Netflix’s new drama miniseries, Unbelievable, premiered on the streaming service on 13th September 2019, and has piqued viewers’ interest in the real story and the rape case it is based on. The series has been developed around the reporting of a series of rapes, in Washington and Colorado, by investigative reporters T Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong, which was ater published as a non-fiction book titled A False Report. Unbelievable narrates the true story of Marie Adler (portrayed by Kaitlyn Dever), who was bound and raped by a masked man while at home. Due to a lack of evidence and her background, the police or even Marie’s friends did not believe her story.

14/ @judyberman wrote in @TIME:
“Like much of 2019’s best TV…Unbelievable isn’t light viewing. But in defending reality against received wisdom & eschewing suspense in favor of insight, it makes a plea for revising simplistic rape narratives that should be impossible to ignore.”

— Ken Armstrong (@bykenarmstrong) 16 September 2019

As a result of mental and social pressure, Marie retracted her case. However, detectives Grace Rasmussen and Karen Duvall (played by Toni Collette and Merritt Wever in the crime thriller series) were investigating similar incidents elsewhere, involving a serial rapist, which eventually led them to Marie.The show has received many positive reviews due to its sensitive portrayal of the case and the victim. 

The real-life Marie Adler has also reportedly watched the series. Ken Armstrong, one of the two investigative journalists, revealed how he received a call from Marie who informed him she had watched the series and called it “excellent.” She also praised Kaitlyn Dever and said the actress had perfectly captured her struggle with the police and others who refused to believe her story. Marie also revealed how two of her former foster mothers had not believed her when the incident took place but she had now forgiven them and also encouraged them to watch the series which “doesn’t demonise” them. She revealed how seeing the rapist get caught and put away had also given her some closure.