Empathy and forgiveness are concepts that are very subjective in the human experience. Director Nora Fingscheidt’s The Unforgivable is a Netflix original film set to explore that very concept, as Sandra Bullock squares off with Viola Davis, and an all-star cast, in search of a normal life. Her unforgivable act? She killed a police officer, and served a 20 year prison sentence as a result.
Throughout the rest of the trailer for The Unforgivable, we see Bullock’s character, Ruth Slater, released from prison and into the world. Merely trying to get back in touch with the sister she hasn’t seen for decades, the odds do not seem to be in her favor in this first look released by Netflix. And one of the most tense moments that sums up the basic thrust of this movie is a showdown between Sandra Bullock and Viola Davis, as the two actors heatedly debate the actions of the former.
It’s hinted that The Unforgivable’s central killing was, at least in the eyes of Sandra Bullock’s character, a justified act. Already, the moral puzzle of this Netflix original film is a bit more complicated, as the murder in question isn’t a cut and dry act of villainy. Though it does uniquely color the perspectives of everyone that Ruth Slater meets, making The Unforgivable’s story even more complex. As the variety of reactions present themselves throughout this trailer, we see Sandra Bullock’s Ruth focused solely on getting back to the sister she was trying to protect.
On the performance side of things, a lot of familiar faces pop up in The Unforgivable’s first look. It’s no surprise, considering a good portion of the all-star cast, like The Punisher’s Jon Bernthal and Daredevil’s Vincent D’Onofrio, are Netflix graduates themselves. Even Sandra Bullock and Viola Davis aren’t strangers to this streamer, as The Unforgivable sees the actors in their first Netflix originals since Bird Box and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, respectively.
There seem to be no easy answers in The Unforgivable, and even if there were, that’d probably ruin the point of Sandra Bullock and Viola Davis’s big confrontation. Asking hard questions about unspeakable acts, and the humans on either side of the consequences, it looks like the audience will be talking no matter the result. And it’s all going to happen just in time for awards eligibility too, as The Unforgivable is set to debut very soon.
The Unforgivable will be released in limited theaters in November, with the film debuting on Netflix’s streaming library starting December 10th. Check your local listings carefully to see where you can see the movie for yourself. But if you’re looking to see what else is set for theatrical release throughout the rest of the year, head to the 2021 release schedule and see what’s in store. Or, if you want to see what’s headed to Netflix in the month to come, check out the November 2021 rundown of original and catalogue titles.
