The Unforgivable is a 2021 drama film directed by Nora Fingscheidt and written by Peter Craig, Hillary Seitz and Courtenay Miles,[1] based on the 2009 British miniseries Unforgiven written by Sally Wainwright. The film stars Sandra Bullock as a woman who attempts to rebuild her life after serving time in prison for committing a violent crime. It also stars Vincent D’Onofrio, Jon Bernthal, Viola Davis, Richard Thomas, Linda Emond, Aisling Franciosi, Rob Morgan.
An American-German co-production, the film is produced by Bullock, Graham King and Veronica Ferres. Filming began in Vancouver in February 2020 and, after halting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, concluded in October. It was released in a limited release on November 24, 2021, prior to streaming on Netflix on December 10, 2021.
Ruth Slater (Sandra Bullock) gets out of prison after serving twenty years for murdering a sheriff who came to evict her and her five year old sister, Katie, after their father committed suicide, their mother having died previously during childbirth. Kate, now living with a foster family, does not remember Ruth clearly but experiences image memories of trauma and wonders who Ruth was. Ruth starts looking for Katie. The sheriff’s younger son decides to kidnap and kill Katie in revenge for his father’s killing.
Through flashbacks, it is revealed that Katie actually fired the shot that killed the sheriff, but Ruth took the blame and went to prison to protect her. The older son kidnaps Katie’s foster sister Emily, thinking she was Katie. He demands that Ruth come to where they are. Ruth goes, and the son declares his intent to kill the girl, but when Ruth expresses sorrow for all that has happened, he cannot go through with it. Ruth helps Emily out of the room, and the police come and arrest the son. Emily’s parents and Katie come to pick up Emily, and Ruth and Katie finally meet.