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The Forgiven

The Forgiven

Thriller · Drama · 2018

After the end of Apartheid, Archbishop Desmond Tutu meets with a brutal murderer seeking redemption.

Movie details

The Forgiven

“Racist. Prisoner. Murderer. Child of God.”

2018 Thriller · Drama 1h 55m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.1 / 10

Community rating

After the end of Apartheid, Archbishop Desmond Tutu meets with a brutal murderer seeking redemption.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Forgiven?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Kill for Me

Kill for Me

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Rent’s a bitch. And that is why, six months after her best friend went missing, Amanda finally gives in to getting another roommate, Hailey. The two college students turn out to have something in common, however: abusive men. For Hailey, it’s her dad. For Amanda, it’s a stalkery ex-boyfriend. But problems can be solved and, you know, you scratch my back, I scratch yours. In other words, Kill for Me, I kill for you.

Tyler Perry's Duplicity

Tyler Perry's Duplicity

Thriller · 2025

High-powered attorney Marley faces her most personal case yet when she is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the murder of her best friend Fela’s husband. With the help of her boyfriend – a former cop turned private investigator – Marley’s search for what really happened leads her down a treacherous maze of deception and betrayal.

The Good Neighbor

The Good Neighbor

Thriller · 2022

A nightmarish evening unfolds for neighbors David and Robert when they accidentally hit a woman on her bike and flee the scene. While David is increasingly plagued by feelings of guilt, Robert shows no remorse and becomes overbearing and possessive.

A Good Woman Is Hard to Find

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The recently widowed mother of two, Sarah, is desperate to know who murdered her husband in front of her young son, rendering him mute. Coerced into helping a low-life drug dealer stash narcotics stolen from the local Mr. Big, she's forced into taking drastic action to protect her children, evolving from downtrodden submissive to take-charge vigilante.

Five Minutes of Heaven

Five Minutes of Heaven

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Blood Ties

Blood Ties

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The Secrets We Keep

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In post-World War II America, a woman, rebuilding her life in the suburbs with her husband, kidnaps her neighbor and seeks vengeance for the heinous war crimes she believes he committed against her.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Roland Joffé

Written by

Michael Ashton · Roland Joffé

Forest Whitaker

Forest Whitaker

Desmond Tutu

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

Piet Blomfeld

Jeff Gum

Jeff Gum

Francois Schmidt

Debbie Sherman

Debbie Sherman

Linda Coetzee

Terry Norton

Terry Norton

Lavinia

Dominika Jablonska

Dominika Jablonska

Forensic Clerk

Rob Gough

Rob Gough

Howard Varney

Court is in session

Put The Forgiven on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.