A tale of the unexpected
THIS twisted true-crime series is based on the harrowing and incredible real-life story of the American Broberg family.
“I know it may seem unbelievable, but we lived in a different world back then,” says the victim Jan Broberg, who introduces the nine-episode limited series.
When Jan was a child, in the 1970s, she was kidnapped by a charismatic, obsessed family “friend”. Twice. Her family fell victim to the manipulative charms of a neighbour – it’s a bizarre story that has already been told in a Netflix documentary series, Abducted in Plain Sight.
A stellar cast features in this drama, with Colin Hanks as Jan’s father Bob Broberg, Anna Paquin as her mother Mary Ann, Jake Lacy as Bob Berchtold, Lio Tipton as Berchtold’s wife Gail and McKenna Grace as Jan. It begins when a new family, the Berchtolds, move into the neighbourhood and the Brobergs, nicknamed the Brady bunch for their wholesome, religious, happy image, are invited over for a picnic dinner.
“What good luck that you folks moved in two blocks up!” says Bob Broberg, a television red flag if ever there was one.
Soon it becomes clear that Bob Berchtold, nicknamed “B”, has taken a shine to their eldest daughter Jan, and is keen to take her on outings.
Eventually an affair blossoms between Mary Ann and B, and there’s even a romantic moment between Bob and B, then at 12 years old Jan suddenly goes missing for 35 days.
It’s a strange tale of blackmail, drugs and even alien invasion. You have to see it to believe it.