The Unforgivable

What is initially a cold, dense drama with a chilling Sandra Bullock struggling to reintegrate into society after twenty years in prison amidst the hostility of the people, eventually turns into a kind of weird spat of the prison genre/story of a ruined woman/kidnap thriller that didn't quite work for me. The film takes something from each, but in the end I wasn't overly satisfied with anything, even though it is a "good" film. Ironically, it's the high expectations that trip it up the most, failing to satisfy what I was hoping for. Bullock is very good, but the stripped down supporting roles aren’t, likewise with the shocking flashback conclusion and underdeveloped present day narrative. The pacing isn't gripping, the suspense and the atmosphere didn't grab me either, and the film doesn't lean much into the action thriller genre, leaving me wondering what the goal was. Don't get me wrong, it's a good enough film, but I certainly don't share the enthusiasm of the audience and the praise to the skies, I'm more likely to just wave my hand over it and move on... (14/12/2021)

All the time I was wondering if this solid story with such well-developed main and secondary characters was based on a book, but it’s actually based on a TV series. It’s one of best Netflix movies (and not only of this year). It stands on an interesting story, but also on the utterly brilliant performance of Sandra Bullock. I guess I will have to watch System Crasher some day, because Nora Fingscheidt is a surprisingly good director. (12/12/2021)

This is no minimalist, award-winning art-house of the kind that win awards with a similar setting and themes (e.g. Manchester by the Sea), but it is a powerful and, thanks to that, touching crowd-pleaser. Sandra again goes full throttle. Who would have said that about her in 1994... (13/12/2021)

It has potential, a dense atmosphere, a smart script at least in the first half, and a good job with the narration of the plot. Unfortunately, it's dragged down to average by the not-quite-grasped second half and especially by the fatally inadequate work with the supporting characters, played by otherwise excellent actors (Bernthal, D’Onofrio, Davis), who don't have much to do because they didn't write very good/interesting/important roles for them. The Unforgivable is a film about one person: Sandra Bullock, who is fantastic. (15/12/2021)

The Unforgivable is a gritty drama that showcases Sandra Bullock playing very much against type. Honestly, if you ran into her in the middle of nowhere, you’d probably mistake her for a local hermit. The film’s theme is filled with family drama and a lingering sense of despair. The finale, set to the sounds of Radiohead, was quite satisfying. (10/12/2021)