01 Jun The Righteous Review

THE RIGHTEOUS

dir. Mark O’Brien, starring Henry Czerny, Mark O’Brien, and Mimi Kuzyk

“Be careful what you wish for. Be certain what you pray for.”

The Righteous, the freshman debut of Mark O’Brien, tells the story of Frederic (Czerny), a grieving man struggling with his faith, who helps an injured young man, Aaron Smith (O’Brien) who stumbles onto his property one night, claiming to be lost in the woods. Frederic and his wife (Kuzyk) invite the man to stay for the night, but Frederic soon begins to have doubts about this enigmatic stranger’s story and his motives for being there. When Aaron asks Frederic to commit an unspeakable deed, it becomes clear that the man is not who he seems and has been sent to test the very limits of Frederic’s existence.

For a first time outing, The Righteous is nothing short of remarkable. Running at a tight 97 minutes, the film doesn’t rush its story, choosing instead to ensure that we understand a bit about who Frederic is, the impact of his grief at the film’s onset, and his complex relationship with religion. Opening the film with Frederic and his wife Ethel having recently lost their young daughter, the audience immediately emphasizes with him, further endearing himself by caring for the stranger who turns up on their lawn. It’s that initial bonding that causes later conflict with Frederic as the film progresses and more facets of his character are revealed. The pace at which O’Brien unveils information is maddeningly frustrating by design, choosing to build the tension from a simmer to a bubble to a full on boil by the film’s third act.

From a writing standpoint, O’Brien uses religion as a method to explore Frederic, as well the overarching themes of the film. Forgiveness, acceptance, paying penance, and a chance at absolution are all topics of conversation, whether between Frederic and Aaron or Frederic and his priests. The major driving point of the film is the search for spiritual atonement through penance; early on in the film, after the tragic events that frame the first act specifically, Frederic begs for punishment only to be rewarded shortly thereafter by Aaron’s presence. It’s through Aaron we see Frederic’s hubris, just how completely he’s lost his faith, and how some action, no matter how contrite the person may be after, might be beyond forgiveness.

Starring Henry Czerny as Frederic, The Righteous lives and dies by his performance. Thankfully, Czerny is more than up to the task as the haunted former man of the cloth. While the film starts with Frederic grieving for the loss of his daughter, Czerny’s transformation from distraught to tense and back to distraught for completely different reasons, the veteran actor gives the role his all in a career defining performance that’s by all metrics outstanding. With Frederic, his faith, and how he grapples with past decisions being the forefront of the movie, Czerny is in almost every scene, proving time and again that while he’s capable of comedic roles, it’s thrillers that he was born to star in.

Mark O’Brien also stars as Aaron Smith, the injured stranger that shows up almost literally on Frederic and Ethel’s doorstep. From the beginning, the audience can tell there’s something not quite on the level with Aaron, and thanks to O’Brien’s writing and performance of the character, the question becomes less of can he be trusted? and more how long until this guy does something supremely messed up? O’Brien plays Aaron’s innocence with a tinge of mischief at its edges, but it’s at the end of the first act O’Brien steps up his game and Aaron converts from uncomfortable familiarity with Frederic and Ethel to full-on menace. Constantly pushing Frederic and challenging how he views God, religion, forgiveness, and Frederic’s place in the world, Aaron is the perfect foil for the former priest, holding up a mirror to his past actions and forcing him to partake in much needed self reflection.

Written, directed, produced, and starring Mark O’Brien, The Righteous is a film born from his ideas as he carried the story from conception to completion. Part of the brilliance of the film is in its simplicity; there’s little panache or overt flashiness. O’Brien lets the movie stand on the strength of his story and the actors portraying his characters. Choosing to film the movie in black and white, as if to say there’s nothing remotely black and white about religion and the inherent struggles that come with trying to understand it, the vast majority of it takes place in one setting with a limited amount of people who populate the world. His first feature length film, The Righteous shows that while O’Brien still has room to grow, there’s plenty of talent to be nurtured in this young filmmaker with this initial outing generating more than enough credit to show up promptly for his sophomore followup.

Overall, The Righteous is one of those psychological movies that will stick with the viewer long after it’s apocalyptic conclusion. Featuring powerful performances, especially from Henry Czerny, a tight script, and a pacing that keeps the audience engaged an on the hook from the first frame, its deeply unsettling tone is sure to elicit all the right feels for fans of the subgenre. The Righteous will be released digitally by Arrow Films on June 10th and is available for preorder now.

Review by Darryl Mansel