Unbelievable: My Thoughts on the Netflix Mini-series

If you haven’t already seen it, ‘Unbelievable’ is the new mini-series based on true events, following the story of Marie Adler, a victim of rape, and her unlikely, emotional journey to justice and finding peace again. The series has a dual narrative; as you watch Marie’s story unfold you also learn that other victims have come forward and then follow the mission of (who I thought) were the most bad ass investigators ever.

This mini-series, for me, was about female empowerment and the importance, as women, of supporting each other. The episodes touch on

hard-hitting topics such as mental health, suicide, rape, and foster care. This series has been so important in showing how the impact of not believing victims and doubting their stories has fatal effects. 

Marie’s character is a relatable, older teen yet a streak of complication and complexity runs throughout her. She is fiery and strong, yet we see how the aftermath of her assault morphs her into a fragile, emotional being. Her story of reporting her rape is an important and highly relevant one as Rape Crisis England and Wales states, “Conviction rates for rape are far lower than other crimes, with only 5.7% of reported rape cases ending in a conviction for the perpetrator.” This series could encourage more women to come forward as they will see the process of reporting sexual violence.

To begin with, I was concerned that this series would scare victims and put them off speaking out due to the doubt shown from the original investigators, yet as the series progresses, I completely changed my mind. Detective Duvall (Merritt Wever) and Detective Rasmussen (Toni Collette) are two strong women within their jobs, who take control and believe the victims that come forward. As soon as these characters are introduced, the series automatically picks up pace and change begins to happen.

Unbelievable is thought provoking and takes a complete grip of your attention right from the off. Its twists and turns tell a tale that lives up to the series’ name, yet gives you hope and has your heart on fire with emotions.