The harrowing crime drama is based on a true story.

Unbelievable
The Netflix series premiered in 2019 (Image: Netflix)

Some of the greatest crime dramas take their inspiration from the darkest of stories, making the series all the more gripping. Described as a “story of unspeakable trauma, unwavering tenacity, and remarkable resilience,” this series follows Marie Adler, a woman who reports being raped to the police. However, when the police don’t believe her, Marie is coerced into recanting her statement.

But when two female police detectives begin investigating a number of similar attacks, they uncover evidence that could reveal the truth about what really happened to Marie. Kaitlyn Dever stars as Marie, while Toni Collette and Merritt Wever portray Detective Grace Rasmussen and Detective Karen Duvall respectively. Both were inspired by real-life detectives, Edna Hendershot and Stacy Galbraith, who investigated rape cases in Westminster and Colorado.

The eight-part series received critical acclaim following its release in 2019, with all three lead actresses landing nominations at the Critics’ Choice and Golden Globe Awards.

Collette won the Critics Choice for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television and also received nominations for the Primetime Emmy and SAG Award.

Marie’s story was brought to light by the Pulitzer Prize-winning article An Unbelievable Story of Rape (2015), written by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong, which detailed how she reported being raped by an unknown assailant at the age of 18 in 2008.

The series also took inspiration from their 2018 book, A False Report, based on the same research. Fans have been praising Unbelievable since its release, with many describing it as one of the best and most compelling series they’ve seen in years.

Unbelievable

Merritt Wever and Toni Collette star as Detective Karen Duvall and Detective Grace Rasmussen (Image: Netflix)

Alongside a 10/10 score, an IMDb reviewer penned: “Honestly this was the best series I have seen on TV in years. It was perfectly crafted, acted and written. I can’t give this enough praise.”

Another said it was “impossible to stop watching”, adding: “Fascinating and compelling from the first few minutes of episode 1 through the next 8 hours of interest that didn’t release me til dawn. Talk about binge-watching without regret. It was everything I love – a mystery, brilliant detective work and deep characterization that had me knowing and caring about these people. The conversations were quiet and understated without any sort of rehearsed wit that sacrifices authenticity for canned cleverness. No, this was miles above anything I’ve seen.”

A third echoed: “Just excellent, from start to end. The acting, the story, the directing, the start and the end. Brilliant! I found myself rewinding many scenes just to watch them again due to great acting and dialogue.”

Another wrote on X: “@Netflix #Unbelievable is a masterpiece! It should be mandatory. It was that well done. Even as heinous as the subject matter is, the writers, cast, director and crew handled so expertly, it was moving and uplifting. I was so invested in everyone.”