Set in a post-apocalyptic world where a biotech virus has transformed humans into violent cannibals, Rory (Lily Sullivan, Evil Dead Rise) hides in an isolated cabin in the New Zealand wilderness with her father-in-law, Otto (Richard Roxburgh, Van Helsing). Two years earlier, Rory lost her husband and daughter to the virus, moments that still haunt her. Blaming herself for what happened, Rory is depressed and doesn’t know what exactly she’s surviving for. When a man called Noah (Lance Giles) arrives after escaping from a nearby camp, Rory must choose whether to stay put or escape through a zombie-infested forest on a journey of hope and redemption.
Forgive Us All, written by Giles, Jordana Scott, and Alex Makauskas, is a slow burn. It takes zombies out of the horror film and puts them into a neo western. While the infected are fast with heightened senses and cannibalistic tendencies, this isn’t an action-packed film. Instead, it’s filled with many moments of silence and stillness. The filmmaking is lovely as Scott, in her directorial feature debut, and cinematographer Peter McGaffrey (M3GAN), create some beautiful and purposeful shots. The colour grading bounces between yellow for daytime and green for nighttime, but manages to look great throughout. The yellow can grow a little tired, but that’s mostly down to the film’s poor pacing.
Forgive Us All unfolds like an extended episode of The Walking Dead, only without the excellent world and character building, which often fumbles its western themes of survival, justice, and redemption. Sullivan and Roxburgh are great leads, but are left without much material to work with. Rory has all the makings of a compelling character, but her dull and meandering daily life is boring to watch. Her heartbreaking yet traumatic past comes back to Rory in flashbacks via nightmares. We get more pieces of the puzzle this way, but it’s kept at an emotional distance from the audience. There are some genuinely good scenes with Rory, especially in the very first and final shots of the film, but nothing is expanded upon beyond surface level emotions and expositional dialogue that lacks depth. It comes as no surprise, then, that Otto isn’t fleshed out beyond his connection to Rory, nor are the trio of antagonists ruthlessly pursuing Noah to get back what he took from them.
The lack of strong character work stands out massively because the film is supposed to be character-driven. There’s certainly something interesting going on in the background to do with government camps and antidotes, but it’s never explained. Instead, the film drags on as we wait for something to happen, but it rarely does. The action is sparse and saved mainly for the film’s climax, where we see more of the infected, who all look fantastic. The inclusion of the antagonists showcase the often trodden truth of humans being the most dangerous threat in a post-apocalyptic world, but these themes are underdeveloped. These components unfortunately let down what is a beautifully made film.
Forgive Us All will have its UK Premiere at GrimmFest on 11th October, with a DVD & Digital Release on 13th October.
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