The Apology (2022) | Film Review

As any aficionado of the true crime genre can attest, it is the “not knowing” that crushes the souls of victim’s families. The inability to process what happened to their loved ones, where what remains of their once earthly bodies are currently located, and – most importantly – who did this? Often, the answers never arrive. Families are decimated and lives are forever altered. This mental anguish is a suitable backdrop for the hell that is unleashed on Darlene Hagen just before Christmas in The Apology.

20 years earlier, Darlene (Anna Gunn) became a victim herself as her daughter disappeared off the face of the planet. The loss tore a hole in Darlene which spiraled into raging alcoholism and mental torture. Still psychologically brutalized, Darlene is now 19 years sober and has a stalwart support system in the form of her neighbor and best friend, Gretchen (Janeane Garofalo). She is also preparing for her family’s impending arrival for the holidays when a knock comes to her door.

A visitor has dropped by in the guise of Darlene’s ex-brother-in-law, Jack (Linus Roache). What at first appears to be nothing more than the spontaneous arrival of a family member who had fallen out of favor, quickly morphs into something darker. Jack wants to set things right and apologize for not sharing crucial information he has held close to his vest for 20 years, details that could have changed the course of history. This secret sets off a chain of events which will forever alter Darlene’s course yet again.

Writer and director Alison Locke has a clear question to answer in her sights: what would a person do if they finally found out a horrific truth to a situation that has consumed their lives for decades? The film takes a fairly cerebral approach to this setup and follows suit as it plays its hand searching for the answer. Instead of yet another slick revenge fantasy, Locke’s The Apology is focused on the emotional damage that is caused by “not knowing”, and if the truth would actually set Darlene free after all. There is no rollicking chase sequence or collection of detectives finally opening a box with a surprise inside. This film is two characters confronting each other over a lifetime of hidden truths and allowing two accomplished actors to dance in this sandbox.

As Jack, Linus Roache distinctly wears two hats, both equally as fascinating. One is an old family friend, ripe with jolly and excitement, and the other a tortured soul who knows he should have come clean with his knowledge twenty years ago. Though his performance tends to find itself a bit overshadowed by the powerhouse that is Anna Gunn, Roache nevertheless walks that line of a character whose loyalties we are forced to question with relative ease, earning our full attention and even empathy at various turns.

Speaking of Anna Gunn, notably of Breaking Bad and Deadwood fame, The Apology is her script to ignite. As the audience, we are never on anyone’s side but Darlene’s, and that is completely attributable to the sincerity of Locke’s script and the fierceness of Gunn’s performance. Darlene is put through the gamut of emotional seesaws as she abandons the comfortable internal shelter she has built for herself to relive the most traumatic event of her life, and Anna Gunn is the perfect actress to tackle it head-on. There is a power hidden behind Gunn’s eyes that conveys both panic and resolve, components that force us to stay with Darlene throughout the night and relate to each choice she is forced to make. Gunn is genuinely and harrowingly captivating.

Alison Locke has gifted us an unnerving thriller surrounding a volatile central topic, highlighted by standout performances. While it might not fall into the textbook definition of a Christmas movie, The Apology deserves to find a spot under your tree this holiday season.

Listen to our full spoiler-free review of The Apology on this episode of The Hollywood Outsider podcast: