Netflix Viewers Say This ‘Mesmerising’ 98%-Rated Crime Drama Is Unlike Anything Else They’ve Watched
Crime television is hardly short of serial killers, detectives and disturbing investigations, but one eight-part Netflix drama has managed to leave viewers feeling as though they are watching something very different.
Unbelievable has been hailed as “mesmerising,” “devastating and uplifting” and one of Netflix’s finest crime dramas, with some viewers admitting they couldn’t stop watching once they started.
Its reputation is backed by an exceptional 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
But the real reason the series stands apart from conventional police dramas lies in whose story it chooses to tell.
The Case Starts With A Teenager Nobody Believes
Released on Netflix on September 13, 2019, Unbelievable stars Kaitlyn Dever, Toni Collette and Merritt Wever.
Dever plays a teenager who reports that she has been raped.
After she recants her account, however, police believe the original allegation was fabricated and she is charged with making a false report.
Elsewhere, two female detectives begin investigating a series of similar attacks.
Their investigation gradually raises disturbing questions about what really happened.
Netflix’s official synopsis explains: “When a teen reports being raped, then recants her story, two female detectives follow evidence that could reveal the truth; based on a true story.”
Across eight episodes, those two sides of the narrative begin moving towards each other.
The Story Is Based On Real Events
The series was co-created by Susannah Grant, Ayelet Waldman and Michael Chabon and draws on real reporting.
Its source material includes T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong’s 2015 article An Unbelievable Story of Rape, which examined serial rape cases in Washington and Colorado.
The drama also draws from Miller and Armstrong’s 2018 book A False Report, which was based on the same investigation.
That real-life foundation makes an already difficult story even more affecting.
Rather than focusing exclusively on identifying a perpetrator, the series examines what happens to a victim when the people and institutions expected to help instead doubt her account.
At the same time, Collette and Wever’s detectives provide a contrasting picture of how an investigation can unfold.
Critics Say It Turns The Cop Drama On Its Head
That shift in perspective is one of the reasons critics have repeatedly singled out Unbelievable.
One reviewer argued that its difference from a series such as Mindhunter comes from placing victims and the women investigating the crimes at the forefront.
Another praised its “unique take on cop dramas and amazing performances.”
One critic went further, calling it “one of the most culturally relevant tv shows.”
Another described the series as “powerful” and “impactful,” predicting that it would remain with viewers long after the final episode.
The praise is reflected in its near-perfect 98% Rotten Tomatoes approval rating.
Toni Collette, Merritt Wever And Kaitlyn Dever Earned Major Praise
Much of the acclaim has centred on the show’s three leading performances.
Collette, Wever and Dever were all nominated at the Critics’ Choice Awards and Golden Globes for their work on the series.
Collette won at the Critics’ Choice Awards and also received Primetime Emmy and SAG Award nominations.
The wider ensemble includes Eric Lange, Bill Fagerbakke, Elizabeth Marvel, Bridget Everett, Danielle Macdonald, Dale Dickey, Liza Lapira and Omar Maskati.
The series itself went on to win a Peabody Award and received Best Limited Series nominations at the Critics’ Choice Awards, Golden Globes and Primetime Emmy Awards.
In total, Unbelievable earned four Primetime Emmy nominations.
One Viewer Stayed Up Two Hours Later Than Planned
The awards recognition tells only part of the story.
Audience reactions reveal just how difficult some viewers found it to walk away once they started watching.
One fan admitted they had intended to stop much earlier but ended up staying awake an additional two hours to continue the series.
“I couldn’t stop watching it,” they wrote.
They praised the writing of the female characters and said they were “mesmerized by the performances.”
Another viewer called it “one of the best from Netflix in recent times,” praising its narration, acting, direction and particularly the sensitive handling of its subject.
They singled out Collette and Wever’s detective performances as “very very realistic” and “nothing but outstanding.”
‘It Made Me Mad, Sad Cry And Happy Cry’
Other reactions make clear that this is not an easy crime drama to watch.
One viewer described the series as “simultaneously devastating and uplifting,” praising its split narrative structure and performances.
They wrote: “Unbelievable made me mad, made me sad cry, and made me happy cry.”
The same viewer acknowledged that the opening hour is difficult because of the subject matter, but said the emotional direction of the story eventually becomes surprisingly uplifting.
Another IMDb reviewer described the series as a “diamond” and declared: “TV can’t get any better.”
They were particularly impressed by the three central performances, arguing that Dever, Collette and Wever deserved recognition from every major television award.
The writing and directing were also praised for approaching an extremely sensitive subject in a way the viewer felt was appropriate.
More Than Another Serial-Killer Mystery
On paper, Unbelievable contains many elements familiar from crime television.
There are detectives.
There are connected attacks.
There is evidence to follow and a truth that needs to be uncovered.
Yet its focus makes the experience markedly different.
The mystery matters, but so does the damage caused when someone who reports a crime is not believed.
That means the emotional consequences of the investigation carry as much weight as the hunt for answers.
It also explains why comparisons with more traditional crime dramas only go so far.
While shows such as Mindhunter have become major reference points for viewers fascinated by criminal investigations, Unbelievable approaches its story from another direction.
Just Eight Episodes — But Viewers Say It Stays With You
With eight episodes, the miniseries can easily become a weekend binge.
Whether it feels like an easy watch is another matter.
Its subject is deeply distressing, particularly during the early episodes, and the drama does not avoid the emotional impact of what its central character experiences.
Yet viewers repeatedly point to that sensitivity as one of the show’s greatest strengths.
Years after its original release, a 98% Rotten Tomatoes score, major awards recognition and passionate audience reviews continue to give Unbelievable a formidable reputation.
For crime fans convinced that the genre has run out of ways to surprise them, this is one series that viewers say feels genuinely different.
Unbelievable is available to stream on Netflix.