Director Hans Petter Moland pulls Liam Nesson back into the action genre in "Absolution" from Samuel Goldwyn Films. Tony Gayton pens the film's screenplay.
Set on the streets of Boston, "Absolution" follows a man known simply as Thug, portrayed by Nesson, whose glory days as a boxer are long behind him. To make ends meet, Thug works as muscle for local gangster Charlie Conner, played by Ron Perlman. Charlie's latest assignment is to teach his troubled son Kyle, portrayed by Daniel Diemer, the ins and outs of the business. The relationship between Kyle and Thug gets off to a rocky start, prompting Thug to drown his sorrows at a bar.
While at the bar, Thug meets a nameless woman, played by Yolanda Ross, who is seeking payback for her abusive boyfriend. Naturally, Thug intervenes and quickly wins her over. However, as time passes, Thug starts to sense that something is off. After a visit to the doctor, he discovers that he has CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) and will soon be unable to care for himself. After a failed suicide attempt, Thug resolves to right the wrongs in his life, including rebuilding his relationship with his estranged daughter, Daisy, played by Frankie Shaw.
Since Nesson succeeded Hans Petter Moland in 2019's "Cold Pursuit," I had some hope for their reunion. One of the first things viewers should know about the film is despite the poster, "Absolution" is light on action. Now, there's a good chance that's the interest the creatives were going for, but the biggest issue is tonally, the film is all over the place. Nesson's tough Schick comes off as forced this time around.
The film is better off in the moments he was with Ross's character and Frankie Shaw. Honestly, I would prefer it if the filmmakers eliminated the whole subplot about the crime element, focused on Nesson's being a boxer, and leaned more into the drama. They could've easily had Peralman's character as his manager wanting Nesson to train his son, and the film would have come across better. While Ross and Shaw are good, the rest of the supporting cast is on autopilot, which doesn't bode well for the final product.
It's been fifteen years since Nesson saw a career resurgence as an action hero, and the genre has served as his bread and butter. Granted, some of the films were stinkers, but I always want to give Nesson a chance. Sadly, "Absolution" is another scar on his resume.
Final Grade: D+
"Absolution" is in theaters now.
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