Titus Kaphar didn’t just dip his toes into filmmaking – he sledgehammered his way into the medium with Exhibiting Forgiveness, a debut so stunning and visceral that it might as well be carved into granite.

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Known for his evocative paintings housed in some of America’s most prestigious galleries, Kaphar uses the canvas of film as deftly as he wields a brush, creating a story that feels slathered with raw emotion.

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At its heart, Exhibiting Forgiveness is an unflinching exploration of generational trauma, redemption, and the fragile bonds that hold families together – or tears them apart.

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André Holland stars as Tarrell, a celebrated painter haunted by the ghosts of his tumultuous upbringing. Life with his wife, Aisha (Andra Day), and their young son, Jermaine (Daniel Michael Barriere), is thrown into chaos when his estranged father, La’Ron (John Earl Jelks), resurfaces, desperate for absolution.

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From the outset, this movie doesn’t pull any punches. We see La’Ron at rock bottom – homeless, starving, and strung out to the point of being nonverbal. He stumbles into a convenience store robbery, where he intervenes only to suffer a brutal beating. From there, the film flashes back and forth through time, weaving an intricate tapestry of pain, recovery, and reckoning.

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Ian Foreman plays young Tarrell with heartbreaking vulnerability as his father puts him through the wringer of the worst kind of tough love. A violent, gut-wrenching series of scenes informs not only the man who would become a visionary artist, but also how exhausting it must be just to wake up every day.

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Adult Tarrell’s artistic genius is both a refuge and a battleground, where his trauma is transmuted into breathtaking works that practically leap off the screen. Kaphar’s decision to incorporate his own artwork as a narrative element here is brilliant – it’s not just set dressing but a character in itself, literally illustrating Tarrell’s inner turmoil in bold, colorful lines that grow into images of his life before our very eyes.

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The performances here are seismic. Holland and Jelks share a fraught, combustible dynamic that feels painfully real. Every glance, every word between them carries the weight of decades of anger, shame, and regret. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor’s portrayal of Joyce, Tarrell’s mother, is no less electrifying. Her serene spirituality and quiet resilience provide a powerful counterbalance to the storm raging between father and son.

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Andra Day, meanwhile, delivers a subtle yet poignant performance as Aisha, a woman trying to nurture her own creative soul while also supporting her tormented partner. The chemistry between her and Holland is tender and deeply believable, adding yet another layer to this rich drama.

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Kaphar’s direction is fearless, and yet it also feels so incredibly intimate. There is a rawness and at time a real brutality here, but also there is space and quiet and stillness. 

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But what makes Exhibiting Forgiveness so remarkable is its refusal to offer easy answers. The film shows us the insidious nature of generational trauma and how difficult it is to break those cycles, especially within the context of systemic oppression. Yet it doesn’t lean on sociopolitical commentary, instead keeping its focus on personal struggles.

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This is a film about fathers and sons, addiction and survival, and the way art can both exorcise and memorialize pain. It’s about learning to forgive, not for the sake of others, but for the sake of your own future.

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In an era overflowing with movies that claim to be “important,” Exhibiting Forgiveness feels like it genuinely is. Titus Kaphar’s storytelling is as layered as his paintings, his vision as bold as his brushstrokes.

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Exhibiting Forgiveness is one of the best films of 2024, and a scorching debut from Kaphar.