People Are Just Discovering Netflix's The Unforgivable Is Based On This British TV Series

If you’re stuck indoors for the foreseeable (be it isolating with Covid or struggling with the freezing cold weather), then we fully recommend The Unforgivable, which landed on Netflix.

The film follows Ruth Slater (played by Sandra Bullock, who smashes it once again) who has been released from prison after serving 20 years for murdering a sheriff.

Ruth only attacked the law enforcer after he had come to evict her and her five-year-old sister Katie, as they pair were living in squalid conditions following the death of their father.

Now free, Ruth is trying to find Katie (played by The Fall’s Aisling Franciosi), who is now in foster care, has no memory of Ruth and only bears the scars of her trauma from that period of their life.

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While some fans have said they’ve been “ugly crying” after the ending of The Unforgivable (it’s a very emotional watch), others have found the storyline familiar.

Yep, The Unforgivable is actually based on ITV mini series Unforgiven, which originally aired in 2009.

The series, written by Happy Valley’s Sally Wainwright stars Suranne Jones as Ruth, who again is tasked with tracking down her sister who is now in foster care.

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The three-part series also features a host of stars from the British small screen, including Will Mellor, Peter Davison and Siobhan Finneran.

Fans of both series took to Twitter to express their shock at the similarities.

“Started The Unforgivable. Didn't take me long to figure out this is at least the second time this movie's been made. Check out the three-part 2009 British show Unforgiven, with Suranne Jones from Scott & Bailey in the lead role,” one viewer said.

“Anyone considering watching the Sandra Bullock film ‘The Unforgivable’ on Netflix, please do yourself a favour and watch the original mini-series ‘Unforgiven’,” said a second.

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“We have just watched The Unforgivable on Netflix. It was quite engaging,” said a third. “Only learned in the closing credits that it was based on Unforgiven by Sally Wainwright (ITV, 2009). Sandra Bullock played the lead this time, played on the original by Suranne Jones.”

You can watch the original Unforgiven on Britbox.

The Unforgivable is available to stream on Netflix.

Topics: Netflix, TV And Film

Kimberley Bond

Kim is a journalist at Tyla, and has previously worked at the Evening Standard, Radio Times as well as several national newspapers. A showbiz obsessive and a television fanatic, Kim is particularly interested in celebrity gossip, A-list events and the latest releases on either the big or small screen. Contact her at [email protected]

@0xKimberley