The Righteous

Despite their theurgical and psychological subject matter, the films of Ingmar Bergman hue very closely to the horror genre.  So it’s no surprise to see another filmmaker follow the same route to explore the depths of guilt, shame and religious self-punishment.  In The Righteous (2021) writer, director and star Mark O’Brien takes the same stage-friendly approach (essentially three characters), isolated location (Canada stands-in for Sweden) and even shoots in glorious black and white!  But rather than coming off as a blatant rip-off of Through a Glass Darkly, O’Brien’s film leaves itself open to supernatural interpretation and makes for a refreshing throwback to arthouse fare of the ‘60s.

 

Having left the priesthood to marry late in life, Frederic Mason believes God’s punishment is the death of his 8-year-old adopted daughter.  But he still seems spiritually unsatisfied, praying for the opportunity to pay the ultimate penance.  And his prayers are answered in the form of Aaron (played by O’Brien), who hobbles to his front door lost and injured.  But Aaron is more than he seems, full of details about Frederic’s personal life and psychological secrets that no mortalshould ever know.

 

The Righteous plays out as a bit of a mystery, which gives it a leg-up on Bergman’s more scholarly scripts (although anyone who watches The Silence should give him full credit for Kubrick’s version of The Shining).  Plot points are cleverly revealed and the film never feels claustrophobic despite the boxed in setting.  But, at the end of the day, it’s all just a showcase for O’Brien’s performance as Aaron, a terrifying, intimidating, manipulative monster of a character that every actor wishes they could play.  He dominates every scene, even though there is plenty of scenery for the rest of the cast to chew.  

 

As a director, O’Brien only steals from the best.  And his Bergman-inspired approach to 

The Righteous is a genius career move.  As a film, it suffers whenever he’s not on screen.  But isn’t that the ultimate compliment to an actor who’s proven that waiting for the right role is never quite as good as writing it yourself?

 

Arrow Video’s Blu-ray is all luscious shades of gray with and audio commentary from O’Brien and his editor, cast and crew interviews, roundtable discussion, (surprise-surprise) stage presentation, Q & A and original soundtrack.

 

 

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