The Forgiven
The Forgiven

The Forgiven

2022Movie117 minEnglish

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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Insights

IMDb5.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes38%
Metacritic46/100
Google Users41%
Director: John Michael McDonaghGenres: Thriller, Drama, Crime

Plot Summary

During a lavish weekend party at a wealthy couple's villa in the Moroccan desert, a tragic accident occurs when a local boy is struck and killed by a speeding car driven by one of the guests. As the sun rises, the hosts find themselves caught in a web of deceit and dark secrets, forced to confront the consequences of their actions and the complex cultural divides that emerge.

Critical Reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics. While Fiennes's performance and the film's atmosphere were often praised, many found the plot to be uneven and the pacing to be slow, with some criticizing its exploration of themes.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for Ralph Fiennes's commanding performance and the atmospheric setting.
  • Criticized for a meandering plot and uneven pacing.
  • Some reviewers found the film's thematic explorations to be underdeveloped or heavy-handed.

Google audience: Audience reviews indicate a divided reception. Many found the film to be visually striking and appreciated the performances, but a significant portion expressed disappointment with the story's direction and lack of clear resolution.

Fun Fact

The film is an adaptation of Lawrence Osborne's 2012 novel of the same name, which also explored similar themes of cultural clash and moral ambiguity in Morocco.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

2 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

Despite a rather a decent cast, this is all a bit of a non-story. It centres around a soirée being given by the rather ostentatious gay couple "Richard" (Matt Smith) and boyfriend "Dally" (Caleb Landry Jones) deep in the Moroccan desert. Tr...
Chris Sawin

Chris Sawin

_The Forgiven_ is a peculiar film that seems to be trying to say something about poverty or the wealthy being blind to anything that isn’t directly under their noses, but it also squeezes in a few jabs at racism. The whole thing about throw...