Unbelievable (TV, 2019)


Creator: Susannah Grant, Michael Chabon, Ayelet Waldman
Stars: Kaitlyn Dever, Toni Collette, Merritt Wever

Synopsis: The true story of Marie, a teenager who was charged with lying about having been raped, and the two female detectives who followed a twisting path to arrive at the truth.

Verdict: There is no doubt in my mind that "Unbelievable" tells an important story that needs to be seen by everybody. The Netflix miniseries, centered around the character of Marie, a young woman accused of lying about being sexually assaulted, as well as two detectives conducting an investigation to discover the truth behind it, tackles real life issues such as the broken justice system supposed to protect victims of rape or the psychological weight these assaults have on women.
And while I do consider the show a must elevated by exceptional performances by Kaitlyn Dever, Toni Collette, and Merritt Wever, and certainly don't regret dedicating my time to watching it, it definitely could've been rendered more effective in what it was trying to achieve in my opinion. My biggest complaint about it would be the fact that it ultimately felt like a regular TV show, with dialogue and plot elements you find in pretty much every cliché investigation drama out there. I wish that this particular story was told in a more grounded way (similarly to "Zodiac" for instance), especially considering the fact that it was based on true events. Another issue I had with the show was how much it focused on the investigation rather than exploring Marie's character, which I found to be much more interesting and in touch with the message.
Nevertheless, "Unbelievable" remains thrilling, well-acted and relevant despite my issues with it. It's available on Netflix and consists of only 8 episodes, so definitely give it a watch if it seems like something you would be interested in.

FINAL GRADE: 6.5/10

Comments