UNBELIEVABLE
STARRING: Toni Collette, Merritt Wever
By the conclusion of this true-crime series’ first episode, neither Collette nor Wever have made an appearance. Given they are both Emmy Award-winning actresses, you would think that would be more surprising than it ends up being. In truth, chances are you will barely notice their absence. That’s the thing about Unbelievable – it is much bigger than any one (or two) of its stars.
Based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning article, the eight-part drama follows the investigation into a series of rapes in different towns that share very specific details. The first attack is reported by Marie Adler (Kaitlyn Dever), a young woman who spent her youth bouncing from one foster home to another – some good, some horrific. When her account is found to contain some inconsistencies, the truth of her entire story is called into question.
Three years later, another rape is reported by Amber (Danielle Macdonald), a highly articulate student with excellent recall and attention to detail despite the trauma she experienced. What Unbelievable does so well is demonstrate how differently Marie and Amber are dealt with by authorities and hospital staff, and how the way in which post-attack processing is undertaken can have a huge impact on both a victim’s believability and their wellbeing in the aftermath of the incident.
When Wever and Collette’s characters – both detectives on separate cases – do enter the picture, they begin to connect the dots in a terrifyingly premeditated series of sexual assaults. Rather than gratuitously lingering on the rapes, they are shown sparingly and in flashback, with the focus shifting to the collaboration between the two very different cops. Save for some clunky delivery of exposition in Episode 3 (thanks, handy intern character), their investigation will hold your attention. (On Netflix from Fri., Sep. 13)