Ideally, the holiday season is about families coming together out of love and letting go of any grudges or arguments, at least until the new year. But we don’t live in an ideal world, and if you want to see a movie like that, then you should go watch The Hallmark Channel. The Apology is definitely a Christmas movie, but it’s certainly not an uplifting one. This is a horror story, and a tale of vengeance on a dark, stormy night.
Judging from the trailer, this film may only feature three main characters. The lead is Darlene Hagan, a recovering alcoholic battling her depression over the disappearance of her daughter 20 years ago. Regardless, Darlene seems determined to put the best spin on the season that she can, which is why she has enlisted her best friend, Gretchen, to help her prepare for her family’s Christmas gathering. And it all goes well — until Jack shows up.
Jack is Darlene’s estranged brother-in-law, and they definitely aren’t close, but he has his own Christmas plans. This year, Jack is sharing a secret with Darlene that may finally reveal what happened to her daughter. The trailer doesn’t come out and say it, but the implication is clear that Jack may have had something to do with her fate. And when the power goes out, and they’re trapped by an intense winter storm, revenge may indeed be served cold.
Breaking Bad‘s Anna Gunn stars in the film as Darlene, with Linus Roache as Jack and Janeane Garofalo as Gretchen. The movie was written and directed by Alison Star Locke.
The Apology will hit theaters on December 16, the same day it arrives on Shudder and AMC+.
