Unbelievable

UNBELIEVABLE - NETFLIX

Unbelievable, an eight-episode NETFLIX limited series that was dropped on the streaming service in September, has a truly great title. It has three meanings: one, nobody believed Marie Adler (Kaitlyn Dever) when she said she was raped. Two, the criminal investigation into that serial rapist was unbelievable in its facts and the horrors its detectives uncovered. Three, that this show is so good, it is almost unbelievable.

Co-created by Susannah Grant, Ayelet Waldman, and Michael Chabon, the series follows two plotlines. The first, involves the police interrogation that caused Adler to recant and the shaming of Adler by her closest friends when they think she lied, is wrenching to watch. The first episode of the show is entirely devoted to this storyline and creates a harsh, almost unbearable tone. In that sense, it effectively achieves putting the audience in Adler’s shoes.

 Dever, in her second significant role of 2019 – following the very different but equally great Booksmart – succeeds even more in making Adler’s story feel close to home. The naturally reserved character of Adler makes it seem hard to empathise with her. Nevertheless, Dever channels that reservedness into the essence of the character; her unwillingness to talk is more expressive than an outburst of emotion. Fans of more showy acting, fear not. Dever does have much meat to work with in the next episodes, and the pay-off is immense.

 The second plotline introduces another depressing storyline, that of Det. Grace Rasmussen (Toni Collette) and Det. Karen Duvall (Merritt Wever). The energetic chemistry of Collette and Wever makes it the more jovial and engaging storyline. While Adler’s ordeal is near hopeless, this one is moving for two reasons: hope flares up that Adler will be vindicated and one starts thinking that the rapist may be caught.

 Behind the camera, Unbelievable is one of the more well-made TV shows out of NETFLIX. The camerawork, while nothing stunning, is classical and adequate, getting the job done without being overly flashy. Slightly showier is the score by Will Bates. It simmers under most of the most stressful scenes and occasionally bubbles over, adding to the gut-punch feeling that the show is so expertly devised at delivering.  

However, cinematography and music are not why the audience clicks, and they are certainly not why the viewer stays around. That belongs solely to the wonderful, fleshed-out, complex characters. Dever, Collette, and Duvall are not the most famous or recognised actresses, but after this show they should be. Each character is unique not only in the Unbelievable  world, but in most of television. 

The troupe of actresses are given grounded roles in a dark true crime show that are usually reserved for men. This attribute thematically twists this production in a more emotional and profound light, and that is where the show truly shines. It is a rebuff to the male-oriented true crime murder shows that dominate screens in the likes of True Detective, and one that needs to stay around, because by golly, Unbelievable is riveting stuff.

UNBELIEVABLE is streaming exclusively on NETFLIX