A Mental Health Professional's Review of Netflix's "Unbelievable"

TRIGGER WARNING: This blog post is reviewing a TV show that addresses multiple sexual assaults.

SPOILER WARNING: This blog post may reveal plot lines of the Netflix show Unbelievable.

Netflix’s show Unbelievable was released in September 2019. It tells the story of a young woman named Marie who is accused of lying about a violent, sexual assault committed by a stranger inside the woman’s home. As the show goes on, the young woman is eventually charged with making a false report. The show also follows two female detectives in another state who are tracking a serial rapist. You may see where this is leading… it is eventually discovered that the serial rapist is the one who assaulted Marie, meaning that Marie did not fabricate her assault, despite being formally charged with the crime.

The most tragic part of the show? It’s based on a true story. Yes, this really happened to a young woman in Washington; she has chosen to keep her true identity private. (And she has said that the show is very accurate.)

A Victim’s Report

The show did an excellent job of portraying the struggles a victim can face when reporting an assault. To start with, Marie is relentlessly questioned and then has to go through a sexual assault forensic examination. While these exams are highly encouraged because they help protect the health of the victim and can be key for prosecution, there’s no doubt that these invasive exams can be re-traumatizing.

Following that, Marie’s own past foster mothers did not believe that she was assaulted, and even planted the idea to the detectives that she had made it up. Many victims state that they do not report because they are afraid no one will believe them, and unfortunately, as shown here, victims frequently are not believed.

This young woman was then manipulated by police officers into recanting and signing a statement saying that she lied about her assault, and then charged and fined as a result. (Please take a moment to let that sink in: A RAPE VICTIM WAS CHARGED.) Later on, when the serial rapist was apprehended, photos were found that proved, without a doubt, that Marie’s initial report was truth.

You might be asking, “But why would she recant if this happened to her?” There are many reasons, and Marie’s reasons are depicted in the show: Marie was questioned repeatedly by multiple officers immediately following the assault, and the intimidating and doubting detectives focused on minor inconsistencies in her story. Marie was clearly traumatized by her brutal assault, and it is very common for a trauma victim to display inconsistencies in their stories due to how the brain responds during a traumatic incident. (Later, when the “hero” detectives are introduced, there is a stark contrast to how they gently and compassionately interview their assault victims.)

The detectives then manipulate Marie by telling her that if she fails a lie detector test, she could go to jail and lose her housing assistance (which she has due to aging out of foster care). For an 18 year old with a low-paying job, very little support, and seemingly low prospects for the future, this is horrifying. She was essentially threatened with even more trauma- imprisonment and homelessness.

Marie’s Vulnerability

Marie also has a history of trauma prior to her vicious assault. As mentioned earlier, she was previously in foster care. Though the show does not discuss much of her earlier history, it has been stated that the real Marie endured neglect, childhood sexual and physical abuse, abandonment from her biological parents, and the instability of multiple foster homes. She was already a traumatized individual.

Marie states that she had suppressed much of her childhood trauma. And why wouldn’t she? She was repeatedly put in abusive situations and failed by the system, failed by the adults meant to protect her. Her defense mechanism was repression: bury it, don’t talk about it, avoid it, move on. That’s how she survived. It’s no wonder that she recanted her statement- she just wanted the questioning to end and she wanted to move on with her life.

The Impact of Trauma

Unbelievable also strongly executes the display of the common aftermath a person may experience following a trauma, which can often lead to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Following Marie’s assault, she is shown to display reckless behavior, alcohol and drug abuse, flashbacks, suicidal thoughts, dissociation, irritability, negative thoughts, depression, and anxiety. She also eventually loses her job, loses her housing, and has strained social relationships. The impact of trauma can be far-reaching and long-lasting, and the show accurately depicts these struggles.

The Role of Professionals

It’s clear that Marie was failed by many people throughout the course of her life, from her biological parents, to the foster system, to the social workers at her apartment, to the detectives that worked her case. However, she finally had someone fight for her. The two female detectives who worked together to find the serial rapist, and eventually identified Marie as a victim, gave her hope. They validated her, got her truth back out there, and showed her that there are people out there who care.

Near the end of the series, Marie sees a mental health counselor as part of her guilty plea. While she is initially resistant, she is given a safe space and eventually begins to process her past, build trust, and be heard. While other counselors and social workers may have failed her, this counselor is depicted as being open, nonjudgmental, empathetic, and skilled.

What’s the takeaway?

The Netflix show Unbelievable is a fierce and harrowing story which manages to combine a stunning narrative with respectful and accurate mental health representation. The writing and acting are exceptional. It is a highly recommended watch, though trauma survivors should proceed with caution.

Despite facing so much extreme trauma and failures of the system, Marie found hope on her journey after getting support from just a few people. The real Marie reports that she is doing well. If you are on a journey similar to Marie’s in any way, know that there is help and hope out there. And for others, know that you can make a difference in someone’s life, sometimes simply by just believing them.

The next time you or someone around you questions why a victim didn’t report sooner, or the next time you have doubts that a victim’s story sounds credible, remember Marie.