Ruth Slater (Sandra Bullock) has just got out of prison after twenty years. Her face has hardened up, and her lips press tightly against each other as if keeping a secret hidden. Her crime? Apparently, she is responsible for killing a cop. Time heals all wounds, but some people are unwilling to forgive Ruth. Hence, the title: The Unforgivable. Among those people, we have the sons of the cop who was murdered – Keith (Tom Guiry) and Steve (Will Pullen). When one of Ruth's coworkers comes to know about Ruth's crime, she hits her. Seems like not everyone believes in giving second chances.
The "cop killer" label has been permanently tattooed on Ruth's character (a police officer reminds her of this reputation when she questions whether she has to be a convict everywhere). In that sense, the film could also be called The Unforgettable, as no one allows Ruth to forget her past. She receives a phone call where the man on the other end says "cop killer" to her. Keith definitely wants his revenge, and Steve, though initially reluctant, gets on board with the idea later on.
The Unforgivable shows how quickly we tend to pass judgment on someone else without barely knowing them. People, including Liz (Viola Davis) and Katie's (Ruth's younger sister) foster parents, only see a convict within Ruth. Keith notices Ruth from a distance and thinks she has forgotten all the crimes. Steve, too, concludes she has moved on based on a single line, "Yeah, but life goes on, right?" Everybody fails to perceive the mental stress that Ruth is going through. They are self-absorbed, which gives way to a dangerous plan from Steve involving the murder of Katie. "Let's do to her what she did to us," he says.
The film shifts to multiple plot threads without losing focus. Ruth, Katie, Keith, and Steve's struggles linger for enough time to make an impression. But make no mistake. This is mainly about Ruth, and she stays for and occupies much of the screen time. The Unforgivable focuses on Ruth's sorrow, so much so that it stops being curious about her. We know she loves carpentry and her little sister, then what? Either she doesn't have any other interests, or the film is too lazy (or single-minded) to delve into her personal passions. It wouldn't have hurt to know more about her. In fact, it would have made us more attached to her. And while it's understandable that Keith and Steve are there to show how a crime not only affects the perpetrator, their story – which goes to adulterous territory – never hits us with its emotional weight.
Still, despite all the flaws, The Unforgivable confidently moves ahead thanks to the power of Bullock, who holds everything together. Even in her lesser films like Miss Congeniality and Speed 2: Cruise Control, the actor, exudes an affable charm that prevents you from checking out. Look at her hesitating and smiling before confessing in front of Blake (Jon Bernthal), one of the coworkers. How can you break her heart or push yourself away from her? I know I can't.