Forgive Us All
| Forgive Us All | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Jordana Stott[1] |
| Screenplay by | Jordana Stott[1] |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Peter McCaffrey[5][4] |
| Edited by | Michael J. Horton[6][4] |
| Music by | Brandon Roberts[5][4] |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | |
Release dates | |
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Language | English |
| Budget | NZ$10 million[3] |
Forgive Us All is a 2025 New Zealand neo-Western, apocalyptic horror film directed and written by Jordana Stott. It was independently financed and produced by Lance Giles and Jared Connon. It stars Lily Sullivan, Callan Mulvey and Richard Roxburgh.[1][3] The movie stars Sullivan as a bereaved mother Rory attempting to survive zombies in a post-apocalyptic New Zealand.[8] Forgive Us All was released by Rialto Distribution in New Zealand and Australia on 8 May 2025.[7][2] British company Reason8 Films acquired the film's international distribution rights in mid-February 2025.[7]
Synopsis
[edit]Set in a post-apocalyptic world where a virus has transformed humans into violently deranged cannibals, Jordana Stott's Forgive Us All follows Rory (Lily Sullivan), a bereaved mother who has lost everything and takes refuge in an isolated mountain cabin, until a desperate wounded stranger arrives with a story of hope.[4]
Cast
[edit]- Lily Sullivan as Rory[3][4]
- Callan Mulvey as Logan[3][4]
- Richard Roxburgh as Otto[3][4]
- Dean O'Gorman[3][4]
- Bree Peters[3][4]
- Lawrence Makoare[3][4]
- Lance Giles[3][4]
Production
[edit]Development and financing
[edit]Forgive Us All was written and directed by Jordana Stott, marking her directorial debut.[6][1] Her husband Lance Giles served as co-producer[1] alongside Jared Connon, who also served as production manager.[3] Stott is an Australian who studied film at Bond University. After meeting Giles, the couple decided to produce a feature film.[1] To generate funding Stott and Giles established a ready-made meal company called Youfoodz in Brisbane in 2012. By the time they sold the company to HelloFresh in 2021, Youfoodz was worth A$125 milllion and had over a thousand time. During that period, Stott honed her film-making skills by producing over 30 television advertisements.[1][3] The couple invested NZ$10 million of their own money into producing Forgive Us All.[3][1] The film production did not receive any funding from banks, studios or other investors.[3]
Writing
[edit]According to Giles, Stott's script was inspired by the couple's frequent outdoor holiday excursions in the Queenstown area in Central Otago. After selling their food company, the couple moved to the Queenstown area, acquiring a lifestyle block in Gibbston.[1] Giles described the film as a blend of several genres including neo-Western, action and drama.[3]
During an interview with Screen Hub, Giles described Forgive Us All as a "western/horror that challenges moral complexities of survival and has a strong female redemption narrative at its core." She said that the film would explore themes such as motherhood, redemption and hope.[6] The 2023 Hollywood labor disputes allowed the producers more time to work on their script and accumulate resources.[3]
Casting
[edit]The cast members included Lily Sullivan, Callan Mulvey, Richard Roxburgh, Dean O'Gorman, Bree Peters, Lawrence Makoare, Lance Giles.[3] While Stott and Giles had intended to start shooting Forgive Us All in the spring of 2023, casting was delayed by the 2023 Hollywood labor strikes.[1]
Sullivan was cast as Rory, a grieving mother surviving zombies in a post-apocalyptic New Zealand. She said that she was drawn to the project by Stott's vision of the film as a fusion of the Western and thriller genres. Sullivan said that she found Rory's "darkness and lack of light was heavy to entertain constantly."[8]
Roxburgh was cast as Rory's father in law Otto. Roxburgh envisioned his character as a British military veteran who had spend 30 years in New Zealand. He drew upon his munition and rabbit butchery skills for portraying Otto.[2] Roxburgh also served as an executive producer for the film.[2]
Design
[edit]The zombie-like Howlers that appear in the movie were designed by Wētā FX creative art director Gino Acevedo and his colleagues Sarah Rubano and Jason Docherty.[9]
Filming
[edit]Filming for Forgive Us All took place over a 27-day period in the autumn of 2024. Filming locations including Queenstown Hill, Rees Valley Station, Ben Nevis Station and, Kingston.[1][3][8] According to Giles and sullivan, the filming involved significant horse riding, stunt work, fight scenes and several long night shoots.[3] Giles chose to film in the Queenstown area as a homage to his native South Island, stating that he wanted the South Island's landscape to feature in the film.[3]
The production recruited over 100 crew,[3] with over 50% of the film crew being locally recruited.[1] According to Giles, the production crew worked with local businesses, landowners, farmers and the Queenstown Lakes District Council to secure support for the filming.[3]
Jared Connon, who had previously served as a location manager on Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Lovely Bones, King Kong and The Hobbit trilogy, also served as production manager and producer for Forgive Us All. Connon had decided to work on the film after learning that Stott and Giles had developed a script and budget for the film.[3]
Forgive Us All also received a 40 percent screen production rebate from the New Zealand Film Commission.[3] Peter McCaffrey served as the film's cinematographer.[5][6]
Post-production
[edit]Composer Brandon Roberts produced the film's score and sound track.[5][6] Michael J. Horton served as the film's editor.[6]
Peter Jackson's Park Road Post post-production facility also provided post-production services for Forgive Us All.[10]
Release
[edit]To promote the film, Giles and Stott pitched Forgive Us All to film festivals. On 1 December 2024, Giles said that they were aiming for a mid-2025 theatrical release followed by deals with streaming services.[3]
Forgive Us All was released by Rialto Distribution in Australia on 1 May 2025.[4][6] Rialto released the film in New Zealand on 8 May 2025.[7][2] British company Reason8 Films acquired the film's international distribution rights in mid-February 2025.[7][6]
The New Zealand Classification Office gave the film an R16 rating, citing violence, offensive language and disturbing content.[11]
Reception
[edit]Samuel Hames of Spicy Pulp website gave Forgive Us All a favourable review, describing the film as a "bold new direction for local filmmaking, shifting gears from lush fantasy and feel-good drama to full-throttle, post-apocalyptic horror." Hames praised director Jordana Stott for contributing a "distinctively meditative, female-driven voice to the zombie genre" and complimented her focus on grief, trauma and survival. Humes also praised the performances of Lily Sullivan, whom he described as the "emotional anchor" of the film. He also complimented the performances of supporting cast members including Richard Roxburgh and Callan Mulvey.[12]
Graeme Tuckett of Stuff and The Post gave the film a mixed review, awarding it three and a half stars out of five. He described the script as a mixture of the Western, post-apocalyptic and zombie horror genres. Tuckett praised Peter McCaffrey's cinematography, Brandon Robert's musical score and the performances of Sullivan and Roxburgh.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Chandler, Philip (10 May 2025). "Local power couple behind feature film". Otago Daily Times. Archived from the original on 13 May 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Croot, James (8 May 2025). "Forgive Us All: Richard Roxburgh on making a post-apocalyptic horror in Aotearoa". The Press. Archived from the original on 27 May 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae Currie, Shayne (1 December 2024). "The Great New Zealand Road Trip: From $125m food-kit empire to film - couple pour $10m into their own NZ feature movie". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 13 May 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "'Forgive Us All' (Trailer)". if.com.au. IF Magazine. 27 April 2025. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Tuckett, Graeme (9 May 2025). "Local post-apocalyptic western needs to be seen on a big screen". The Post. Archived from the original on 29 May 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Van-Wall, Silvi (1 April 2025). "Forgive Us All: Richard Roxburgh stars in new neo-Western horror flick". ScreenHub Australia. ArtsHub Australia. Archived from the original on 2 April 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f Tabbara, Mona (5 February 2025). "Reason8 acquires post-apocalyptic New Zealand horror 'Forgive Us All' (exclusive)". Screendaily.com. Screen International. Archived from the original on 17 February 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ^ a b c Hageman, Mitchell (8 May 2025). "Australian actress Lily Sullivan on filming new horror movie Forgive Us All in Queenstown". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 9 May 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
- ^ Chumko, André (12 May 2025). "Meet the monster guy ‒ master of the macabre". The Post. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ Brew, Andy (8 May 2025). "From Blenheim to the big screen as 'apocalyptic western' hits cinemas". Marlborough Express. The Press. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ "Forgive Us All". Classification Office. 8 May 2025. Archived from the original on 26 March 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.
- ^ Hames, Samuel (8 May 2025). "'Forgive Us All' – Review". SpicyPulp. Archived from the original on 29 May 2025. Retrieved 29 May 2025.