Unforgivable is an uncomfortable watch, tackling disturbing themes that do not make easy Thursday night viewing – here’s our review of why you need to watch the BBC drama, even if it hurts like hell.

The new feature-length film from the Liverpudlian writer focuses on a family torn apart by one of the most heinous and enraging crimes in the world – that of sexual abuse and paedophilia.

The Mitchells are dealing with the aftermath of an act of abuse committed on a minor by a member of their own family. And when he’s released from prison, it has devastating consequences for the victim – and the perpetrator himself.

Read on for our review of Unforgivable on BBC Two, with no spoilers.

Unforgivable on BBC Two review: What happened to the Mitchell family?

The gritty drama introduces the Mitchell family, who have been hollowed out by trauma. Joe’s abuse of his own nephew was like a “grenade going off”.

Having served his prison sentence for the crime, Joe Mitchell arrives at St Maura’s – an institution which offers him a home and rehabilitation after his release. And, with the support former nun Katherine,  Joe undertakes therapy sessions in the hope of understanding what led him to commit the abuse…

As Joe confronts his own past, his family and victim must deal with the fact he’s walking the streets. His sister, Anna – the mother of the abused – is dealing with the impact that Joe’s crime has had on not just her abused son Tom, but the whole family.

The film comes with a well-needed warning: “Deals with sexual abuse and deals with suicide.”

Is it any good?

Nobody writes hard-hitting drama like Jimmy McGovern. And Unforgivable is one of his best. Like fellow writer Shane Meadows, Jimmy isn’t afraid to tackle the darkest subjects. And not just for the sake of it. This isn’t shocking for shocking’s sake. It has something to say about the system, how it lets people down, the power of abusers, and how abuse can tear down a family – and everyone around it.

As his fans will know, Jimmy McGovern has written about this topic before in different ways with shows including Priest and Broken.

Like multiple Jimmy McGovern dramas before, the cast of Unforgivable is exceptional. David Threlfall, Anna Friel, Anna Maxwell Martin, and Bobby Schofield deserve all the awards. We’d be very surprised if this doesn’t walk away with a sack of BAFTAs.

Essentially, Jimmy McGovern allows you to make up your own mind about Joe’s act of abuse, and his own experience of being a victim. The characters in Unforgivable will stay with you, gnawing at your conscience. It’s not as simple as right and wrong here. There is an all-encompassing grey area, that might just pull the rug from under your feet.

Unforgivable will have you on edge throughout

Of course, Joe has done wrong. That is never in any doubt. He knows it, too. And must live with it for the rest of his life. But is he 100% villain? No, surely no one watching will walk away with that conviction.

The new feature-length film from the Liverpudlian writer will have you on edge throughout. You’ll feel sickened, upset, and sympathy. Expect to cry heaps. But this isn’t some neat little drama that ties everything up in a big bow.

Firstly, this is Jimmy McGovern we’re talking about. The man behind dark dramas such as The Lakes, Broken, Accused, and Time. You’re not going to get a happy ending, although Unforgivable tries its best by offering a glimmer of redemption.

Secondly, there are no happy endings with sexual abuse. But don’t expect a lazy ‘right or wrong’ here. Everyone’s a victim in some way. Jimmy McGovern’s Unforgivable is an unflinching portrayal of child abuse. But it probes the uncomfortable question of whether it can ever be forgiven. The answer is up to you.

Unforgivable on BBC Two review: Atrocious crime is like a ‘hand grenade’ going off in the family

Explaining why he choose to write about sexual abuse from this new angle, writer Jimmy McGovern explained: “I’ve always been quick to condemn child abusers, as we all are and as we all should be.

“This is not a film that goes easy on child abusers at all. I wanted the audience to hear a few of the things I’d learned. I think we should be ultra cautious whenever we’re dealing with abusers. I’m a father and a grandfather, I would find it very hard to forgive somebody who had done that to me or my family.”

Talking about the ripple effect of the “atrocious crime”, he continued: “It’s like a hand grenade going off in the family. Everybody gets shattered with shrapnel. That’s why it’s such an enormous crime. To perpetrate that crime… It’s very hard to forgive. That’s why we concentrate so much on each member of that family, to show the impact that it had on them.”

As for sex offender Joe, he hates himself and blames himself. He thinks that it’s not worth opening up to anybody because people are just going to hate him for what he’s done. He then learns at a crucial point in the drama that there could be a reason why he did what he did – because he too was sexually abused.

Jimmy tells us: “If you watch Unforgivable, you will learn things. Even though we’re talking about child abusers, I still think there’s a need for compassion. Caution, yes, punishment, yes, justice, yes. These are enormous crimes; they must be punished, you must go to prison. But alongside all that, an element of compassion. To understand a bit more and equally condemn.”

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