Never Retallack | Entertainment Editor
Editor’s note: Content warning — this review covers subjects such as rape and sexual violence in relation to true events.
According to Bloomberg after the “#MeToo” movement began in 2017, just one year passed and there was more than one sexual assault crime reported everyday. Bloomberg goes on to say that the “#MeToo” movement has made tolerance for sexual assault far lower.
The new Netflix original eight-part series, “Unbelievable,” covers the true story of 18-year-old Marie, played by Kaitlyn Dever, a Washington resident who reports she was raped at knifepoint. The two male detectives who were in charge of her case had suspicions that she was lying due to inconsistencies in her story, and after being coerced by the police, she eventually said that she had made it up.
These detectives took a rare step in charging Marie with a gross misdemeanor for filing a false police report — no one went to court with her besides her lawyer. After admitting to a false report, she lost the small support she had; her peers ostracized her.
The show then moves from Marie’s tortured and isolated character to two female detectives in other states dealing with similar rape cases. Toni Collette (Detective Rasmussen) and Merritt Weaver (Detective Duvall) play the unstoppable detectives.
Rasmussen and Duvall eventually piece together that there have been many rape cases that all have striking similarities, but because each crime had been committed in different counties and states, no one was piecing it together.
The show is somber and hard to watch, recounting tragedies, leaving the audience members with a heavy heart. “Unbelievable” does a phenomenal job of showing the inner workings of the justice department, and the challenges assault victims face.
The writers of the show faced another challenge aside from the delicate topic they were covering: the fact that they were basing the show’s premise on a real life case. “Unbelievable” deserves praise for how it addresses the relevant issues of rape and social justice, with amazing actors and a compelling plot. This is definitely a show worth watching.
Overall Rating: This show is hard to watch but definitely a powerful depiction of a terrible crime, I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys intense dramas and is interested on how sexual assault cases can be dealt with by the police.
Contact the author at howlentertainment@wou.edu
Photo courtesy of Netflix
