After a massive success in her collaboration with Netflix on Bird Box, award-winning actress Sandra Bullock was seen in the latest Netflix original project, The Unforgivable.
While Bird Box reigned supreme for three years on Netflix as one of its most-watched films before being dethroned by Red Notice, The Unforgivable was pretty forgettable. Although the film has not been very well-received, the film is filled with umpteen twists and turns, which is why we decided to decode the ending for you.
Based on a 2009 British limited series Unforgiven, written by Sally Wainwright, the film has been helmed by German filmmaker Nora Fingscheidt, best known for the 2019 film System Crasher.
It stars Bullock as the protagonist, Ruth Slater, who had spent 20 years in prison for killing a sheriff. After being released from prison after nearly two decades, Ruth is still tainted by her past and is not allowed to come in touch with her younger sister Katie, played by Aisling Franciosi, who was only five at the time of the crime.
Since people are not very forgiving, Ruth decides to look for her sister after getting herself a job in a fish factory. On the other hand, Katie is now a university student and a brilliant pianist who is grappling with insomnia and ghosts of her traumatic past. Katie gets into a car accident and wakes up in a hospital with her adoptive family by her side, lying to them about taking medication.
Desperate to find her sister, Ruth goes to extreme lengths, including lying to the new tenants of her old house. Jon, a corporate lawyer and one of the tenants, decides to help her find Katie, concealing the truth from his wife, Liz. The film also deals with how one of the dead sheriff’s sons is unable to cope with Ruth’s acquittal and decides to seek vengeance. Although the other brother initially disagrees, the thirst for revenge makes them want to kill Katie to make Ruth go through the same pain and anguish of losing someone dear.
Meanwhile, Ruth comes to know that Katie’s adoptive family have been keeping her away from the memories of her older sister and is rebuffed by the family. Katie’s adoptive sister, however, decides to help Ruth and meets her. The sheriff’s son mistakes Emily for Katie.
Meanwhile, Liz and Ruth have a heart-to-heart where it is revealed that it was a five-year-old Katie who had shot the sheriff in the basement for which Ruth took the blame to protect her sister. Liz, moved by Ruth’s story of sacrifice, helps her to find Katie. Ruth manages to find the brother, free Emily and clear her name as the parole officer sees how she risked her life to save her sister.
The film ends with the sisters finally reuniting and hugging each other. While there are a lot of dramatic twists and turns in the film, it simply lacks the flavour of a good psychological thriller. People are judgemental and unforgiving; they judge you for the past- that’s a given. While Bullock is brilliant as Ruth, we expected a much more power-packed film. It is seemingly a disservice to an actress of Bullock’s stature.
