to possess all the style and substance of Kenneth Branagh’s Agatha Christie interpretations with an added layer of moodiness and intrigue. For more about the cast, story, and release date, check out our guide below.
When and Where Is The Forgiven Releasing?
The Forgiven is releasing in theaters on July 2. The film won’t migrate to streaming until the conclusion of its theatrical run, and the exceptional fragmentation of the market makes its streaming home unpredictable. Don’t miss the chance to catch The Forgiven in theaters on July 2.
Watch the Trailer For The Forgiven
The trailer for The Forgiven was released in May 2022 and you can check it out above. For more on The Forgiven, check out this exclusive clip following David and Jo’s arrival at the party with an unannounced–and unresponsive–plus one in the back of their car.
What Is The Forgiven About?
The official synopsis which accompanies the trailer describes The Forgiven as,
Speeding through the Moroccan desert to attend an old friend’s lavish weekend party, wealthy Londoners David and Jo Henninger (Ralph Fiennes and Jessica Chastain) are involved in a tragic accident with a local teenage boy. Arriving late at the grand villa with the debauched party raging, the couple attempts to cover up the incident with the collusion of the local police. But when the boy’s father arrives seeking justice, the stage is set for a tension-filled culture clash in which David and Jo must come to terms with their fateful act and its shattering consequences.
As the very real rock-star Serj Tankian put it, accidents happen. Alcohol, anger, and vehicular manslaughter are the inciting incident in this case. As David (Fiennes) and Jo (Jessica Chastain) scramble to cover the evidence of their crimes, they selfishly implicate their friend Richard Galloway (Matt Smith). They seek his assistance following their removal of the young man’s body from the site of the car accident. Ultimately, the story serves as a metaphor for the privilege and power of wealth. Even if they can buy their way out of responsibility, can they afford a guilt-free conscience? That’s the question they’re forced to confront when one tenacious family risks everything to collect their son’s remains. In an attempt to balance the scales, and at the young man’s father’s request, David joins the family for the funeral proceedings, where he’s assured they will discuss recompense for his actions. David goes along, putting faith in the bereaved family, knowing it’s his only way out without involving law enforcement.
Who Is in the Cast of The Forgiven?
As previously stated, Ralph Fiennes leads this sandy thriller as the sulking, sour husband, David Henninger. Fiennes is a two-time Academy Award nominee (Shindler’s List, The English Patient) with nearly 100 credits to his name in the world of cinema. He’s worked with some of the most celebrated filmmakers of multiple generations including Steven Spielberg, Anthony Minghella (The Talented Mr. Ripley), David Cronenberg, Katheryn Bigelow (Point Break), Sam Mendes (Skyfall), Wes Anderson, and several more. His charm, his crackling intensity, and his rolling speech amplified by his British accent make him an immediately recognizable presence in any project. His dreary demeanor as David offers a look at a less heroic side of the thespian following his run of good-guy roles including Mallory during Daniel Craig’s run as 007, Alfred Pennyworth in The Lego Batman Movie, M. Gustave in the GBH, and Orlando Oxford in The King’s Man. Fiennes fans get a double dose in 2022 as he stars in both The Forgiven and The Menu, a lavish thriller set at an exclusive restaurant.
Jessica Chastain, newly armed with her Oscar for Best Actress thanks to her performance in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, stars opposite Fiennes as Jo Henninger. While David explores his guilt and his options to escape the consequences of his carelessness, his wife explores escape from him. Chastain is always working with the most interesting talents of the time. In the first half of the 2010s alone she teamed with Jeff Nichols and Michael Shannon on Take Shelter, John Hillcoat, Tom Hardy, and Shia LaBeouf on Lawless, Kathryn Bigelow on Zero Dark Thirty, Christopher Nolan and Matthew McConaughey on Interstellar, Ridley Scott on The Martian, and Guillermo del Toro on Crimson Peak. 2022 seems to be her year, because along with her award win, she’s set to star in four films and one series this year–one of which, The 355, is already streaming on Netflix. She recently made headlines for turning down pay for her appearance as Mayanne Trump–Donald Trump’s sister–in James Gray’s (Ad Astra) Armageddon Time.
Formerly The Doctor of Doctor Who, Matt Smith stars in The Forgiven as Richard Galloway. Galloway is one of the trusted people David implicates as an accessory to his crimes when he drives up to the party with a corpse in the back seat. Smith has bounced around oddball rolls following the conclusion of his turn as The Doctor. Popping up in His House, Last Night in Soho, and Morbius—with a dance scene that gives Spider–Man 3 a run for its money–Smith seems excited to play the villain. Smith’s fans can look forward to his appearance as Daemon Targaryen in HBO’s upcoming Game of Thrones prequel series titled House of the Dragon. GoT fans are likely aware that the show follows the royal house Targaryen before the unseating of the Mad King by Robert Baratheon. House of the Dragon is still scheduled to premiere in August 2022.
Rounding out the supporting cast are Abbey Lee (Old), Caleb Landry Jones (Get Out), and Christopher Abbott (Possessor). Catch Lee in the series Florida Man, or Abbott in On the Count of Three, Sanctuary, and Poor Things–all due out in 2022.
