The unexpected visitor: it’s a well-loved and much-explored horror trope that’s the jumping-off point for many a terrifying tale over the years. In Alison Star Locke’s new horror thriller “The Apology,” audiences get a new version of that story bolstered by two inspired and impactful performances. But it’s hard to stay invested in a narrative this rote and predictable. The plot’s predictability doesn’t make its events any less troubling, but that, too, is not enough to save the film from ultimately becoming a boring slog.

Continue reading ‘The Apology’ Review: Anna Gunn & Linus Roache Can’t Invite In New Resonance To This Rote Uninvited Visitor Drama at The Playlist.

From RLJE Films, Shudder, and AMC+, the thriller “The Apology” has a fascinating moral premise. The film centers on a recovering alcoholic preparing to host her family’s Christmas celebration. This is, of course, twenty years after her daughter’s disappearance, a tragic event that has scarred her life. Then her estranged ex-bother-in-law arrives unannounced, bearing nostalgic gifts and a heavy secret. While it’s unclear what he knows, the film seems to posit this question: what would you do, after a horrific, damaging event in your life with no resolution, if someone turned up and offered perhaps some closure and maybe something an apology?

Continue reading ‘The Apology’ Trailer:  Anne Gunn Confronts The Dark Truth Of Her Missing Daughter at The Playlist.