The Righteous is a psychological horror movie from Canada that deals with grief, faith, and loss. Frederic (Henry Czerny) and his wife Ethel (Mimi Kuzyk) are trying to cope with the loss of their adopted daughter. When an injured stranger named Aaron Smith (writer-director Mark O’Brien) stumbles onto their property, the Masons invite him to stay for the night. Smith soon reveals his true motives for being there.
The story is anchored by three impressive performances. Czerny and Kuzyk are great as the grief stricken parents who have been devastated by their loss while O’Brien is excellent as the charismatic stranger who is able to quickly win over the trust of the grieving couple. The Righteous is never forced to rely on supernatural scares due to the trio.
The entire film highlights the tension through fantastic set pieces and direction. Filming in black and white adds a sense of heaviness to the proceedings. As The Righteous reveals more about its guilt laden story, the need for redemption becomes clearer. An oppressive feeling hangs over the entire movie.
Pacing is also very important in The Righteous. In order to get over the full gravity of its distressing story, O’Brien gives his movie time to breathe. The atmosphere and, even more so, the characters drive the plot. This is a script that is less concerned with in your face scares as opposed to providing a deeper experience.
This may also end up turning some audiences off. When expectations for horror are not met, even the best movies end up being disliked. The Righteous is an exposition filled tale that does have a tendency to get too wordy. Ironically, this will make some feel like the movie is lacking. However, most will enjoy its emotionally powerful storytelling.
The Righteous is streaming on ARROW
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