Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
An aging ex-boxer gangster working as muscle for a Boston crime boss receives an upsetting diagnosis. Despite a faltering memory, he attempts to rectify the sins of his past and reconnect with his estranged children. He is determined to leave a positive legacy for his grandson, but the criminal underworld isn’t done with him and won’t loosen their grip willingly.
Absolution is a formulaic late-career vehicle for Steven Seagal that treads very familiar ground — the aging tough guy seeking redemption before it's too late is a well-worn crime thriller template. The plot offers little surprise, hitting expected beats of estrangement, memory loss, and criminal entanglement without meaningful subversion. Acting is competent at the supporting level but Seagal's characteristic wooden delivery keeps it from rising. Cinematography is serviceable but unremarkable, with nothing visually distinctive. Novelty is low given how derivative the premise is within the redemption crime genre. The ending resolves predictably without emotional payoff to justify the journey.