Netflix has finally released a long-awaited redemption movie that subscribers have been eagerly waiting to stream. The film is titled The Unforgivable, and it stars Sandra Bullock as a woman who recently got out of prison for murder, and sets out to find her long-lost younger sister. In addition to Bullock, the film also stars Viola Davis, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jon Bernthal, Richard Thomas, Linda Emond, Aisling Franciosi, and Rob Morgan.
The Unforgivable is based on a British miniseries, Unforgiven, from 2009. The film was directed by Nora Fingscheidt, from a script by Peter Craig, Hillary Seitz, and Courtenay Miles. Notably, Bullock is not just the star of the film, but she is also a producer. In preparation for the role of a formerly incarcerated woman looking to rebuild her life, Bullock told NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly that she was able to sit with women who’ve been in the same position in real life and learn from their experience. “The luxury of what we do for a living is that you can go in and research,” she shared. “And it felt like an invasion of people’s privacy, but we had so many women be so transparent and open about their journeys, both women who were still incarcerated and women who have subsequently been released.”
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Bullock went on to share that much of what she discovered by talking with the women was that their experience is “something that those of us who are not born into extreme poverty will never know.” She continued, “And the common thread I found was that these extraordinary women who have survived, the women that I met, did not have the resources to keep safe, did not have the resources to think beyond their circumstances, that life could offer them something more because they didn’t see that in the world. So many of them had stories of just trying to survive, and the reason they were in prison was a result of that. And that made me incredibly, incredibly sad for them.”
Finally, the Oscar-winning actress offered some insight into some of the struggles that formerly incarcerated individuals face on a daily basis. “You’re not afforded the same joys everyone else is when you’re a convict,” Bullock said. “You have to let your employer know that you are a convict. And then if you meet someone who gives you the feeling that there might be a hope, that someone might see you and care for you, you quickly realize that that dark cloud has to be revealed. And nine times out of 10, you know what the response is going to be.” The Unforgivable is now streaming on Netflix.
