Streaming Service: Hulu
Movie Name/Year: The Apology (2022)
Genre: Thriller
Length: 1h 32min
Rating: Not Rated
Director: Alison Locke
Writers: Alison Locke
Actors: Anna Gunn, Linus Roache,
Janeane Garofalo, Mary Leeholland, Esmé McSherry, Zena Leigh Logan
IMDb Blurb: Twenty years after the
disappearance of her daughter, a recovering alcoholic is preparing to host her
family's Christmas celebration when her estranged ex-brother-in-law arrives
unannounced, bearing nostalgic gifts and a heavy secret.
Selina’s Point of View:
The Apology is a much longer step away from basic
Christmas fare than most of the movies on our schedule this season. The
settings are full of colorful lights and there’s a party to look forward to,
but that’s where the joy ends. There’s no magic. It’s just a grieving mother
coming to terms with the horrific truth of what happened to her daughter 20
years ago.
The Apology is one of those films that
concentrates on only two characters and a single setting for the majority of
the run time. There were just a few scenes with one other person. The concept
is an interesting one, especially with the specific plot utilized, but not easy
to pull off. When you have a movie that concentrates on such a limited cast,
it’s important that every other aspect is 100% on point. Otherwise, it could
easily come off as a chore to watch.
In the case of The Apology,
there were a lot of issues. Most important among them being that the main
characters don’t have anything to grab audience attention.
Anna Gunn has a couple of decent
scenes, but mostly feels like she’s forcing herself to say what she’s supposed
to. There was no conviction. Meanwhile, there was never a moment that Linus
Roache felt like he was giving what he was supposed to. Finally, as much as I
enjoy a bit of Janeane Garofalo, she was out of place everywhere but the
beginning of the film. There were moments where The Apology cut to her
that just didn’t make sense. During those times she brought a comedic relief
that was completely out of left field and didn’t work. It was strangely timed,
at best.
I didn’t enjoy The Apology. I
always knew it was going to be a difficult watch, but I didn’t know the reason
would be because it was bad.
Cat’s Point of View:
Let me tell you, The Apology was not what I expected.
I didn’t remember the trailer, provided I’d watched it back in 2022 when this
film could have potentially been part of our Top 20. I didn’t really remember
anything about it other than it existed. I somehow hadn’t watched it when it
was released as a Shudder original, either. When I went to Hulu to view it
today, the blurb did not leave me prepared.
I honestly thought, upon skimming the small paragraph, that
I’d be in for some sort of family drama with a convenient Christmas backdrop. I
settled in prepared to grimace my way through it – because family drama is the last
thing I really want to watch right about now. I crave escape and productions
that will leave me on the edge of my seat. The blurb would have been better if
it had said “buckle up, buttercup” but that’s neither here nor there.
Needless to say, I was wrong. Whether by my mis-reading of
the information or assumptions, I was so far off base from what The Apology
actually was, I nearly got whiplash…figuratively speaking.
The movie I watched started normal enough but then took an
unexpected hard turn into unpleasant territory from a thematic point of view. I
felt this sick sense of dread and generally couldn’t look away from the
emotional train-wreck playing out. Now don’t get me wrong – that wasn’t a bad
thing. The story dealt with brutal and raw emotions as well as some things that
tend to be pretty hard to hear, let alone imagine. Let this be a trigger warning.
The production really took good advantage of the
claustrophobic setting of the single residence locked in winter weather
isolation. Everyone on that set left everything they had on the screen. I felt
the protagonist’s pain and conflict viscerally. I was actually surprised to
learn that this was writer and director Alison Locke’s (Stupidface,
Shhhhhhh..., Sensory Overload) debut feature-length film. I look forward to
seeing what she brings us in the future.
Alas, while I can’t really find fault with The Apology
and would definitely share with others that this was a surprisingly decent
movie, I can’t see myself wanting to watch it again due to the emotional roller-coaster
within. This is definitely not a Christmas party feel-good movie or something
you’d want to just randomly have playing in the background over the holiday. I
would recommend watching The Apology as
a specific choice if you’re in the mood for something dark. Also, while The
Apology is unrated, this is not a movie to watch around the young.
My final piece of advice regarding The Apology is that
the trailer gives away too much. If you are interested in achieving the full
experience of this film, you’ll want to skip the preview.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic
Score – 52%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience
Score – 41%
Metascore – 46%
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 5.2/10
Trust the Dice: Selina’s
Rating – 1.5/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s
Rating – 3/5
Trust the Dice: Parental Advisory Rating – R
Movie Trailer:
