‘Absolution’ Review: Liam Neeson Is An Aging Gangster With Unfinished Business

Although Liam Neeson knows how to demand a screen, no matter what’s on the page, his latest film Absolution feels like a retread of the same deadbeat-dad-tries-to-redeem-himself-before-it’s-too-late plot, as the title might suggest.

In the Tony Gayton-written, Hans Petter Moland-directed crime thriller from Samuel Goldwyn Films, the Oscar nominee plays an aging Boston gangster who, after receiving a terminal diagnosis, attempts to make things right with his estranged daughter Daisy (Frankie Shaw) while rectifying his life of crime and trying to do some good before he bites the dust. Meanwhile, he has to convince his boss Mr. Conner (an underutilized Ron Perlman) his mind isn’t slipping as he figures out who ordered a hit on him.

Taking a cue from Ryan Gosling’s Driver in Drive (or perhaps Mary Elizabeth Ellis’ Waitress in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Neeson’s character is known only as Thug. The film also stars Yolonda Ross, Daniel Diemer, Javier Molina, Jimmy Gonzales, Josh Drennen, Deanna Nayr Tarraza and Terrence Pulliam.

In addition to several unfortunate tropes, sex workers and LGBTQ folk (as well as the other secondary characters) are treated more as plot devices than actual human beings. As he reconnects with his brazen daughter, it’s casually mentioned that she works as a stripper to support her kids as a single mom, while preparing to be evicted — all feeling like a half-hearted Mad Libs about the working class struggle. And although he connects with his grandson, the relationship with his daughter never feels fully resolved, other than throwing some money at her situation from the grave.

It’s still a much better representation than Thug’s son, whom he finds out died two years before of a heroin overdose. He then casually tells his girlfriend that his son was gay, admitting that it “bothered” him and “maybe if I’d been around more when he was growing up, things would have been different.” And although she gently pushes back at his “macho” homophobia, that’s the last time we hear about the late gay offspring for the remainder of the film. (I guess it’s not a ‘bury your gays’ trope if the gay in question was already buried.)

One of several subplots features Thug unwittingly partaking in human trafficking (Bryan Mills would not approve) before growing a conscience and deciding to rescue one woman from the delivery. She’s given an ounce of backstory before ultimately ending up a casualty of sexual violence.

And although there’s a couple of shootout scenes — including one that somehow draws no attention from three surrounding Boston skyscrapers in the middle of the day — there feels like too little action and too little heart for a movie with a 122-minute runtime. As I frequently find myself shouting at Los Angeles traffic: pick a lane and commit.

Absolution features some beautiful views of Boston and some decent performances from its cast, but it ultimately leaves something to be desired. Maybe don’t go into this film with high expectations (or daddy issues)?

Producers are Roger Birnbaum, Michael Besman, Warren Goz and Eric Gold, with Mark Kimsey, Tina Wang, Michael Rothstein, Samuel Hall and Jamie Buckner executive producers.

Title: Absolution
Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn Films
Release date: November 1, 2024
Director: Hans Petter Moland
Screenwriter: Tony Gayton
Cast: Liam Neeson, Yolonda Ross, Frankie Shaw, Daniel Diemer, Javier Molina, Jimmy Gonzales, Josh Drennen, Deanna Nayr Tarraza, Terrence Pulliam, Ron Perlman
Rating: R
Running time: 2 hr 2 mins