Valley of the Shadow of Death (2024)

A priest struggles to practise what he preaches in Antonio Lam’s moral drama.

“Only god can forgive and condemn, not mankind”

Pastor Leung (Anthony Wong) is a preacher whose area of focus is forgiveness, and how only God has the power to do so. However, he and his wife (Louisa Soo) have been living under a dark cloud ever since their daughter (Sheena Chan) killed herself following sexual assault. Her rapist, a young man called Chan (George Au) has recently been released from prison, and seeks redemption from none other than Leung himself.

Valley of the Shadow of Death is a film that knows what its character struggles are, and focuses in on those without ever really deviating from the path. This is not a bad thing, by and large, with the runtime almost fully spent on either Leung or Chan, and their relationship. And it’s a good one, loaded with moral questions that let Wong mull do good, subtle acting as his character works through his history. It’s a little bit of a shame it’s only on him though, as there is potential for some of the other characters to get more screentime.

Valley’s biggest issue might be its pacing, which can be quite a drag in places. I get why: it’s quite contemplative, but it also doesn’t have much story, so it struggles to really fill its runtime, even running a little bit short at 84 minutes. In terms of actual plot, there’s the initial confrontation, Chan working towards redemption, and a slight complication in the story before we get to the climax. So it stretches its runtime with long scenes of people standing, staring, and thinking. I get those scenes are necessary, but the film doesn’t do enough during the first half, making Father Leung a forgiving figure steadfast in his decision to redeem his daughter’s attacker.

Where it is strongest is in the moments where characters get to make these big, defining decisions that affect their momentum and trajectories. Leung’s wife (Louisa Soo) has a couple of these, struggling to come to grips with the idea that Chan can possibly be redeemed or even forgiven. Leung, Chan and even Ching the daughter in flashback have a few of these, which does a lot to murk up the moral conflicts it presents us with.

It throws facts at the audience, and lets them come up with their own ideas on forgiveness and redemption: is Leung right in his approach? Does Chan deserve forgiveness even? There’s a lot to unpack, and Valley does a good job here, largely due to great performances all around, but notably George Au, whose inner turmoil and genuine hope at redemption make him a surprisingly endearing character, all things considered. Valley of the Shadow of Death is a film that poses a big question, but is humble enough not to answer it. That is, after all, God’s domain.

Verdict: Slow in places, but engaging and complex, Valley of the Shadow of Death is a meaty drama, with enough surprises and ethical question to keep its story moving.

Overall entertainment: 7.5/10
Violence: 2/10
Sex: 2/10
Forgiveness: 3/10
Consequences: 10/10
IMDb: Has this down as a Crime/Romance, which is just bonkers
Forgiveness maths: I’m not a man of God, but 490 seems like a lot
Suffering: You must, otherwise why would you need God?

Valley of the Shadow of Death (2024)
Also known as: 不赦之罪
Cantonese

Director: Sen Lam, Antonio Tam
Writer: Atonio Tam

CAST
Anthony Wong – Pastor Paul Leung
Louisa Soo – Leung’s Wife
George Au – Chan
Sheena Chan – Ching
Summy Chan – Grace