THE UNFORGIVABLE

Based on the 2009 British miniseries Unforgiven, The Unforgivable is a drama from Netflix that works as a solid vehicle for Sandra Bullock to show off her acting chops yet fails to standalone as anything more than average with how it handles its subject matter. 

Released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent crime, Ruth Slater (Sandra Bullock) re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her past. Facing severe judgment from the place she once called home, her only hope for redemption is finding the estranged younger sister she was forced to leave behind.

The Unforgivable is a decent enough film that focuses on a woman attempting to rebuild her life after serving time in prison for committing a violent crime. It's the writing that holds it back from being anything more than fine, choosing to tell the story in such formulaic fashion. There's barely any room for the narrative to breathe either and makes you think why the story would work so much better as a miniseries like before. 

It's surprising as the film is written by those that have worked on such films as The Town and Insomnia, and TV shows such as Mindhunter. There doesn't seem to be much of that quality on show and it's a real shame. Furthermore, Hans Zimmer worked with David Fleming on the score and, considering how great a year Zimmer has had so far, his work on The Unforgivable feels subpar in comparison. 

The film's greatest strength is its performances, Sandra Bullock playing against type and leading the film with a strong turn as a woman out to right her wrongs. She's joined by some stellar support from the likes of Jon Bernthal, Vincent D'Onofrio and Viola Davis however, they're not enough to make the film excel from an average position. 

Plenty of films have done what The Unforgivable has done before so it hardly sets itself apart from others. With that in mind, it doesn't stop the film from being a worthwhile watch at all. 

Verdict: ★★★