JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU KNOW “AMERICAN NIGHTMARE” PROVES YOU WRONG

How many times have you watched a movie, TV show, or a documentary and figured out what was coming next? Some people have a knack for it and sometimes the show is just that simple. With a documentary you will at times know some of the story from the headlines. Unless you followed the story of Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn to the utmost degree or are them, you know nothing about it. Netflix’s “American Nightmare” tells the tale of a terrifying night where a woman is kidnapped, and her boyfriend drugged so he can’t call police for several hours to report the crime. What happens next has you guessing through the rest of the episodes.

As with most documentaries “American Nightmare” sets you up with the typical storyline of a mystery with a victim, Denise and her likely killer Aaron. Aaron calls the police in the afternoon to tell them his girlfriend has been kidnapped by a number of people. The kidnappers came in the middle of the night with bright lights, laser sights, and drugs to steal her away and leave Aaron in the house under the watch of a webcam with explicit instructions. When police arrive they can see the scenario the attackers have set for Aaron and take him to the police station to get his statement. Aaron recounts his amazing story again and is asked several questions about what he went through. I have to be careful saying too much here or it will kind of ruin your viewing. Trust me. Or…..don’t. Everything seems to be going well and then you know that Aaron’s story is just too fantastical to be believed. He did it! And the police believe the same thing and begin their investigation into Aaron killing his girlfriend. But wait, a reporter covering the story gets an email from the kidnappers with proof that Denise is alive. Next thing you know she calls and says she’s at her dad’s home. So, Aaron wasn’t lying and she’s OK and the pursuit of the real kidnapper gets underway! Nope, this was all a hoax for attention by Denise! Or were they both in on it? Or is there something else? That’s the thing: you don’t know what twist is coming next. Just after something comes out of left field something else comes right behind it. It has more twists and surprises than a rollercoaster in the pitch black of night. If I said more here it would really ruin the watch for you. The trailer for the show gives you enough to know that if you’ve ever seen the movie “Gone Girl” that this documentary will make you confused and then get you straight up angry. Where will your anger be directed? That’s what you’ll be wondering after the first episode and not figure out until the last. It’s only 3 episodes long so you can easily binge this show in a day or evening. If you want to get some insight into a police investigation around a situation like this then watch without distraction or you will miss the next turn and how this true story exists. When you’ve watched the final episode, you will finally know who to be mad at and then think about if this happened to you and then you’ll be terrified.