Contrition (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

Contrition is a 14-minute drama based on a true story, following Damien as he confronts Brendan, a former masked IRA man now posing as a priest. Their meeting brings buried trauma, guilt and the possibility of forgiveness into sharp focus without offering an easy resolution.

Contrition is a short 2026 drama from Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom. The film centers on Damien, a man still affected by a violent childhood ordeal, and the difficult encounter he has spent years trying to arrange.

Written by Ben Keenan and directed by Marco Beyermann and Ben Keenan, the film uses a church meeting to frame questions of accountability, remorse and closure. Its compact 14-minute runtime gives the premise a tightly focused shape.

Contrition movie details

Story without spoilers

Damien is in his 40s and remains haunted by an IRA hostage situation from his childhood. After years of searching, he locates Brendan, one of the masked men connected to that event. Brendan is now presenting himself as a priest, and Damien goes to his church carrying anger and unresolved pain.

Their confrontation becomes the central conflict of Contrition. As the two men face the past they share, the story examines guilt, remorse and whether forgiveness can emerge from a traumatic encounter. The supplied premise establishes the emotional stakes without revealing how the meeting concludes.

What to expect

Contrition is a compact, serious drama built around a direct confrontation rather than a broad ensemble story. Its true-story basis and Northern Irish setting place personal trauma against the background of the IRA hostage situation described in the synopsis. Viewers can expect a focused account of memory, responsibility and the search for closure, presented in a short-form format.

Cast and creative team

Ben Keenan plays Damien and also wrote the film. MJ Sullivan portrays Brendan, while Skye Little Wing Dimova-Saw appears as Boy and Steve Saw plays a Masked IRA Man. Marco Beyermann and Ben Keenan share directing credits.

• Ben Keenan as Damien
• Skye Little Wing Dimova-Saw as Boy
• MJ Sullivan as Brendan
• Steve Saw as Masked IRA Man

Release and production context

Contrition is listed as a 2026 production from Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom. It is in English, runs for 14 minutes, and is classified as a drama. The supplied release date is November 14, 2026, and its status is listed as Released.

Movies Dock view

With its brief runtime and tightly defined central encounter, Contrition presents a concentrated story about the lasting effects of violence and the difficult distance between remorse and forgiveness. Its premise leaves the emphasis on the conversation between Damien and Brendan rather than on a wider criminal or political narrative.

Film data:
TMDB · IMDb