It’s been said that great trauma makes for great art. While that can be true, if we can’t get past that trauma, it can hold us down in our lives. That’s a subject that’s richly explored in the new film Exhibiting Forgiveness, which opens Friday.

The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival earlier in 2024 and now is getting a theatrical release. It comes from Titus Kaphar, a talented artist who brings a great visual eye to the material. That sets the stage for a film that grabs you visually and emotionally.

In the film, Tarrell (Andre Holland) is a talented artist. His muse is the difficult memories and trauma he suffered as a boy—trauma he can’t let go. It weighs on him in his relationship with his wife (Andra Day) and his own young son. She urges him to find a way to move past this hurt.

That doesn’t get any easier when they return to Tarrell’s home town to pack up his mother, Joyce (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor), it brings up painful memories. That’s compounded when it turns out Joyce has arranged a reunion with Tarrell’s estranged father, La’Ron (John Earl Jelks). Tarrell is taken back and filled with panic and rage at the site of the man who has long haunted his memories.

La’Ron has changed. He wants to reconcile with his son, but is it possible? The process brings up a lot from the past, causing Tarrell to clash with his mother, his father, and struggle to be the man he needs to be for his own family. As issues continue to swirl, Tarrell fights the demons from his past to learn to let go and move forward in freedom.

This is a beautiful and powerful story about trauma, forgiveness, and the freedom of moving on. Kaphar beautifully paces and shoots this film. The integration of real art pieces adds to the aesthetic feel and brings you fully into the world. The way the paintings help to tell the story is beautifully integrated as well.

I really enjoyed Holland in the lead role here. So much of the narrative flows through his performance and his story, and he carries the drama well. I also appreciated Day as his wife in some strong supporting scenes. Her track to close the film is also beautiful.

What helps make this go is Ellis-Taylor and Jelks, as Tarrell’s parents. Each of them have some solid, emotional sequences opposite Holland that get at the heart of the story. This is an emotional journey as much as a story to experience, and it works well here.

This is a well-crafted film that touches on some serious topics in a beautiful way. It’s a journey worth taking, especially for those who are battling their own ghosts from the past and looking for freedom.

Exhibiting Forgiveness opens in theaters on Friday, October 18.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.