No one asks for absolution unless they feel regret. And no one feels more guilty than Thug.
That’s not his real name, of course. It’s just the only title the film’s credits were willing to provide for Liam Neeson’s character.
If there was anything Thug learned from his father, it was that “might makes right.” It’s why he became a world-class boxer. And it’s why, in the thirty years following that profession, he’s worked as an intimidation man for Boston crime boss Charlie Conner.
Thug buys pills from a corrupt doctor, presumably to be made into other drugs. He pressures debtors for the money they owe Charlie. And he drives a truck that delivers women to be sex-trafficked.
Thug’s never claimed to be a good man.
But then Thug gets a diagnosis from his doctor. All those years of boxing and fighting have given him enough blows to the head to develop Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease that’s quickly leading him down a path to dementia.
And as Thug starts having trouble remembering where he lives or the name of his boss, he starts reflecting on his life and choices. He’s estranged from his daughter and grandson; and he’s only ever used his time to bring more misery into the world.
Maybe it’s time he started righting the wrongs of his life.
Thug’s father taught him from an early age that there was no room in his life for weakness. He forced Thug to fight every battle and show no restraint. But as Thug looks back at his life, he comes to realize that there is value in knowing when to let things go.
Thug went to jail because he refused to just walk away. (We’re never told what his crime was.) Not walking away cost Thug his relationship with his daughter. His tough demeanor cost his son’s life. That’s why Thug tells his grandson not to follow in his footsteps but to discern which battles are worth fighting—and which costs are worth paying.
When Thug approaches his daughter, Daisy, to right their relationship, Daisy asks Thug if he “found Jesus or something.”
Thug has a couple of dreams where he speaks with his deceased father while sailing across the ocean. In one, he wonders whether men like him and his father belong at the bottom of the ocean, where the water is hot. His father nods. The scene showcases Thug’s concern that he’ll sink down into hell for his actions.
We meet a corrupt Catholic priest.
A man and woman have sex, and we hear their moans for some time as well as see the man’s naked rear. It’s implied a man and woman have sex, but we only ever see them in bed under the sheets after the event. They passionately kiss a couple of times.
A woman frequently wears outfits which reveal her cleavage. We see trafficking victims in lingerie.
Thug admits that he once fell in love with a prostitute, but he lost interest when he saw her having sex with his friends. Daisy works as a stripper, though we never see it. Someone mentions Viagra.
Thug mentions that his son was gay, and it bothered him because he wanted his son to be masculine and strong.
Thug assists in trafficking women to be sex slaves. We see at least one actively engaged with a client. We later learn that another was strangled by a client, and we see her corpse. Thug threatens to punch his girlfriend. A woman shows her scars from previous encounters with dangerous men.
A handful of men are shot and killed (some are shot in the head). Each death is sudden, and a couple of them are gory. A man stabs someone multiple times in the stomach. Someone is shot in the leg. Thug runs a man over. He knocks a few others out by punching them or slamming their heads against objects. He also punches a door, causing his knuckles to bleed.
Thug bleeds from a deep cut on his hand. While boxing, Thug takes many hits to the face, causing his ears to ring.
Someone sticks a gun in his mouth to commit suicide, but he changes his mind.
The f-word is used around 85 times, including a handful which are preceded by “mother.” The s-word is used nearly 30 times. “P-ssy” is used four times. “A–” and “b–ch” are frequently used, too. “D–n,” “h—” and “whore” are each heard. Jesus’ name is used in vain three times. Someone displays her middle finger.
Thug obtains drugs to sell from a corrupt doctor. We’re told that someone overdosed on heroin. Someone else is addicted to cocaine. One woman is addicted to multiple drugs.
Thug frequently drinks liquor, and he is intoxicated on a couple occasions. A couple other characters also become inebriated.
None.
Liam Neeson’s characters always have a particular set of skills. He just can’t get away from them.
Such is the case in Absolution, too.
However, unlike Neeson’s previous action entries, Thug’s skills are quickly deteriorating. His memory is fading. He can’t take on the new mouthy boxers and criminals who merely see him as a lost soul of a bygone generation.
It’s enough to make him wonder if spending his days glorying in his strength at the expense of others was a life worth living. (The film’s title will spoil the answer to that question for you.)
The fact that Liam Neeson is Abolution’s star and the fact that he’s playing a character so eloquently named “Thug” should inform you that at least a handful of men will take a bullet or two to the head by the end of the movie. Women are trafficked into sex work, including one who is later found choked to death. And crude language flies out of mouths like generic action flicks out of Hollywood—that is to say, often.
But unlike Thug, Absolution isn’t seeking any sort of forgiveness for those harsh elements.
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
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