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Christmas horror takes a dark and heavy turn in The Apology this holiday season. It's the perfect time for a cold and atmospheric film, and it's streaming now on Hulu. Next to the more colorful, campy Christmas horror movies like The Mean One, The Apology looks to be a slower, emotional thriller that builds tension at a steady pace. It's a movie about family secrets, healing, and unspeakable trauma. The Apology is about rebuilding after losing everything and losing it all over again. For viewers who want to settle into the darkness and decay of Winter, The Apology hits the spot.
The film was written and directed by Alison Locke andwill be her directorial debut. Company X Productions, the all-female production company responsible for No Man of God, is also behind the wheel, represented by Kim Sherman, Lisa Whalen, and Stacy Jorgensen. Starring in the film are Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad) as the lead character Darlene Hagan, Linus Roache (Mandy) as Jack Kingsley, and Janeane Garofalo (Mystery Men) as Gretchen Sullivan.
RLJE Films has produced a ton of the best modern horror films and series and most of Shudder's greatest exclusives. Movies like Mandy, Psycho Goreman, and The Mortuary Collection were products of this dynamic production duo, so it's likely The Apology won't disappoint.
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What Is 'The Apology' About?
The Apology's plot follows recovering alcoholic Darlene Hagen planning to host her family's Christmas dinner 20 years after her daughter's disappearance. Her distanced ex-brother-in-law shows up out of the blue with gifts and long-held secrets. The night delves into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse and caught in a snowstorm that provides no escape, vengeance is the grand prize.
When and Where to Watch 'The Apology'
You can watch The Apologyon Hulu. With a runtime of 1 hour and 31 minutes, we think it's the perfect film to watch during your holiday break.
The film originally hit streaming on December 16, 2022. At first, it was only available to watch on Shudder and AMC+. Shudder provides a monthly subscription for $5.99 a month and an annual subscription for $56.99. It is also available as an Amazon Prime channel and offers a 7-day free trial for new users. Subscriptions for AMC+ start at $8.99 a month, which users can get directly or through Amazon Prime, Youtube TV, Hulu, and other platforms.
Watch the Trailer for 'The Apology'
The Apology trailer starts out with a radio announcement that it is the 20th anniversary of the disappearance of Darlene's daughter, Sally. Darlene and her best friend, Gretchen, prepare Christmas dinner when her estranged ex-brother-in-law, Jack, knocks at the door. It's just the three of them in the house, there's a dark and dreary blizzard outside, and Jack engages Darlene in a conversation she does not want to have. Nursing a drink, Darlene tries to cope with the traumas that still plague her.
Jack asks her about her desire for revenge — what would she do if she found out who was responsible for her daughter missing? The images are deeply contrasted, with scenes of unlit hallways paired against moodily lit fireplaces. Haunting close-ups of torturous deeds and Christmas lights make for a riveting juxtaposition. The trailer reads murderous death, and revenge is the tree topper.
Related: Have a Very Merry 'Black Christmas' With 4K Re-Release from Scream Factory
More Christmas Thrillers to Watch Like 'The Apology'
The Lodge: A psychological horror that tells the story of Aiden and Mia, a brother and sister duo with a tight bond over the grief of their mother's suicide. The siblings team up against their father's fiancée, Grace, whom they blame for their tragic loss. During a Christmas getaway to the family's lodge, Aiden and Mia spend the holiday with Grace, trapped by snow and far from civilization. Their father is away on business, giving them the perfect opportunity to devise a bizarre revenge plot and drive Grace to madness. Starring Riley Keough (Mad Max: Fury Road), Jaeden Martell (It), and Lia McHugh (Eternals), and directed by Severin Fiala (Goodnight Mommy) and Veronika Franz (The Field Guide to Evil), The Lodge is available to stream on Hulu. With dark themes of religious trauma, suicide, and morbid exploitation, The Lodge is the perfect viewing for those who crave a black Christmas.
The Advent Calendar: A French horror film that follows Eva, a former dancer who, after a near-fatal car accident, now uses a wheelchair, on a horrific quest to get the use of her legs back. When Eva's best friend gives her a mysterious advent calendar as a birthday gift, strange and grisly deaths ensue. There is an evil attached to the advent calendar offering the impossible, and Eva will sacrifice everyone she loves to dance again. The Advent Calendar stars Eugénie Derouand, Honorine Magnier, and Clément Olivieri. It was written and directed by Patrick Ridremont.
Super Dark Times: Starring Owen Campbell, Charlie Tahan, and Elizabeth Cappuccino, this film moves at the slow pace of a cold, dramatic thriller, and has the eerie, ritualistic score of demonic horror. Best friends Zach (Campbell) and Josh (Tahan) descend into a paranoid spiral after a fatal accident kills a mutual friend. Their shared crush on the same girl adds more tension as the boys' friendship cracks under the pressure of their traumatic secret.
Zach and Josh handle things in their own separate ways. While Zach is doing his best to try to act normal through his grief and fear, Josh turns into something else, something sinister and unhinged. Josh hides well the newly awakened murderer within, but Zack's disturbing dreams get him to see through his distanced best friend's facade. It is a coming-of-age tale, with the classic exposure of teenagers to sex and death all at once, and gives audiences a lesson on how a shared experience can produce opposite sides of the same coin.
