'The Unforgivable': 3 reasons why Sandra Bullock's Ruth Slater is as real as they come 

Still from The Unforgivable (Image via Sportskeeda)
Still from The Unforgivable (Image via Sportskeeda)

The Unforgivable, Netflix's upcoming thriller, is set to make its debut in select cinemas on 24 November 2021. It will then be available for streaming on Netflix from 10 December 2021.

The Unforgivable follows the story of Ruth Slater, an incarcerated woman, who is released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent crime. She re-enters society only to find that it refuses to forgive her past.

Facing severe judgment from the place she once called home, her only hope for redemption is finding the estranged younger sister she was forced to leave behind.

Sandra Bullock, the Hollywood legend, looks tougher than ever in the lead role as ex-con Ruth Slater. Here is what makes the film so real and worth the watch.


'The Unforgivable': Reasons why Sandra Bullock's Ruth Slater is gritty and realistic

1) Sandra Bullock's preparation for her role

In an interview, Sandra Bullock opened up about her preparations for her role as Ruth Slater in The Unforgivable. While researching for the movie, she met up with incarcerated women and talked to them for deeper insights. She also revealed that her interactions made her a better parent.

Bullock even got a tattoo of a butterfly on a barbed wire, in honor of one of the women she talked to. Apparently, the inmate helped the actress gain insight into her relationship with her daughter.


2) 'The Unforgivable' is a true reflection of how society treats convicts

youtube-cover

The Unforgivable follows the story of a woman who attempts to rebuild her life after prison, while searching for the younger sister she was forced to leave behind before being imprisoned.

But she finds it difficult to assimilate back into society. Her past haunts her and she is threatened, harassed, and judged by almost everyone she encounters. There is a lot of hatred and anger associated with her release.

The trailer also shows her getting a phone call before her release where the caller threatens her with,

“You’re gonna pay for what you did.”

She begs for access to her younger sister, Katie, who she raised, and meets with attorneys for the same.

However everyone around her debates whether her cop-killer history should stick to her forever or if she can be redeemed. One mistake has tainted her forever. The movie is a realistic depiction of what convicts undergo after being released into society again.


3) The white privilege

The Unforgivable also touches upon the concept of white privilege. In one scene that features Bullock and Viola Davis, the latter yells at her, “You are not a victim!” Davis plays the role of Liz Ingram.

In other snippets, she points out to her husband that white privilege allowed Ruth to walk away from murdering a police officer. However, if it was one of their black children, they would not have survived the crime.


To watch Sandra Bullock in the role of Ruth Slater, catch The Unforgivable streaming on Netflix from 10 December 2021.

Quick Links

Edited by Sijo Samuel Paul