The Righteous — The Righteous(Blu Ray)
Last year's The Righteous is a very slowly simmering and grim mystery drama, which is edged with subtle horror touches and moments of smouldering dread. The film focuses on an ageing former priest whose adopted daughter dies, then a mysterious young man enters his life stretching his faith further. It’s a moodily monochrome captured affair- with the small cast giving a wonderful performance with the backdrop of an autumnal woodland. Here from Arrow Video-both in the UK and stateside- is a Blu-Ray release of the film, featuring a director/ producer, and a few other extras.
The Righteous is a Canadian production. It’s the first feature-length film from Newfoundland-born Mark O'Brien, who wrote, directed, and also stared in the film. He is most known as an actor, with him clocking up an impressive fifty-plus credit since 2005- with roles in the likes of Bad Times at the El Royale (2018), and Ready or Not (2019). The Righteous is an extremely moody and often starkly captured film, with the black & white stock being used to great effect.
The film starts off with the funeral of a ten-year-old girl, who had a push-bike accident in a small forest set town. She was the adopted daughter of Fredric (Henry Czerny) and Ethel Mason (Mimi Kuzyk)- a couple in their early sixties. He is a former catholic priest who left the faith, after meeting his wife. And as you can imagine the pair are deeply affected and shell-shocked by the death of their daughter, spending thoughtful times in both their small holding & the local church.
As we get into the film, we meet Doris (Kate Corbett) a bubbly if rather child-like young woman who we find out is the child’s birth mother. And local bearded/haunting-eyed priest Graham (Nigel Bennet) who is trying to get Fredric back as a priest
One night when Fredric is getting ready for bed, the quiet of their small holding is broken by the scream of a man- he nervously rushes out into the night, finding a young man called Aaron (O'Brien) who has apparently damaged his leg. Is the man genuine, or up to no good, is he someone connected to the pair's past, or someone/ something else?. I won’t and can’t really detail the plot further, because as you'd imagine with this type of story set up, the least you know the better.
The film is very much about great acting and atmosphere- with the whole thing largely being a character study focused. Yes, there is a mystery, very light thriller elements, and horror tropes present- but ultimately this is a grim drama. The acting from the whole cast is most on point- Czerny as the physical and mental tied ex-priest, really sells his role- with his grey, yet expressive face. O'Brien as the young stranger manages to keep alive the mystery of who or what he is very well. And Kuzyk is convincing as Fredric caring, if initially weary wife. The film's cinematography is deep in dark and rural gothic-ness. Certainly, The Righteous is most going to appeal to those who enjoy grim and slow-burning drama/mysteries, but I guess also if you like pared-back post-horror too you’ll enjoy what’s on offer here.
Moving onto this new blu ray release, and we get a good selection of extras. First off, we have a commentary track with writer, director and actor Mark O'Brien and editor Spencer Jones. This is a chatty, if at times sporadic track. They begin by talking about how it took a while to get the fount they needed for the titles, and the importance of getting the film's open scene impactful. They talk about how they wanted to have no set time/place. We get talk about elements cut out, and nuances in the acting. We find out the main house location was the third they saw, and the difficulties of filming in the rapidly shifting weather of Canada. We get talk about how they wanted the plot to slowly reveal itself. They point out some of the more difficult to get right scenes and influences on certain scenes like Night of The Hunter. It’s a track that’s certainly worth a play if you enjoyed the film- I just wish it had been a little more focused/ less fleeting in its presentation.
Otherwise, we get a selection of seven stand-alone on-camera interviews with the cast & crew- these each run between seven & nearing thirty-four minutes. There’s Grimmfest 2021 live-streamed Q&A with Mark O’Brien (19.36), Stage Presentation and Q&A with Mark O'Brien and Henry Czerny from the World Premier at Fantasia International Film Festival 2021(32.39), Roundtable discussion with Mark O'Brien and Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett and Chad Villella of Radio Silence (73.00). We get the film's complete soundtrack on the Blu ray- with a selection of behind-the-scenes stills. With the finished release presented with a booklet taking in new writing on the film by Sean Hogan.
Once again, it’s great to see Arrow Video championing the work of first-time directors- with as usual the Blu-Ray featuring the label's penchant for in-depth/interesting extras. The Righteous certainly is a very promising debut film, and I look forward to seeing how O'Brien develops his glum and moodily thoughtful film style down the line.