Purgatory (1999)

My Review

“Purgatory” is a made-for-television western movie that tells the story of a group of outlaws fleeing a posse and mysteriously finding themselves in a town called Refuge. It slowly dawns on them that they are actually in a sort of purgatory, where they must atone for past sins before going on to heaven or hell. It is unclear who decides the individual’s ultimate destination.

Producer Daniel Schneider, director Uli Edel, and teleplay writer Gordon T. Dawson put together an uneven drama with a shaky premise that undermines the storyline, but does give food for thought. The cast delivers at least acceptable performances, including Sam Shepard, Eric Roberts, Randy Quaid, Peter Stormare, Brad Rowe, Donnie Wahlberg, J. D. Souther, Amelia Heinle, Saginaw Grant, Shannon Kenny, and R. G. Armstrong as the stagecoach driver.

“Purgatory” originally aired on the TNT network in January, 1999, shot on the backlot of Warner Bros.