Wince Secrets: The Apology Explained

The holidays can be stressful. For those who have lost loved ones, the season can be an especially painful time. This applies to Darlene Hagen (Anna Gunn), the protagonist of the Christmas thriller The apology. Darlene, an alcoholic, takes on the monumental task of hosting her family for Christmas dinner, which brings its own unique brand of emotional anguish. All the preparations bring back memories of her daughter Sally, who has been missing for 20 years. Since then, Darlene hasn’t exactly been in the mood to celebrate the holidays.

Things only get worse for Darlene when her estranged brother-in-law, Jack (Linus Roache), suddenly shows up at her door with a very secret. The Apology is a gripping and unique Christmas thriller centered on very human emotions. Writer/director Alison Locke’s film explores grief and the consequences of revenge with powerful performances from Gunn and Roache.

The apology isn’t your typical holiday affair

There are plenty of Christmas horror movies and thrillers out there, some of them like Gremlins and Black Christmas, have become classics. And while certain movies like Silent night, deadly night may start with a rather somber tone, shifting them to add at least a few doses of humour. This is not the case for The apology. This is a film about grief, revenge and healing through and through. The tone remains constant.

From the start, the atmosphere feels ominous, with wide aerial views of the snowy woods surrounding Darlene’s home. Uele LamoreThe musical score of ‘s is unnerving for a moment before the camera enters the house, and we meet the protagonist and her best friend, Gretchen, played by Janeane Garofalo. The clock is ticking and Darlene has to get everything ready for Christmas. But this opening scene isn’t exactly one of warmth and wonder.

Darlene’s stress is both palpable and recognizable. She wonders why she even took on the task of housing her family. It feels monumental, especially since she hasn’t done it in about 20 years. At one point, Gretchen tells her, “Have a burnt cookie.” I’m sorry it’s not a drink.” Rarely, if ever, have I seen a single scene that so accurately captures the stress of hosting a major vacation.

The treatment of grief through the apology

The gale force wind and inky sky reflect Darlene’s emotional turmoil and the constant sadness she feels, not knowing what happened to her daughter 20 years ago. Even worse, she blames herself for being drunk the day Sally went missing. Locke handles the weight of Darlene’s deep pain and loss well, and it’s one of the movie’s true strengths.

The protagonist’s grief doesn’t feel like something abstract. Rather, it is shown in very human, physical terms. Darlene watches old videos of interviews she gave shortly after Sally went missing, interviews in which she vowed to find her and to work with other missing children’s organizations. All these years later, she is a shell of that woman who promised to stand up, fight and find her daughter.

In addition, Darlene clings to her daughter’s belongings and keeps many in storage bins, just in case she ever comes back. This includes a tape of her daughter singing. At one point, she enters Sally’s bedroom, and it’s exactly as she left it. Showing Sally through various flashbacks and these very real and tangible physical objects makes us feel the pain this mother is going through. There’s even a moment when Sally’s old teddy bear falls out of a closet. These objects bring together a broken life. They show a child who had her life ahead of her.

The Apology and Her Revenge Fantasy Exploration

The movie adds another layer when Jack shows up. We learn that he and Darlene had something going on at one point, probably behind his wife’s back. Not long after the run time, he confesses that he is the one responsible for Sally’s death. Not only that, but he kissed her, and when she started screaming, he snapped back at her, though he claimed it was an accident.

So much of this movie is largely a two-person show, and this back-and-forth between Jack and Darlene, especially when these details are revealed, is poignant. Roache manages to play quite the villain, a man who refuses to take the blame for his horrendous actions and also tries to pin it all on a grieving mother for her alcoholism. He even tries to excuse the fact that Sally was 16 and his niece.

Beyond these points, The apology raises interesting questions about revenge and its price. Before confessing his terrible deeds, Jack asks Darlene what she would do if she had her daughter’s killer in her grasp. Doesn’t she have some kind of revenge fantasy? Jack muses. However, instead of prolonged physical torture, Darlene envisions something completely different. “I wish he would tell me everything. It would want him to tell me exactly what happened… I would then tell him everything. I would tell him who he was taking, that she wasn’t just a face on a poster.”

These lines are powerful because they re-enforce Darlene’s grief and the heartbreak she feels over her dead daughter. To add, Darlene refuses to give in to Jack’s revenge fantasy, which may be a product of his own guilt. Still, she struggles to remain human, to keep her emotions intact and not to give in to Jack’s pleas to punish and exonerate him.

General, The apology is a taut thriller with emotional performances at its heart, especially from Gunn. You feel the pain of her character. Some may prefer their holiday movies to have a little more glee, The apology is a thriller that wonders what exactly it means to get revenge. It lands Shudder on December 16. Keep up with the latest content from the streaming service by following my Shudder Secrets column.

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