When Violence Meets Forgiveness

Despite the inherent drama and sadness of the entire situation, Punch too often feels like a PSA for the restorative justice procedure, with lots of exposition and step-by-step procedural instructions that, frankly, don’t really need so much explanation. We’ve all seen similar storylines before, whether on TV crime procedurals or docu-dramas. The outcome will come as no surprise, even less so given that the real-life Jacob, with the full support of James’ parents, has made it his mission to spread the word about the consequences of violence and the ramifications of what, in the UK, is known as “one punch.”