In Theaters and Digital

Giddy up, Gorehounds! The tried and true western genre just got a major upgrade thanks to Forgive Us All, a post-apocalyptic take on a western frontier sprinkled with . . . wait for it . . . ZOMBIES!.  And this world of zombified cannibals works to deliver a drama-centrific take just what it takes to survive a world that has gone completely tits up.

Sounds fun?  Forgive Us All is pretty intense.  Know that going in and you should be alright.  This is a moody film that doesn’t really have much fun with its elements.  It is all about the drama as one woman comes to terms with just what it takes in this gritty world to have a shot at redemption.

Filmed entirely in Queenstown, New Zealand, the look of Forgive Us All is a definite knockout.  It’s a one-two punch to the gut that is loaded with yellow-tinged locations and a desperate sense of living on the edge which boils over from the characters involved as they try to reclaim a certain sense of forgiveness for past actions.

But, keep in mind, this is a criminally ugly world.  The film never lets up either, reminding us of one casualty after another thanks to the highly contagious virus which is turning the citizens into zombified cannibals with only one thing on their brains: LUNCH!

The drama, at least early on, remains vague and that’s by design as Rory (Lily Sullivan) makes a way for herself deep in the wilderness alongside a man named Otto (Richard Roxburgh).  These two have a past and it is definitely connected - as tense as their relationship is - but it works to build a sense of dread; theirs is a history built upon the dead, after all.  When another man, Noah (Lance Giles), escapes from a “camp”, Rory finds some comfort in what he’s telling her . . . even if he’s being chased by a trio of killers who will stop at nothing to bring him back.

Directed and co-written by Jordana Stott, the biotech virus that has transformed humans into violent cannibals becomes the path that Rory must chase in order to escape through a zombie-infested forest and seek a shot at her place in the sun.  While highly-charged with solid practical effects, everything about the drama - including the action - is even-paced and comes across more of a slow burn thriller rather than a rousing yarn full of zombies running at full break.  Forgive Us All is in no hurry and maybe that might be a dealbreaker for some. 

Forgive Us All will have its UK premiere at genre-festival Grimmfest in Manchester on 11th October.  It will then be released in the UK & Ireland from October 13 from Lightbulb Film Distribution.  It is now streaming on digital platforms. 

MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 93 mins
Director: Jordana Stott
Writer: Jordana Stott; Lance Giles; Alex Makauskas
Cast: Lily Sullivan; Callan Mulvey; Richard Roxburgh
Genre: Horror | Western
Tagline: Redemption in a World Gone Dark
Memorable Movie Quote: "I think God has left us"
Distributor: Lightbulb Film Distribution
Official Site:
Release Date: Summer 2025
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: A story of redemption in a world gone dark..