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The Unforgivable

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Not to be confused with The Unforgiven.

The Unforgivable
Promotional release poster
Directed byNora Fingscheidt
Screenplay by
Based onUnforgiven
by Sally Wainwright
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyGuillermo Navarro
Edited by
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byNetflix
Release date
  • November 24, 2021 (2021-11-24) (United States)
Running time
112 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • United Kingdom
  • Germany
LanguageEnglish
Box office$13,062[1]

The Unforgivable is a 2021 drama film directed by Nora Fingscheidt and written by Peter Craig, Hillary Seitz, and Courtenay Miles, based on the 2009 British miniseries Unforgiven written by Sally Wainwright. The film stars Sandra Bullock as a woman who, following her release from prison after serving twenty years for committing murder, is determined to reunite with her estranged younger sister. Vincent D'Onofrio, Jon Bernthal, Richard Thomas, Linda Emond, Aisling Franciosi, Rob Morgan, and Viola Davis also star.[citation needed]

A co-production of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany, The Unforgivable was produced by Bullock, Graham King, and Veronica Ferres. Filming began in Vancouver in February 2020 and, after halting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, concluded that October. The film received a limited theatrical release in the United States on November 24, 2021, prior to streaming on Netflix on December 10, 2021. It received mixed reviews from critics but Bullock's performance was praised.[citation needed]

Plot

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Ruth Slater is released from prison after serving twenty years for killing a sheriff who came to evict her and her five-year-old sister, Katie, from their home in Snohomish, Washington. Upon her release, she gets two jobs, and begins to search for her estranged younger sister.

Katie, having been raised by an adoptive family in Seattle, does not consciously remember Ruth, although she has brief memories of trauma. On the day of Ruth's release, Katie is involved in a car accident, and returns to her adoptive parents’ home to recover. Katie's parents worry that the accident was due to her memories, and that she may somehow be aware that Ruth has been released. They agree that they were right to hide the truth from Katie, for her own good.

Meanwhile, Keith, the eldest son of the sheriff Ruth killed, has learned of Ruth's release and begins stalking her, learning where she lives and where she works. He plots revenge, but is unable to get his younger brother Steve on board, who constantly tells Keith to "leave it alone".

One day, Ruth returns to her former home to see it fully renovated. She meets the new occupants, John and Liz Ingram. John invites Ruth inside to see the renovations. As Ruth leaves, John, feeling sympathetic, 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. John decides to help her, but soon after, he learns the truth about Ruth's past. Ruth apologizes for lying, and John agrees to take her case.

While Ruth is working on a construction site, Steve briefly talks to Ruth, who is unaware of Steve's identity. Steve mentions her parents, and Ruth states they are dead. Steve apologizes, and Ruth responds, "life goes on", an unintentionally dismissive comment that sends Steve into a silent rage. After Ruth leaves, Steve goes through Ruth's belongings, discovering a picture of Katie.

John determines where Katie and her family live. He reaches out to the parents, who reluctantly agree to meet with Ruth anonymously. During the meeting, Ruth finds out that they have deliberately not told Katie about her, and have withheld all the letters that she wrote to Katie during her years in prison. They tell Ruth that Katie does not know of or remember her at all, and it is best for her if it stays that way. When Ruth suffers an outburst of emotion, Katie's parents angrily storm out of the room.

Emily, the younger adopted sister of Katie, overhears her parents talking about Ruth and discovers the letters. As she reads them, Emily is moved by Ruth's words, and is reduced to tears. Emily takes it upon herself to contact Ruth and arrange a meeting. At the end of their meeting, Emily informs Ruth that Katie will have a rehearsal at a local auditorium later that day. As Emily returns home, Steve stalks her, discovering where she lives.

Ruth returns to the Ingrams’ home to speak with John about approaching Katie. He is not home, though, and Ruth is approached by a furious Liz who tells her to leave. Through flashbacks, it is revealed that it was the five-year-old Katie who had actually fired the shot that killed the sheriff, but Ruth took the blame, 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 in anger. Motivated by anger, he kidnaps Emily, thinking she is Katie. As Ruth arrives at the recital, she receives a phone call from Steve who 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 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. Her parole officer arrives at the scene, and Ruth is released. As Ruth begins to walk away, she notices Emily's parents and Katie have come to pick up Emily, and Ruth and Katie finally meet again and embrace.

Cast

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Production

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In August 2010, it was announced that Graham King would produce Unforgiven, a feature film adaptation of the 2009 British miniseries of the same name, through his GK Films banner. Christopher McQuarrie was hired to write the screenplay, which was being tailored for Angelina Jolie to play the lead role.[2][3] In November 2011, Scott Frank was hired to rewrite and direct Unforgiven, as McQuarrie was busy directing Jack Reacher.[4][5] In June 2013, it was reported that McQuarrie had returned to the film as writer and director, and would also serve as a producer with King.[6][7]

In November 2019, it was reported that Sandra Bullock would star in the then-untitled film. She would also serve as a producer through her company Fortis Films. Veronica Ferres would also produce through her company Construction Film. Nora Fingscheidt replaced McQuarrie as director, and Netflix would distribute.[8][9] In December 2019, Viola Davis, Aisling Franciosi and Rob Morgan joined the cast of the film.[10] Vincent D'Onofrio, Jon Bernthal, Richard Thomas, Linda Emond and Emma Nelson joined in February 2020.[11]

Principal photography began in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, standing in for Seattle, on February 3, 2020, with plans to wrap on April 9.[12][13][14] Cinematographer Guillermo Navarro shot the film with Red Digital Cinema Helium cameras and Arri Ultra Prime lenses, which he had previously used on Dolittle.[15] On March 13, filming was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the date to wrap filming was delayed.[16][17] Production resumed on September 2, and concluded on October 15.[18] The film was one of the first Netflix projects to shoot at the Canadian Motion Picture Park Studios in Burnaby, after Netflix established their Metro Vancouver production hub at the studios in September 2020.[19]

Hans Zimmer and David Fleming reteamed to compose the film score, which was recorded at Synchron Stage Vienna.[20] Maisie Music Publishing has released the soundtrack.

Release

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In August 2021, the film's title was revealed to be The Unforgivable. It received a limited release in theaters on November 24, 2021,[1] prior to streaming on Netflix on December 10.[21][22][23]

Reception

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Audience viewership

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The Unforgivable was the most-streamed film on Netflix's charts for English-language films during its first week of release, with 85.86 million hours viewed.[24] It was also the most-streamed film in the United States according to TV Time.[25] It retained its position on Netflix's charts the following week with a viewership of 74.44 million hours[26] while also retaining its position in TV Time's rankings.[27] Nielsen stated that it was the most-streamed film with 566 million minutes viewed, and also the sixth most-streamed title for the week.[28]

In the third week, the film was displaced to the second position by Don't Look Up, while totalling a viewership of 26.6 million hours for the week.[29] Meanwhile, it dropped to the eighth position on TV Time's chart.[30] It also became the second movie starring Sandra Bullock to be ranked among the top 10 most-streamed films of all time on Netflix, ranking at ninth with a viewership of 186.9 million hours.[31][32] It retained its second position on the weekly Netflix charts in the following week with a viewership of 21.31 million hours.[33] In the fifth week it fell to the fifth position with a viewership of 11.34 million hours.[34] According to Netflix, the film accumulated a viewership of 214.7 million hours in its first 28 days of release, becoming the fifth most-streamed film on the platform at the time.[35]

Box office

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The Unforgivable was released only in South Korea, and grossed $13,062 internationally.[1]

Critical response

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On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 38% based on 91 reviews, with an average rating of 5/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "The Unforgivable proves Sandra Bullock is more than capable of playing against type, but her performance is wasted on a contrived and unrelentingly grim story."[23] On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 41 out of 100, based on 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[36]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "The Unforgivable (2021)". Box Office Mojo. IMDbPro. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  2. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 25, 2010). "GK Films Sets Christopher McQuarrie To Draft 'Unforgiven' For Angelina Jolie". Deadline. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  3. ^ Sneider, Jeff (August 26, 2010). "Writer McQuarrie Has Jolie in Mind for GK Films' 'Unforgiven'". TheWrap. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  4. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (November 8, 2011). "Scott Frank To Write And Direct GK Films Adaptation Of British Miniseries 'Unforgiven'". Deadline. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  5. ^ Jagernauth, Kevin (November 8, 2011). "Scott Frank To Write & Direct Big Screen Version Of U.K. Miniseries 'Unforgiven'". IndieWire. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  6. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (June 25, 2013). "Christopher McQuarrie Returns To Write, Direct GK Films Adaptation Of British Miniseries 'Unforgiven'". Deadline. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  7. ^ Jagernauth, Kevin (June 25, 2013). "Scott Frank Out, Christopher McQuarrie Back To Write & Direct Adaptation Of U.K. Miniseries 'Unforgiven'". IndieWire. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  8. ^ Kroll, Justin (November 4, 2019). "Sandra Bullock Returning to Netflix for Post-Incarceration Movie". Variety. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  9. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (November 5, 2019). "Nora Fingscheidt to direct Sandra Bullock in Netflix feature based on 'Unforgiven' series". Screen Daily. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  10. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (December 16, 2019). "Viola Davis & More Join Sandra Bullock Netflix Drama". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  11. ^ Kroll, Justin (February 5, 2020). "Netflix Sets Ensemble for Untitled Thriller Starring Sandra Bullock, Viola Davis (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  12. ^ Brown, Scott (February 4, 2020). "Hollywood North: Sandra Bullock filming Netflix feature in Vancouver". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  13. ^ Marc, Christopher (November 30, 2019). "Sandra Bullock's Netflix Drama Adapted By Christopher McQuarrie Shoots February To April In Vancouver". HN Entertainment. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  14. ^ "DGC BC Production List" (PDF). DGC. January 31, 2020. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 1, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
  15. ^ "Guillermo Navarro Frames Dolittle with RED DSMC2 HELIUM". Red Digital Cinema. February 5, 2020. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  16. ^ Brown, Scott (March 14, 2020). "COVID-19: More Vancouver-based TV productions shut down". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  17. ^ Takeuchi, Craig (March 16, 2020). "Vancouver film and TV productions on hold during COVID-19 pandemic". The Georgia Straight. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
  18. ^ "DGC BC Production List" (PDF). DGC. October 16, 2020. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2020. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  19. ^ Vlessing, Etan (September 24, 2020). "Netflix Launches Latest Production Hub in Vancouver". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  20. ^ "Project Poster Gallery - SynchronStage Vienna".
  21. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 23, 2021). "Netflix Dates Fall Movies: A Whopping 42 Movies Coming At You". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  22. ^ "The Unforgivable (2021) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  23. ^ a b "The Unforgivable". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  24. ^ "'Sunday Night Football' rushes to another TV ratings win; 'Yellowstone' is big too". Los Angeles Times. December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  25. ^ Prange, Stephanie (December 16, 2021). "'The Unforgivable,' 'Hawkeye' Top Weekly Whip Media Streaming Charts". Media Play News. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  26. ^ Mónica Marie Zorrilla (December 21, 2021). "Netflix Top 10: 'The Witcher' Has Streamer's Audience Spellbound". Variety. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  27. ^ Prange, Stephanie (December 21, 2021). "'The Unforgivable', 'Hawkeye' Again Top Weekly Whip Media Streaming Charts". Media Play News. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
  28. ^ "Sandra Bullock's 'The Unforgivable' Tops Nielsen's Streaming Movie Chart". The Hollywood Reporter. January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  29. ^ Erik Pedersen (December 28, 2021). "Netflix Top 10: All Other Films Looking Up At 'Don't Look Up'; 'The Witcher' Beguiles TV Side". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  30. ^ Prange, Stephanie (December 29, 2021). "'Matrix Resurrections,' 'The Witcher' Top Weekly Whip Media Streaming Charts". Media Play News. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  31. ^ Donnelly, Matt (December 28, 2021). "Sandra Bullock Ascends Netflix Throne as 'The Unforgivable' Becomes Her Second Film in All-Time Top 10". Variety. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  32. ^ Clark, Travis (December 28, 2021). "The most popular Netflix movies of all time, including 'Red Notice' and 'Bird Box'". Business Insider. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  33. ^ Jennifer Maas (January 4, 2022). "Netflix Top 10: 'Cobra Kai' Season 4 Takes Lead After Just Three Days of Viewing". Variety. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  34. ^ "Netflix's Top 10 Movies & TV Shows This Week". Screen Rant. January 12, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  35. ^ Joan E. Solsman (January 20, 2022). "Witcher season 2 is Netflix's No. 7 most watched show ever (according to Netflix)". CNET. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  36. ^ "The Unforgivable Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
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