The Forgiven
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The Forgiven
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Forgiven is an excellent dramatic dark comedy about the aftermath of an accident in the Moroccan desert, and includes strong language, drug use, and adult themes. The story revolves around wealthy expat David Henninger (Ralph Fiennes), who hits and kills a young Moroccan boy when driving to an exclusive weekend getaway with his wife, Jo (Jessica Chastain). The Henningers and their expat friends, live cut off and wealthy existences, enjoying lavish lifestyles. They come across as selfish and unsympathetic. David also shows racist behavior, being dismissive and rude about the locals. Violence is mild but there are more serious examples of it referenced, including sexual assault and murder. Language is strong and features throughout with several instances of "f--k" and its variants, along with a couple of uses of "c--t." There is also some racist and misogynist language including terms such as "darkies" and "bitch." Characters drink, smoke, and are shown taking unspecified drugs as part of their hedonistic lifestyle.
Community Reviews
Adult themed not great for young family viewing but a good take on what consequences your actions will have when you do the wrong thing. Movie drags a lot
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What's the Story?
THE FORGIVEN follows wealthy expat, David Henninger (Ralph Fiennes), who is asked to atone for the accidental killing of a local Moroccan boy.
Is It Any Good?
A meandering, two-hour tale of privileged expats in the Moroccan desert may not be to everyone's taste. But thankfully The Forgiven's unflinching look at the lives of superficial rich people has some hidden depths. The movie's excellent cast is led by Fiennes, whose miserable alcoholic Richard struggles to make up his mind about how he wants to face the aftermath of accidentally killing a young Moroccan boy who intended to rob him. His peers seem largely indifferent to his plight, with their dialogue more idle chit-chat than thoughts and advice on how he should deal with the boy's grieving family.
Screenwriter and director John Michael McDonagh adapted the movie from a novel by Lawrence Osborne. But McDonagh makes these characters his own, bringing them in line with the other self-centered bigots and rogues who feature in some of his other movies such as The Guard and Calvary. Like those films, The Forgiven also has the right amount of grim humor to make its players bearable -- and there's something like redemption at the end, albeit in the form of a twisted sting in the tale.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the different characters in The Forgiven. Did you like them? Why, or why not? Did you have any sympathy with them?
Discuss the strong language used. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
Talk about the characters' racist attitudes and discussions about colonialism. How did this show the biases of different perspectives?
How were drinking, smoking, and drug use portrayed? Were there consequences? Did it glamorize it?
Talk about the lavish lifestyles of the expat characters. Did they appear to enjoy it or feel trapped by it?
Movie Details
- In theaters: July 1, 2022
- On DVD or streaming: July 15, 2022
- Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Jessica Chastain, Matt Smith
- Director: John Michael McDonagh
- Studio: Roadside Attractions
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Book Characters
- Run time: 117 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: language throughout, drug use, some sexual content and brief violence
- Last updated: August 2, 2022
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