Written by Alexandra Gautier
The Netflix limited crime series based on true events, titled Unbelievable, follows the stories of a young woman from Washington Marie Adler (Kaitlyn Dever) and Colorado detectives Grace Rasmussen (Toni Collette) and Karen Duvall (Merritt Wever). More than just a crime show, Unbelievable is an incredible true story that is accurately reenacted by several Academy Award-winning actresses.
The story begins with Marie being raped by a masked man. The local detectives ask question after question about her assault in an unsympathetic and unfeeling manner, and when they learn about Marie’s difficult upbringing, in conjunction with her conflicting recollections of the attack, they begin to suspect that she invented the assault herself. Exhausted and traumatized, Marie agrees to their accusations. This false admission of guilt leads to Marie losing her friends, job, accommodations, and faith in humanity. When things couldn’t seem any bleaker, the courts charge her with a gross misdemeanor for false reporting.
Then, fast forward several years to Colorado where Detective Duvall arrives on the scene of a rape. Upon investigation, the total lack of evidence left by the perpetrator suggests that this was not his first assault. Detective Duvall surmises that the suspect is unaware that police stations communicate with one another about crimes, and that other women may have also been attacked by this man. Duvall investigates similar unsolved cases in the region and joins forces with Detective Rasmussen, where the two women work tirelessly to solve the cases that others had all but given up on. How are these two stories connected? Well, I guess you’ll have to watch to find out.
This faithful account of extreme hardship and seemingly impossible odds is a must watch, restoring your faith in humanity and championing two paragons of female excellence. Viewer discretion is advised as some scenes may be triggering for some viewers.
