FORGIVE him Father, for he has sinned.

Writer-director Brian Helgeland has summoned forth the darkest forces on this Earth and channelled them into The Sin Eater, a ridiculous, convoluted pseudo-religious thriller which is by turns dull, impenetrable and hilarious.

According to the film's nonsensical plot, the Sin Eaters were a group of priests excommunicated by the elders for absolving people's sins outside of the sanctity of the Church.

In present day Rome, a Sin Eater called Eden (Benno Furmann) continues his shadowy work.

However, he has grown weary, so Eden visits elderly priest Dominic (Francesco Carnelutti) to strike a bargain: absolution of the holy man's sins in exchange for a successor to the Sin Eater's poisoned crown.

The Sin Eater is an unholy abomination - a hellish bore, which spins its hoary tale in fits and starts with not a care in the world when it comes to logic or plausibility.

Dialogue overflows with portentous clap-trap like "Sometimes, when you look into the abyss, the abyss looks back into you".

It's meaningless drivel, yet the characters chew on these morsels with a fierce concentration, which is a glorious tribute to the cast's ability to keep a straight face, even when the audience is in fits of laughter.

Heath Ledger struggles to settle on an accent from one scene to the next, alternating between English, Australian, American and Irish to suit his mood.

Helgeland directs with lifeless abandon apart from one bravura flashback sequence.

Rating: 1/10