No./19 The art of creating dark and devious characters
THE FORGIVEN showcases John Michael McDonagh’s flair for shady personalities
JOHN MICHAEL McDonagh’s films are often packed with dark-natured characters, from Brendan Gleeson’s unorthodox policeman in The Guard to Alexander Skarsgård and Michael Peña’s bent cops in War On Everyone.
His latest, an adaptation of Lawrence Osborne’s novel, the psychological thriller The Forgiven, proves no different.
The story follows David and Jo Henninger, whose marriage is on the rocks even before they run over and kill a local Moroccan boy while on their way to a grand villa party. From there, David is taken on a journey of atonement through the desert, while Jo enjoys a lavish weekend of partying. Empire spoke to the director about how he brought four of his complex characters to life in the shadow of the Atlas Mountains.