The Forgiven (2022)

Set in Morocco, a wealthy London doctor (Ralph Fiennes in a terrific performance) and his American wife (Jessica Chastain) speed through the desert to attend a gay couple's (Matt Smith, Caleb Landry Jones) lavish weekend party. The husband is drunk and they hit and kill an Arab boy. They attempt to cover up the details of the killing but the boy's father (Ismael Kanater) shows up seeking justice. Based on the novel by Lawrence Osborne and adapted for the screen and directed by John Michael McDonagh (CALVARY). Alas, this is one of those movies that slipped through the cracks and deserved a better fate than obscurity. Its reviews were decent enough but it never found an audience (it was released in July of this year) and I doubt it was released outside of the major film markets. I can see why mainstream audiences stayed away but more adventurous filmgoers should seek it out. The movie is difficult to get into at first but if you stick with it, you'll be rewarded with an often fascinating look at culture clash and the arrogant privilege of rich Caucasians. The wealthy and white gay couple have a lavish villa in the desert because they can afford it while poverty surrounds them as the indigenous people struggle to survive. Worse, these WASPs have a contempt for the natives (the natives despise them right back) of the country they choose to live in. Fiennes' haughty alcoholic prick is the worst of the lot but he's the only character who finds redemption in himself although at a heavy price. Everyone else is repugnant in their attitude and behavior. Sure, some are "nice" to the Arabs but their niceness is condescending and insincere. With Said Taghmaoui, Christopher Abbott and Marie Josee Croze.