American Nightmare Review (Netflix) The case is connected to Gone Girl but ends up being so ordinary that it’s disappointing.

American Nightmare The 3-part original Netflix documentary, created by the makers of The Tinder Swindler recounts a case from 2015. Following a home invasion and abduction, the narrative of the young couple goes beyond what the police initially believed. It evolves into a case similar to Gone Girl in the eyes of the investigators.

 

American Nightmare Review (spoilers)

The documentary, given its powerful and provocative title, coupled with the creators’ previous work on The Tinder Swindler, which delved into global-level romance scams, makes this piece even more intriguing. It seemed poised to make a significant impact on a global scale, akin to the shockwaves caused by The Tinder Swindler. However, in reality, this is just a crime series that creatively borrows from the popular movie Gone Girl, which tells the story of a husband whose wife goes missing and becomes a prime suspect in the investigation into her own murder. Yet, in the end, it all turns out to be a deception.

The connection to the movie is possible because the film was released in 2014 and gained immense popularity. The case in question occurred in 2015, and the characters almost seemed to mirror each other, both in appearance and in the events that unfolded. The young man narrated the story of his girlfriend being abducted by the police, but the narrative took a strange turn filled with mysteries, such as the villain wearing a scuba diving suit. Additionally, the girlfriend disappeared for a short period, just two days, before returning as if nothing had happened. When questioned, she provided the same account as her boyfriend, but with added details about the time she was captured, which seemed peculiar. The police became suspicious and didn’t believe them, leading to a public condemnation of the couple. The media played a significant role in sensationalizing the case, turning it into a widely-known scandal. The story concluded in the third episode with the discovery of the real culprit in a case with similar circumstances elsewhere. The investigation was traced back until the case was ultimately cleared.

The documentary aims to narrate the heinous mistakes of both the police and the FBI in handling this case, which is more about the flaws in the justice system than a love story. The couple themselves tell their story from the beginning in the documentary, with consistent narratives. The problem lies in the fact that both the police and the FBI show little interest and consider the couple to be fabricating stories, attempting to frame each other, without paying attention to evidence that could lead to the real perpetrator. There are no interviews with the police involved in the case, only video footage of the interrogation room has been disclosed. All of this may seem like a nightmare for Americans, questioning how those entrusted with such significant responsibilities can make such egregious mistakes. However, it’s believed that similar situations exist within law enforcement worldwide, perhaps even more severe. The conclusion may leave viewers feeling indifferent and disappointed, but the fact that the story is entertaining makes it somewhat watchable. (However, Americans may feel that this is a significant issue.)

 

It’s a documentary that overly promotes itself, drawing parallels to the movie “Gone Girl” to make it seem like a major story. However, in reality, it’s a very ordinary tale of the mistakes made by law enforcement, a scenario that frequently occurs not just in America but globally. It appears disappointing, yet it doesn’t necessarily come off as terrible because it still manages to tell the story well enough to be somewhat enjoyable.

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