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Forsaken

Forsaken

Redemption.

201590 minRMidcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
Director
Jon Cassar
Starring
Kiefer Sutherland, Donald Sutherland, Demi Moore, Brian Cox

John Henry returns to his hometown in hopes of repairing his relationship with his estranged father, but a local gang is terrorizing the town. John Henry is the only one who can stop them, however he has abandoned both his gun and reputation as a fearless quick-draw killer.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Forsaken?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Forsaken streaming on Howdy via Prime Video, MovieSphere+ via Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Forsaken?

Forsaken earns 5 badges, led by Star-studded and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Forsaken worth watching?

Forsaken's Midcredits score is the 56th percentile of all films, from 20K ratings across 6 sources. 52% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

56th percentile

Better received than 56% of films

71st percentile among Action56th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)55th
Approval (how many liked it)55th

63 /100

55th percentile of all films

71st percentile among Action55th percentile among 2010s

Critics 55 · Audience 64

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.6 — solid but not unanimous.

52% liked it

55th percentile of all films

68th percentile among Action55th percentile among 2010s
52% rated it 7–1048% rated it 1–6

Critics 40% · Audience 86%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 8 noms overall

91st percentile

20K ratings across platforms

84th percentile among Action92nd percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 56% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$11M

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both fans and detractors agree this is a classic but unoriginal Western that relies on familiar genre tropes.

Fans praised

  • father-son chemistry between real-life Sutherlands adds emotional weight
  • gorgeous cinematography captures Alberta landscapes beautifully
  • solid supporting performances from Wincott, Cox, and Moore

Detractors panned

  • deeply clichéd plot with no surprises—a paint-by-numbers western
  • slow pacing drags through predictable first hour before payoff
  • Kiefer Sutherland's mumbling and flat performance fails to carry the lead

What stands out

CinematographyDivisive80

Beautifully shot Alberta vistas and period atmosphere; some call it 'too clean' and sterile

ActingDivisive72

Sutherland father-son duo praised for genuine chemistry; Wincott and Cox standout; Kiefer mumbles and underwhelms for some

Emotional impactDivisive60

Church confession scene genuinely moving; overall dramatic weight undercut by clichés

CharactersDivisive55

Father and son conflict effective, but villains are cardboard cutouts; Moore's role feels window-dressing

EndingDivisive55

Satisfying conclusion for fans of the genre; anti-climactic and too brief for detractors

PacingDivisive35

Slow burn that tests patience; final shootout too brief for the build-up

Plot and storyDivisive30

Retired gunslinger forced back into action—formulaic and predictable; praised only by genre loyalists

Originality15

Every trope from 1950s westerns recycled; defenders call it 'faithful' not fresh

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by US Viewers

US viewers scored it 10 points higher than non-US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Forsaken like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and uplifting: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be moved and come out lifted.

It takes its time and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Moving and uplifting.

Moods
TenseMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its western story straight with earnest emotional beats and no ironic distance.
The rideThe story builds tension around the gang's threat and the protagonist's internal conflict, with the heaviest emotional weight likely in the climax and resolution.
StructureThe story follows a conventional linear structure with a clear beginning (return), middle (confrontation), and end (resolution).

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulCathartic · 6% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe protagonist finds redemption and the town is freed, leaving a satisfying sense of hope and emotional release.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe film follows a retired gunslinger who returns to his hometown and must confront a ruthless banker and his hired gang that are terrorizing the community, fitting the overcoming the monster archetype with the tyrant subtype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsRedemption · 6% of films: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on a man trying to mend his estranged relationship with his father while also seeking to atone for his violent past.
StanceThe film mourns the broken family bond and the violence that has shaped the protagonist's past, while presenting his return as a difficult but necessary attempt at repair.

The world

19th centuryRuralWildernessRealistic
Orchestral classicalFolkSupportive music · original score · Jonathan Goldsmith
Settinga small Western town terrorized by a gang
MusicLikely uses a sparse, melancholic score fitting the Western setting.

Content guide

Is Forsaken okay for kids?

R

Forsaken is rated R: “Rated R for violence and some language” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (65/100), sexual content at minimal (0/100), language at moderate (58/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (37/100) and frightening material at intense (71/100). Its frightening material has too few votes to rank. Overall it is heavier than 33% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 10 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaMA15+
  • Germany16
  • France16
  • JapanR18+
  • Brazil16
  • Netherlands16
  • RO15
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 58% of all filmsHeavier than 33% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 43%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 1%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 34%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 39%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
too few votes to rank (8 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Forsaken have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Forsaken?

Cast

4 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Kiefer Sutherland
as John Henry Clayton
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Donald Sutherland
as Reverend Samuel Clayton
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Demi Moore
as Mary Alice Watson
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Brian Cox
as James McCurdy
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Siobhan Williams
as Emily Chadwick
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Michael Wincott
as Dave Turner
Landon Liboiron
as Will Pickard
Greg Ellis
as Tom Watson
Wesley Morgan
as Sam Hatch
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Aaron Poole
as Frank Tillman

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Forsaken?

Movies like Forsaken include River of No Return (1954), The Old Way (2023) and My Darling Clementine (1946). Of the 12 closest matches, several are shootout stories, and several are stories about gunslingers.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 12 share its world: western. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Forsaken?

563 other films share the rarest tag below, follows: gunslinger. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.