SEATTLE — A new drama starring Oscar winners Sandra Bullock and Viola Davis is set in Western Washington.
"The Unforgivable" tells the story of Ruth Slater, a woman released from prison after serving 20 years for an “unforgivable” crime. She embarks on an uncertain future – working difficult jobs and searching for housing – while also trying to find her long-lost little sister.
Bullock said she embraced the role.
"The whole theme of this movie is those who've been born into poverty don't have the resources and are often not seen, and your path is set. You don't have the benefits that let's say I did, by the luck of the draw. And once you know that, you can't unsee it,” she said. “People like this don't get movies made about them."
Economic disparity is part of the movie's landscape in a region that may look familiar.
It's set in Seattle and Snohomish, and the film team traveled to Washington State to make sure their version - shot in Canada - would be accurate.
“Then I stayed there on my own for a few days because I really wanted to see what it feels like,” said director Nora Fingscheidt. "Seattle is basically - the Pacific Northwest is almost a character in the film."
The other characters are played by an all-star cast, including Davis and Vincent D’Onofrio.
"It's a human experience with a thriller twist, which I think is really cool,” D’Onofrio said.
Rob Morgan plays Ruth's parole officer, who sees a human where others see a monster.
"This is a client that I have to treat like the eagle,” he said. “I build the nest and the nest still has the thorns there so they can be in the nest until they get too big, then they start getting poked. And then they have to jump out and fly on their own."
Ruth's flight also unravels a mystery, giving the movie a mixture of depth and suspense. Bullock hopes the film will also give audiences reason to self-reflect.
"Everyone at the end if going be, 'What would I have done? Would I have done the same as Ruth, had I been in her situation?’” Bullock said. “I bet a lot of people are going to find themselves saying, ‘Yeah.’"
"The Unforgivable" streams on Netflix Dec. 10.
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