The Unforgivable

The Unforgivable is a Netflix distributed drama based on the 2009 British miniseries Unforgiven. The film stars Sandra Bullock, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jon Bernthal and Viola Davis. After serving 20 years for murder, Ruth, played by Bullock, is looking to reconnect with her sister but quickly learns that not everyone is ready to forget or forgive her past.

The plot was interesting but at times, it was slow moving. The cinematography was creative in how it did brief flashback of moments, similar to how a thought would be in your mind. All of these thoughts in the end helped to put the story’s puzzle together.

Regarding casting, I appreciated the attempt to add some diversity and liked that the strong leads were women. Viola Davis is a superb actor. I was not expecting her in the role she chose but I like that she always does something different. Sandra did a great job leading this cast of talented actors. She was able to really get you to connect and feel for her character, Ruth. She was able to show so much in her expression without even saying it. The sadness, the loneliness and the trauma her character experienced were evident in her emotions and the way she handled herself.

Overall this was a pretty good movie with an unexpected twist. You can’t always judge a book by its cover and that is what I would say about the theme and some of the more negative reviews about this film. The Unforgivable if full of depth and heart and it is worth watching.