15 Movies About Redemption That Everyone Needs To Watch

Imagination is a powerful tool, especially in the hands of a child. In "Atonement," young Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) has an imagination so fertile that it produces beautiful fiction — and also ruins an innocent man's life.

Briony harbors a crush on the groundskeeper's older son Robert "Robbie" Turner (James McAvoy). He, on the other hand, is far too busy developing his own love story with Briony's sister Cecilia (Keira Knightley), who wholly reciprocates his feelings. Briony spies Robbie and Cecilia growing close to each other, and her childish naivete interprets what she sees as Robbie attacking her sister. When an actual sexual offense occurs, Briony has no trouble (mis)identifying the culprit as Robbie, who is quickly arrested and sent to prison.

Now, Briony's case of mistaken identity can be called a lie only insofar as the person she's lying to is herself. But her self-deception doesn't last long, and soon, she's pondering ways to atone for her mistake and make things right for Robbie and Cecilia. What should Briony's atonement for telling such a lie be? How does one even atone for such a brutal act of self-deception? "Atonement" masterfully wrings a thought experiment about guilt and forgiveness out of this question.