Synopsis: Utilizing his paintings to find freedom from his past, a Black artist on the path to success is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father, a recovering addict desperate to reconcile. Together, they learn that forgetting might be a greater challenge than forgiving.

Grief was one of the biggest themes at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and I don’t think a film does that better than Exhibiting Forgiveness. This was a film I instantly added to my watchlist due to the cast, the premise and the overarching theme of grief throughout the dramatic section of the festival. In the end, it ended up being my favorite film of the festival. It’s the perfect storm of stellar performances writing and direction. It explores how art helps people through difficult times and how sometimes that’s not enough. I got a lot out of this project from Titus Kaphar and I think most people who watch it will too.  

The performances are the backbone of what makes this film so emotional. Andre Holland is being challenged to deliver such an emotional performance and is being asked to dive into themes of trauma, grief and forgiveness to a level unlike many that I’ve seen. It’s a very vulnerable performance and without it, this film does not succeed. I also think that Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and John Earl Jelks are phenomenal as well. The entire cast brings such a level of emotion that I haven’t seen in quite some time. The cast is all-star and worth the price of admission alone.

The best thing that this film does is give every scene a moment to breathe. You feel the tension, see every emotion and learn so much about these relationships in such a short time. It’s such a delicate film that lives in those quiet moments and that resonates. On top of the stunning direction, the writing is so well done. It’s a complicated story about grief, forgiveness and whether or not forgiveness is achievable. It also takes a look at creatives and how they show their emotion in their art. 

FINAL: Exhibiting Forgiveness is my favorite film of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. It stands alone when examining familial grief and how artists deal with it. The performances are fantastic with Andre Holland delivering one of the best performances of the fest and the ensemble cast is absolutely dynamite. The writing and direction are intimate and dive deep into stages of grief and forgiveness. It really resonated with me from start to finish and the emotions stuck with me. This one needs to be watched by everyone whenever it decides to come out and I think a lot of people are really going to love this.

Point Breakdown:

15 for Writing: 14

15 for Performances: 14

10 for Entertainment: 9

10 for Direction: 8

10 for Emotions: 9

5 for Cinematography: 5

5 for Score: 5

5 for Pacing: 4

15 for Technical: 13

5 for Rewatchability: 5

5 for Automatic: 5

Exhibiting Forgiveness: 91/100

Jack Lautaret is a film critic, host of the Jack Lautaret YouTube channel and writer for Music City Drive-In. He is a member of the Online Film and Television Association. Twitter: @JackLautaret