The new Netflix drama The Unforgivable is packed with talented actors. The searing Nora Fingscheidt-directed drama follows Ruth Slater (Sandra Bullock), a newly released convict searching for her long-lost sister Katie (Aisling Franciosi) as she struggles to reacclimate to the often-unforgiving outside world. Along the way, Bullock bumps up against fellow acclaimed actors like Viola Davis and Rob Morgan, along with stalwart character actors Vincent D’Onofrio and Jon Bernthal and more.

The Unforgivable can be a grueling, emotional watch, but the talent on display also makes for the perfect family viewing experience: Nothing says “family movie night” more than sitting down on the couch with your parents and constantly pausing the movie to tell them where they’ve seen that actor before. That’s where we come in. Behold: Your definitive guide to the cast of The Unforgivable, from household names to new favorites.

Sandra Bullock as Ruth Slater

Unless you’ve been living under a rock since the Clinton administration, you’ve probably heard of Sandra Bullock. But, odds are, you’ve never seen her like this: Bullock’s portrayal of Slater is a quiet, internal performance from an actor often known for her comic and dramatic outbursts. She nearly fades into the background, hunching over and speaking quietly or not at all. When the fireworks finally come — and come they do, particularly in a dramatic confrontation with fellow Oscar winner Viola Davis — it’s like a pressure valve has been released. 

Ruth is the polar opposite of a big, scenery-chewing role like Bullock’s Oscar-winning turn as Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side, or even her tricky, solitary performance in the harrowing space adventure Gravity. Slater’s not as confident a character as her bolder roles as cop and con artist in The Heat or Ocean’s 8, respectively. And the role calls for nowhere near the same charm offensive Bullock deployed in romantic comedies like While You Were Sleeping or The Proposal. Her performance in The Unforgivable probably shares the most with Bullock’s role in another Netflix hit: The traumatized mother in Bird Box.

Aisling Franciosi as Katherine Malcolm

Ruth’s long-lost sister Katie is played by newcomer Aisling Franciosi, who threads a tricky needle between playing someone who’s experienced the same trauma that Ruth is carrying, but who’s been free to live a much happier life.

The young actress is no stranger to upsetting material; her first lead performance came in The Babadook director Jennifer Kent’s violent 2018 film The Nightingale, where she played a released convict out for revenge against the men who wronged her. Franciosi also played Sister Ruth on BBC One’s adaptation of Black Narcissus, and, in possibly her highest-profile role to date, she took on the heavily flashbacked role of Lyanna Stark in two episodes of Game of Thrones.

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Viola Davis as Liz Ingram

Viola Davis doesn’t have one of the larger roles in The Unforgivable, but, as usual, she makes her screen time count. She plays Liz Ingram, the new owner of Ruth’s childhood home, who quickly becomes suspicious of her as her rocky past becomes clear. Davis has made a career out of playing effortlessly commanding women, and Liz is no different; when she’s on screen, it’s impossible to take your eyes off of her. 

Davis won an Academy Award for her work in 2016 for Fences, where she brought August Wilson’s challenging dialogue to the screen and held her own opposite Denzel Washington. It was a role she’d already won the Tony for, and she didn’t stop there. Davis is a powerful trailblazer at a time when awards bodies like the Emmys and the Oscars often overlook performances by people of color. Her three other Oscar nominations, for Doubt, The Help and last year’s Netflix film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, make her the most nominated Black actress in the history of the Academy. Davis has made history on the small screen as well. In 2015, she became the first Black woman to win the Primetime Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her work on the hit ABC series How to Get Away with Murder. Next on the docket, she’ll be playing the titular role in The Woman King, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (who last year turned in The Old Guard for Netflix).

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Vincent D’Onofrio as John Ingram

Liz Ingram’s husband John (Vincent D’Onofrio) has a slightly more empathetic perspective on Ruth; he takes her on as a client and does his best to help her find her sister, until Ruth manages to push Katie’s parents away with an outburst at John’s office. 

D’Onofrio is no stranger to Netflix. He played Kingpin on multiple seasons of Daredevil and popped up as George Milburn on last year’s Ratched. Over the past 30 years, he’s also built up a compelling résumé as a reliable supporting player in genre features and television, including Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Jurassic World, Strange Days, and his iconic, disgusting villain in the original Men in Black. 

Follow D’Onofrio on Instagram and Twitter.

Jon Bernthal as Blake

Jon Bernthal plays Blake, a coworker at Ruth’s fish cannery who takes a liking to her and eventually becomes a brief love interest. 

Bernthal rose to stardom as Shane in serial zombie drama The Walking Dead. He’s since taken on tough-guy roles in films like Baby Driver and The Wolf of Wall Street and television shows like Netflix’s The Punisher. But he’s also played strikingly against type in such titles as 2017’s Wind River with Jeremy Renner, this year’s Those Who Wish Me Dead alongside Angelina Jolie, and, again, in The Unforgivable. In each, he delivers warm, even charming, performances that feel like a welcome change. Call it the “Jon Bernthal Plays a Big Ol’ Sweetie Pie” canon. 

Follow Bernthal on Instagram and Twitter.

Rob Morgan as Vince Cross

Rob Morgan’s role in The Unforgivable — as Ruth’s parole officer — is small, but he makes the most of it. He’s a guiding buoy in her sea of uncertainty.

Last year, The New York Times named Morgan one of the 21st century’s best actors, and it’s easy to see why. In just a few years, he’s become one of the most exciting character actors working today. From his superb work in Netflix’s Mudbound to a heartbreaking turn in last year’s Just Mercy, Morgan is never less than a captivating screen presence. In television, he’s appeared on miniseries like Netflix’s Godless and is one of the few actors to pop up in every single Marvel/Netflix Defenders series. This month is a big one for the actor. He’ll appear opposite Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio in the highly anticipated new Adam McKay satire Don’t Look Up from Netflix. 

Follow Morgan on Instagram.