Forgiveness (IV) (2021) User Reviews

Too little variation - limited clues

[gillman11 · 4/10 · 9 October 2021]

What could have been an interesting puzzle box idea is fluffed somewhat by being incoherent and it's clues being so obtuse as to be worthless.

The basic problems being that the three characters are almost interchangeable and what happens to each so similar that the filmmakers could have gone with a short focusing on one and not lost anything.

That the chapters are padded with grimy, repetitive torture porn doesn't really help the films cases.

Clearly talent at play here and better things in the future but this one was disappointing.

Ask for forgiveness.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 3/10 · 6 September 2021]

Originally planning to attend a Q&A screening of Misha and the Wolves (2021) my plans went off the rails,when I discovered that the train station was closed on Sunday for repairs. Getting back home,I decided that I'd instead watch one of the last films streaming at the online FrightFest weekend. Excited by the description made on the FrightFest site that compared it to the works of auteurs Dario Argento and John Carpenter, (it's nothing like their films) I decided to ask for forgiveness.

View on the film:

Not featuring a single spoken line of dialogue until the final scene, editor/writer/ director Alex Kahuam fails to make a case that silence is golden.

Attempts to rise out of duff Torture Horror shocks by making the 3 ladies held captive be either deaf, dumb and blind, are utterly wasted,due to Kahuam doing little to differentiate any of the trio,and when the chance comes up for a more unique character edge (one appears to have a superpower), completely missing the open goal, by dropping any interesting aside without explanation, in order to give miserable torture more room.

Sending the three ladies off in separate paths via chapter blocks pinned by a droning score, director Kahuam & cinematographer Diego Cacho unveil a sharp cut of ambition from following each of the three victims in faux one-takes,with the frantic hand-held camera moves breaking the personal space of each woman.

Getting the chance to do something which leans more towards anthology Horror via the three chapter breaks, Kahuam matches the direction each leading lady takes,by hitting a dead end, from a lack to move away from the grime lo-res digital, covered with poking in the eye infrared ooze dripping across the interchangeable chapters, only cut in murky, poorly stage Torture Horror dud set-pieces,as the trio ask for forgiveness.