This documentary premiered at a film festival back in 2017. It played at several film festivals throughout 2018, even winning an award at the Maryland International Film Festival. It was released last year on DVD without much of a splash. It wasn't until the movie appeared on Netflix did it start generating discussions. Netflix is known for its true-crime documentary features or series. This one fits in perfectly with all the others that Netflix has curated or originated. It also comes out in a relevant time given many of the recent headlines regarding sexual assault or sexual abuse or even child molestation. Yet it's unfortunate and horrifying that this film is relevant to our current times.
Very early in the year, Lifetime starting airing
Surviving R. Kelly, which is about the R&B singer who has been accused of numerous crimes, including pedophilia. That same month, the Oscars nominated the film
Bohemian Rhapsody for five Academy Awards. Bryan Singer directed that film and an article was released that detailed the accusations against Singer regarding sex with underage minors, akin to pedophilia.
Last year, the USA Gymnastics doctor, Larry Nassar was convicted of child molestation. The former Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert was accused of child molestation in 2016. The coach at Pennsylvania State University, Jerry Sandusky was convicted of child molestation in 2012. The newspaper,
The Boston Globe exposed the Catholic Church scandal about child molestation in 2001. In addition to these national stories, there were a lot of local stories on Delmarva about child molestation or sexual abuse with minors. Many of whom were teachers. The grossest example was Earl Bradley, a pediatrician who was convicted in 2010 of molesting small children, including babies.
Aside from pulpy plot twists in films and TV shows like
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the crime of child molestation isn't explored with any kind of nuance. This movie doesn't have the kind of nuance that one might want or need. Director Skye Borgman lays out the narrative like a pulpy novel or any kind of pulp fiction. The point becomes being a page-turner, to pull you from one revelation or one crazy act to another. The point doesn't become to understand or delve any deeper beyond the surface of the twisty narrative.
It doesn't make Borgman's film any more compelling or interesting than Andrew Jarecki's
Capturing the Friedmans (2003) or Chico Colvard's
Family Affair (2010). Borgman's film certainly isn't as compelling or interesting as Jennifer Fox's
The Tale (2018). Fox's movie peels back the layers. It isn't just about what happens, but there is some examination of how and why. There's also some implications of the effect that child molestation can have on a person in their later life. Borgman's movie doesn't really have those implications. It's a superficial brush over these events.
That can be frustrating and ultimately unsatisfying. However, what saves this movie is the fact that these events, though superficially addressed, are otherwise insane and unbelievable, if they weren't true. The pulpy nature is very pulpy. It's hard to argue that it's entertaining, but it's entertaining in the shocks and surprises that are doled out one-by-one.
Rated TV-14.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 30 mins.
Available on Netflix.
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