The 8 Best Movies About Forgiveness (& Why You Should Watch Them)

Forgiveness is one of the most complicated human emotions or concepts, whatever you want to call it, because it can give rise to healing, restoration, and hope, but it can also be difficult to attain and fully be given. This is why it was often used as a theme in movies, and some of the most beautiful stories and history of cinema revolved around it.  In this article, we will explore the 8 best movies about forgiveness. These movies span different genres, eras, and cultures, but they all share a common theme: the power of forgiveness to transform lives. So, let’s check out our list!

1. ‘Dead Man Walking’ (1995)

What it’s about: Matthew Poncelet, convicted of murder and rape, faces execution after six years on death row. Sister Helen Prejean, who corresponded with him, is asked for help. Poncelet, arrogant and unrepentant, claims innocence. Sister Helen, seeking a life sentence instead, builds a relationship with him, enlisting a pro bono attorney. Despite facing opposition from the victims’ families, who demand “absolute justice,” Sister Helen wants to humanize Poncelet and challenge the death penalty.

Why you should watch it: ‘Dead Man Walking’ is difficult to watch since you, as a viewer, are mostly empathizing with the victim’s families, and Helen is trying to “deconstruct” Matthew’s “alleged” crime and basically “get him off easy.” It’s truly a great movie that makes you wonder and forces you to look at the story from perspective of everyone involved in it.

2. ‘The Green Mile’ (1999)

What it’s about: ‘The Green Mile’ is a film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name. The story is set in the 1930s at the Cold Mountain Penitentiary, a death row prison. The film revolves around a miraculous and supernatural event that takes place on the E Block, known as the Green Mile, where prisoners await their execution.

Why you should watch it: Without revealing too much about the movie’s plot, if you haven’t already seen ‘The Green Mile,’ you should know that it’s one of the movies about compassion, justice, racism, and the human capacity for both cruelty and kindness ever made. It also really makes you think about the nature of both good and evil.

3. ‘Gran Torino’ (2008)

What it’s about: Walt Kowalski, a grizzled Korean War veteran and retired Ford factory worker, becomes a widower after 50 years of marriage. He lives in a neighborhood plagued by gang violence and populated by poor Hmong immigrants, including the Vang Lor family next door. Walt is emotionally distant from his family. He resists suggestions to move to a retirement community and lives alone with his dog, Daisy. Walt is also extremely racist until a petty crime forces him to get to know his neighbors and the community he resents in a bit more detail.

Why you should watch it: Gran Torino is one of Clint Eastwood’s most well-known movies. It’s a social commentary of sorts that really puts the changing structure of our society into perspective. Directed by Clint Eastwood, the movie was also highly praised by the critics, and it’s one of the best redemption stories of all time.

4. ‘The Railway Man’ (2013)

What it’s about: During World War II, British officer Eric Lomax is captured by the Japanese in Singapore and endures torture in a POW camp for building a radio. Thirty years later, he is haunted by trauma but learns that one of his captors, Takashi Nagase, is now a tourist guide at the camp. Lomax, supported by his wife Patricia, seeks closure by confronting Nagase, aiming to let go of a lifetime of bitterness and hate.

Why you should watch it: The movie is based on the autobiography of Eric Lomax, and it’s one of the best depictions of PTSD in cinema. It’s a really challenging movie from extreme bitterness to forgiveness.

5. ‘Philomena’ (2013)

What it’s about: ‘Philomena’ tells the true story of Philomena Lee, an Irish woman who, as a teenager, became pregnant out of wedlock and was sent to a convent. There, she gave birth to a son, Anthony, who was subsequently taken away for adoption without her consent.

Why you should watch it: Most of our movies on the list so far have been connected to serious crimes, and ‘Philomena’ tells a different story, one that is associated with institutional harassment and prejudice against unwed women in Ireland. It’s more down to earth, but has strong themes of forgiveness and letting go nonetheless.

6. ‘The Stoning of Soraya M.’ (2008)

What it’s about: The story of ‘The Stoning of Soraya M’ is set in 1986 in a small Iranian village and follows the life of Soraya M., played by Shohreh Aghdashloo. Soraya is falsely accused of adultery by her abusive husband, Ali, in an attempt to rid himself of his marriage and marry a younger woman. The accusation leads to a quick and unjust trial, where Soraya is found guilty of adultery, a crime punishable by stoning under Islamic law.

Why you should watch it: ‘The Stoning of Soraya M’ is a really dark tale based on a book and a true story about a woman who faced the most unjust death of all. It really brings out the themes of oppression, injustice, and, ultimately, forgiveness as Soraya’s captors and family need to learn how to go on while knowing that an innocent woman was stoned to death.

7. ‘Amish Grace’ (2010)

What’s it about: In the aftermath of a tragic event where a group of Amish schoolgirls is taken hostage and killed, the Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, Amish community stuns the world by immediately forgiving the killer. Ida Graber, mother of one of the murdered children, initially struggles with acceptance but soon goes on a personal journey of renewed faith.

Why you should watch it: The film was dedicated to the memory of the victims of the West Nickel Mines School shooting, and despite some things from the movie being highly fictionalized, it was overall positively received. The main theme in the movie is the strength of the Amish faith and their enormous potential for forgiveness in the face of some of the most abhorrent crimes that human beings can commit.

8. ‘The Forgiveness of Blood‘ (2011)

What it’s about: ‘The Forgiveness of Blood’ follows Nik Marku, a teenager whose life takes a drastic turn when his father becomes involved in a dispute with a neighboring family. Following an altercation, the Marku family is targeted by the Kanun, a traditional code of honor that permits blood vengeance. As a result, Nik and his older brother are confined to their home while their father is forced to go into hiding.

Why you should watch it: ‘The Forgiveness of Blood’ is a really interesting movie because, on the one hand, you have a centuries-old tradition of blood vengeance, and on the other hand, in some moments, the movie tries to rationalize the tradition, which makes it hard to “sympathize” with the culture that gave rise to such abhorrent practice and tries to enforce it 21 century.

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