Forsaken

Forsaken is a 2015 Canadian revisionist western film directed by Jon Cassar, from a screenplay by Brad Mirman. The film stars Kiefer Sutherland, Donald Sutherland, Brian Cox, Michael Wincott, Aaron Poole and Demi Moore. The film had its world premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival on September 16, 2015. The film was released on February 19, 2016. One of the executive producers on the film was Doug Falconer. Synopsis A flashback shows a young boy, recently dead, and his distraught mother. John Henry Clayton (Kiefer Sutherland) returns home to his father, Reverend Samuel Clayton (Donald Sutherland), who informs him his mother has died some years ago. John Henry was unaware, as he had been drifting for 10 years following his time fighting in the Civil War. John Henry and Samuel are estranged because Samuel is ashamed of his son's supposed exploits following the War. He goes to town with his father who warns him to avoid some suspicious men; their leader, saloon owner James McCurdy (Brian Cox) worries that John Henry will be a "problem". John Henry also encounters his past lover, Mary Alice (Demi Moore), whom he learns is married and has a son. After a tense encounter in town with Frank Tillman (McCurdy's thug), John Henry and his father argue about his exploits and lack of faith in God following the atrocities of the Civil War. McCurdy's gang, along with "Gentleman" Dave Turner (Michael Wincott), rides to a farm to coerce a man to leave. Another cowboy murders the man, to Dave's dismay and Dave kills him in return. Some time later, when Frank goes to another farm to remove its owner, others in town ambush them. McCurdy grows increasingly aggressive in his attempts to displace the local landowners to suppress their rebellion. In town, Tom Watson (Mary Alice's husband) sees her talking with John Henry; John Henry has yet another run in with McCurdy's gang and allows a man named Ned to beat him without retaliation. Tom is angered when Mary Alice rides off to nurse John Henry. Now concerned about his wife's feelings, Tom is persuaded by McCurdy to simply sell his land and move away so that John Henry could not "steal" his wife. Dave Turner warns John Henry not to get involved in the land scheme and they discover that they were both at the Battle of Shiloh, albeit on opposite sides.