Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

The Righteous

2021 1h 37m Mystery & Thriller Drama Horror TRAILER for The Righteous: Trailer 1 List
92% Tomatometer 53 Reviews 61% Audience Score Fewer than 50 Ratings
A unique and darkly engaging spiritual thriller, strikingly shot in black and white, The Righteous tells the story of Frederic (Henry Czerny) a grieving man struggling with his faith, who helps an injured young man, Aaron Smith (Mark O'Brien) who stumbles onto his property one night, claiming to be lost in the woods. Frederic and his wife (Mimi Kuzyk) invite the man to stay for the night, but Frederic soon begins to have doubts about this enigmatic stranger's story -- and his motives for being there. When Aaron asks Frederic to commit an unspeakable deed, it becomes clear that the man is not who he seems, and has been sent to test the very limits of Frederic's existence. Read More Read Less
The Righteous

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Assured work from writer-director Mark O'Brien and Henry Czerny's powerhouse performance put The Righteous a cut above the average supernatural thriller.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (53) Critics Reviews
Tomris Laffly RogerEbert.com Meandering around complex spiritual inklings more than it makes a coherent statement out of them, The Righteous manages to impress with its curious demeanor even when its overwrought ideas don’t add up to an articulate whole in the aftermath. Rated: 2.5/4 Jun 10, 2022 Full Review Noel Murray Los Angeles Times This movie’s a must for anyone who enjoys seeing terrific actors given the space to explore their characters’ pain — and to spin riveting moments out of rich words and subtle moods. Jun 10, 2022 Full Review Leslie Felperin Guardian Sure, this is a talky movie, big on debates and low on action, and may feel somewhat theatrical – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially when the performances are this subtle, expressive and electric. Rated: 3/5 Jun 7, 2022 Full Review Kyle Logan Castle of Chills The Righteous is exciting not only because it’s a painfully tense and thought-provoking film (which it certainly is), but also because it announces an astounding new talent in Mark O’Brien. Jul 11, 2024 Full Review Nuha Hassan Off Colour If you’re looking for an exciting addition to the horror genre, The Righteous nails it. With complex themes and a character-driven storyline it manages to keep the audience curious til the end. Jul 20, 2023 Full Review Carlos Ovalle But Why Tho? A Geek Community The Righteous starts intense and intriguing, but it ultimately feels like a stage play that went on for too long. Rated: 7.5/10 Jan 22, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (11) audience reviews
Michelle N One of my favorite horror films of the year. Been a fan Mark O’Brien’s acting and now I’m a huge fan of his writing and directing. Loved the look and feel of this. Every frame felt so intentional. Brilliant cinematography, score, and performances from the entire cast. Can’t wait to see what O’Brien does next. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/11/24 Full Review Avindu G There's blackness of dark and then there's white of light for penance there's no in-betweens. It's a slow moving story which when realised is a delight for most fans of suspense and thrillers. There's metaphorical imagery scattered everywhere leaving room for many avenues for explanations. Great cinematography and use of audio. Well written story with sharp dialogues that actually brings the first shade of horror into the sluggish stretch. Performances were excellent portraying the unspoken emotions of every character in this silent cat and mouse game. The Righteous is a story with a twist and good work. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 07/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Great performances, beautiful cinematography but the story is meandering and really slow. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 10/15/22 Full Review isla s This is very much a brooding, mysterious and spooky somewhat sinister seeming film. The fact its shot in black and white helps add to the overall atmosphere. It is fairly gripping at points, though a little slow to get going. It has quite a play type feel to it, so don't be expecting fast action and visual effects - its more character based, exploring themes of guilt and regret and it has a good use of spooky/chilling music in the background. This film is a good one for fans of mystery and chilling ghost type stories, not so much for all out horror fans, I'd say. It surprised me by becoming quite impactful at the end, so I upped my rating for this film. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review assem k It takes a great deal of talent to blend the genre's vibe with such subtle and profound theological scrutiny, but Mark O'brien, for all his extensive involvement, delivers bigtime on all levels. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member The acting, especially Czerny, is incredible. The end is a monster. The whole thing is not super clear, but the enigma is there for a reason. Great film. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Righteous

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

More Like This

View All Best Movies to Stream at Home
Dark Obsession 63% 96% Dark Obsession TRAILER for Dark Obsession Looking for a Lady with Fangs and a Moustache 92% 100% Looking for a Lady with Fangs and a Moustache TRAILER for Looking for a Lady with Fangs and a Moustache The Virtuoso 18% 27% The Virtuoso TRAILER for The Virtuoso Resurrection 82% 46% Resurrection TRAILER for Resurrection Don't Go 39% 23% Don't Go TRAILER for Don't Go Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All videos

The Righteous

The Righteous: Trailer 1 The Righteous: Trailer 1 1:53 View more videos
View All The Righteous photos

The Righteous

The Righteous (2021) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A unique and darkly engaging spiritual thriller, strikingly shot in black and white, The Righteous tells the story of Frederic (Henry Czerny) a grieving man struggling with his faith, who helps an injured young man, Aaron Smith (Mark O'Brien) who stumbles onto his property one night, claiming to be lost in the woods. Frederic and his wife (Mimi Kuzyk) invite the man to stay for the night, but Frederic soon begins to have doubts about this enigmatic stranger's story -- and his motives for being there. When Aaron asks Frederic to commit an unspeakable deed, it becomes clear that the man is not who he seems, and has been sent to test the very limits of Frederic's existence.
Director
Mark O'Brien
Producer
Mark O'Neill, Allison White
Screenwriter
Mark O'Brien
Production Co
Panoramic Pictures
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama, Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 10, 2022
Runtime
1h 37m