Father Stu (2022) Movie Review

Father Stu – Movie Review

Director: Rosalind Ross

Writer: Rosalind Ross (Screenplay)

Cast

Mark Wahlberg (The Departed)
Mel Gibson (Hot Seat)
Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook)
Teresa Ruiz (Noise)
Aaron Moten (Emancipation)

Plot: Follows the life of Father Stuart Long, a boxer-turned-priest who inspired countless people during his journey from self-destruction to redemption.

Runtime: 2 Hours 4 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Father Stu starts when former boxer Stuart Long (Wahlberg) needs to find a new career. He gets caught in the middle of jobs, having spent his life training to become a boxer. His father Bill (Gibson) is reluctant to help him and after he meets devoted Christian Carmen (Ruiz) he wants to turn his life around.

However, this becomes difficult as his old ways will always be around to catch up with him. This leads him down a road of self-destruction that needs redemption.

Verdict on Father Stu

Father Stu is a drama following a man searching for redemption in the church after years of errors. This sees him surviving a horrendous accident and turning to God for another chance.

The movie seems to be a movie trying to capture the desperation to remain relative in a changing world. It doesn’t do much to make us support Stuart on his road to redemption, as it confuses about why he ends up the way he did in the first place. The performances are fine without being anything special and by the end of the movie we have seen similar ideas done a lot better.

Final Thoughts – Father Stu is a desperate attempt to try and win an Oscar.