Fantasia Review: ‘The Righteous’
Making his feature-length directorial debut, actor Mark O’Brien has crafted a unique, haunting and searing religious experience (in every sense) that is unlike anything audiences may have seen before.
“Elevated horror” is a term used by those who dislike the horror genre to differentiate between what they perceive as “tactless and tasteless” horror fare and the more restrained, sophisticated films, such as Ari Aster’s Hereditary and Robert Eggers’ The Witch. It is a pretentious, demeaning phrase, one that is almost universally disliked by horror fans, as it retroactively designates an entire genre as schlocky or “less than”. But “elevated horror” is the perfect term to describe The Righteous, the directorial debut of actor Mark O’Brien, a unique, haunting and searing religious experience (in every sense) that is unlike anything audiences may have seen before.
The Righteous centers on Frederic (Henry Czerny) and Ethel Mason (Mimi Kuzyk), a couple grieving the loss of their adopted daughter. Frederic, in particular, a former priest who gave up his priesthood in order to start his own family, is hit incredibly hard by the loss of his daughter, frequently burrowing away to a dark candelit room in order to pray for her soul.
Their period of mourning is interrupted by the arrival of Aaron (O’Brien), a mysterious man who was supposedly on his way to meet a friend when he inexplicably became injured. He happens to come upon their house in the middle of the woods, where he seeks shelter for a few days as he attempts to heal. As Aaron settles in the Masons’ home, more and more seemingly supernatural incidents start to occur, and Frederic soon discovers that a more sinister force may have been listening in on his prayers.
Shot entirely in black and white, The Righteous carries the washed-out, lived-in feel of a period piece not unlike Eggers’ The Lighthouse, even though it is set in the present, giving the film a disorienting, hallucinatory feel that is sharply heightened by its transcendent, illuminating score, courtesy of Andrew Staniland.
What really “elevates” the film, however, is the trio of incredible performances that lie at its center. Czerny delivers what may be his best performance as the bereaved and guilt-ridden Frederic, turning in a complex, heartbreaking and authentic portrayal of a father mourning the loss of a child. While Kuzyk may not be given much to do as matriarch Ethel, who mostly internalizes her sorrow, she still manages to leave an impression with a nuanced performance that charts the journey of a mother’s grief in surprising, intelligent ways.
O’Brien, directing himself on camera, is a revelation in the film, bringing layers to a role that may have easily been one-dimensional in another actor’s hands. He manages to establish both a sinister and assuring presence simultaneously, turning in a tightrope walk of a performance that will constantly leave viewers guessing and firmly on the edge of their seats.
The Righteous is not an easy film to digest. It does not provide clear answers or a final resolution for its characters. It will confuse audiences with its hallucinatory dream sequences and at times non-linear editing. But if given a chance, it will leave them with a haunting, terrifying and surprisingly emotional experience that will stay with them for long after the credits roll, cementing O’Brien’s status as an exciting new filmmaker in the industry.
Rating 5/5
The Righteous premiered at the Fantasia Festival on August 15, 2021.