The Unforgiveable ★★★✰✰

2021 · 15 · 1h 52min
Crime · Drama

Director Nora Fingscheidt

Stars Sandra Bullock · Vincent D'Onofrio · Viola Davis · Jon Bernthal · Richard Thomas · Linda Emond · Aisling Franciosi · Rob Morgan

Based on Unforgiven by Sally Wainwright

Writer(s) Peter Craig · Hillary Seitz · Courtenay Miles

Music by Hans Zimmer · David Fleming

Release Date November 24, 2021 (United States)

Country of Origin Germany · USA · UK

Language Spoken English

Sound Mix Dolby Digital Colour Colour Aspect Ratio 2.00 : 1

A woman is released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent crime and re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her past.

Stalls...

"The result is a layering of preposterousness that eventually collapses into idiocy, with a closing twist (also imported from the series) that's as poorly handled as it is implausible."

—Kevin Maher, Times (UK)

Plot

Ruth Slater is released from prison after serving twenty years for murdering a sheriff who came to evict her and her five year old sister Katie, whom Ruth was raising in their childhood home after the death of their father, their mother having died during childbirth. Upon her release, Ruth is introduced to her PO, Vince, and obtains two jobs, all the while searching for her estranged younger sister. Katie, now living with a foster family, barely remembers Ruth, but experiences memories of trauma. These memories cause Katie to be involved in a car accident, and she is forced to return to her foster parents’ home while she recovers. Katie’s foster parents worry that her memories of Ruth, as well as the fact that she may be somehow aware of her release, is what caused the accident. They agree that they were right to hide the truth of the past from Katie, and agree to continue to for her own good, as a sister who is a convicted murderer can offer her nothing.

Meanwhile, Keith, the eldest son of the sheriff Ruth killed, has found out about Ruth’s release and begins stalking her, learning where she lives and where she works. He is determined to plot revenge but is unable to get his younger brother Steve on board, as he has a family of his own and constantly tells Keith to “leave it alone”.

While in the group home, Ruth receives an anonymous phone call. The person on the other end of the line calls her a “cop killer”, to which Ruth responds by hanging up the phone. As she re-enters her room, she finds one of her roommates breaking the no stealing rule by going through her belongings looking for unknown items. Ruth attacks the roommate, telling her to stay out of her things and forcing her to leave the room.

One day, Ruth returns to her former home and is astonished to see it fully renovated. She meets the new occupants, John and Liz Ingram. John invites Ruth inside, and she is further impressed with all the work. As Ruth leaves, John, feeling sympathetic towards Ruth, offers her a ride to the bus stop. Ruth learns that John is a corporate lawyer, and she tells him about her search for Katie, and John decides to help her. However, not long after, John learns the truth about Ruth’s past. Ruth apologizes for lying, and John still agrees to take her case.

John discovers the location of Katie and her foster family. He reaches out to the parents, Michael and Rachel Malcolm, who reluctantly agree to meet with Ruth anonymously. During the meeting, Ruth finds out that Michael and Rachel have deliberately not told Katie about her and have withheld all of the letters that she wrote to Katie during her years in prison. They admonish Ruth that Katie does not know of or remember her at all, and it is best for her if it stays that way. Ruth has an outburst of emotion and anger, and the Malcolms angrily storm out of the room.

While Ruth is working her second job on a construction site, Steve makes his way inside and briefly talks to Ruth who is unaware of who Steve is, and says “life goes on”. As Ruth leaves, Steve stays behind and goes through Ruth’s belongings, discovering the existence of Katie when he discovers a photograph of her.

Emily, the younger foster sister of Katie, overhears her parents talking about Ruth and discovers the letters. As she reads them she is both touched and moved by Ruth’s words and is reduced to tears. Emily takes it upon herself to contact Ruth herself and arrange a meeting to help answer the questions she read in the letters and finally give Ruth the peace she desperately seeks. When leaving, Emily informs Ruth that Katie will have a recital at a local auditorium the following day. As Emily returns home, Steve stalks her, discovering where she lives.

Ruth returns to the Ingrams’ home. She wants to talk to John as she now has an opportunity to meet Katie at the recital and wants his professional opinion, however he is not home. She is approached by Liz who yells at her, telling her she doesn't see in her what her husband sees and tells her to leave. Through flashbacks, it is revealed that it was the five year old Katie who had actually fired the shot that had killed the sheriff, but Ruth took the blame and went to prison to protect her. Learning the truth, Liz feels sympathetic towards Ruth and drives her to the recital.

After learning about Katie, Steve becomes more insistent on the idea of revenge however he catches his brother Keith in bed with his wife and beats him before storming out of the house. Motivated by his anger, he kidnaps Emily, mistaking her for Katie. As Ruth arrives at the recital, she receives a phone call from Steve and demands that Ruth come to where they are. Liz drives her to the location and, becoming aware of the situation, calls the authorities as Ruth goes inside. Steve declares his intent to kill the girl, but when Ruth expresses sorrow and remorse for all that has happened, he cannot go through with it. Ruth helps Emily out of the room, then gives herself up to the police and Steve is arrested. Ruth’s PO Vince arrives at the scene and Ruth is released shortly after. As Ruth begins to walk away with Vince, she notices that Emily’s parents and Katie have come to pick up Emily, and Ruth and Katie finally meet and hug each other.

"Most of all, Unforgivable reminds us what a fine actor Bullock is."

—Randy Myers, San Jose Mercury News