"Unbelievable" Is a True Story, But It's Even More Accurate Than You Might Realise

Trigger warning: This article discusses sexual assault.

The way that films and TV deal with sexual violence against women has not always been entirely sensitive. Shows including 13 Reasons Why and even Game of Thrones have received criticism for turning sexual violence into plot points. 

But change is happening.

Whether it’s a result of the #MeToo movement, or increased societal awareness, effort is being made to take victims' stories seriously. Just last month, SBS' The Hunting dealt with the issue of image-abuse in a deeply sensitive manner, realistically depicting the victim shaming that can follow the distribution of intimate images without consent.

Now, Netflix has delivered what is probably one of the most important shows of 2019. We’re talking about fact-based rape drama Unbelievable.

*Spoilers for all episodes of Unbelievable below.*

In the first episode, it’s 2008 and we meet Marie Adler (Kaitlyn Dever), a teenager who has just been raped in her Lynwood apartment. Marie is obviously traumatised, and when questioned by the police, she has a tough time recalling the details of her assault. When there are minor inconsistencies in her story, the police take this as an opportunity to coerce her into taking back her statement. Marie is later charged with false reporting.

It seems like Marie’s case will be buried forever, until two extraordinarily determined female detectives latch onto a series of oddly similar rapes during 2011. The Colorado detectives Karen Duvall (Meritt Wever) and Grace Rasmussen (Toni Collette) do not slow down until they find and arrest the rapist, Christopher McCarthy (Blake Ellis). Ultimately, Duvall and Rasmussen uncover that Marie was one of McCarthy’s victims.

It’s both an incredible and tragic story.

Of course, the most incredible part is that it’s completely true.

Creator and director Susannah Grant based Unbelievable on the 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning article from journalists T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong, called "An Unbelievable Story of Rape". While some names were understandably changed in the show, it appears the rest remains extremely accurate.

In fact, it is so accurate that Armstrong has praised its authenticity on Twitter. Speaking on behalf of himself and Marie, the journalist published a series of posts detailing their thoughts on the show.

2/ In the show’s 1st episode, Marie, after reporting her rape, goes to the hospital for an exam.
In the scene, we learn how many swabs are taken. Where they're taken from. And what Marie is told after—that she might start thinking of killing herself.
Each detail is accurate.

— Ken Armstrong (@bykenarmstrong) September 16, 2019

3/ I know, because I've read the real-life medical report. The scene is clinical, unadorned...and powerful.
Susannah Grant, the series' showrunner, wanted to capture how an investigation can become its own form of trauma. To do that, she let the facts speak for themselves.

— Ken Armstrong (@bykenarmstrong) September 16, 2019

According to Marie (per Armstrong), while actress Kaitlyn Dever did not emulate her accent or mannerisms, she captured her emotion perfectly.

19/ Marie has told me before that it can be a struggle for her to put her feelings and thoughts into words. In that scene, she said, Kaitlyn Dever captured her struggle. “It was, like, perfect,” she said.

— Ken Armstrong (@bykenarmstrong) September 16, 2019

The emotional complexity behind trauma is something the writers, thankfully, did not shy away from. Perhaps one of the most important aspects of the series is how it demonstrates that not everybody reacts to traumatic events in the same way. While Marie has trouble remembering exactly what happened, another victim, Amber Stevenson (Danielle Macdonald), tells Duvall vivid details about her assault. Unbelievable asserts that every victim’s response to trauma is valid and should be taken seriously.

This was just one of the messages that Armstrong hoped would come through in the series.

5/ Knowing this story would become a dramatized series, T (he goes by T) and I had concerns.
Reporters become protective of stories. We want their lessons to come through.
Reporters become protective of people. We want them to ring true.

— Ken Armstrong (@bykenarmstrong) September 16, 2019

12/ When I did see the series, the lessons were all there:
—The misconceptions about trauma
—The confrontational tactics misused by the police in Washington
—The triumph of police teamwork in Colorado

— Ken Armstrong (@bykenarmstrong) September 16, 2019

The "triumph of police teamwork" Armstrong is referring to is the combined efforts of Duvall and Rasmussen, who are based off real-life detectives Stacy Galbraith and Edna Hendershot. In Episode 8, we see Marie call Duvall to thank her for everything she did. Although this moment feels like it could have been scripted for sentimental purposes, Galbraith told CNN that the phone call did actually happen. As Armstrong puts it, Marie felt like the detectives were her "guardian angels".

21/ For Marie, watching the work of the detectives in Colorado, 1,300 miles from where she had been attacked, reinforced a sense she’d had since first she learned about them: “I felt like they were my guardian angels, looking out for me.”

— Ken Armstrong (@bykenarmstrong) September 16, 2019

Unbelievable offers the world a lot by telling Marie’s story. But it offered Marie something as well.

Closure.

22/ And watching the last episode, watching the re-creation of the Colorado detectives closing in, provided Marie something she didn’t expect. “Seeing him get put away, that was closure for me,” she said.

— Ken Armstrong (@bykenarmstrong) September 16, 2019

You can stream Unbelievable on Netflix.  

Are you experiencing suicidal thoughts, sexual assault or domestic and family violence? Seeking to support someone who is? Call Lifeline on 131 114 or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.

Visit ReachOut to get support to help you with everything from everyday issues through to tough times.

Header Image: Netflix