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WHAT TO WATCH

A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY

Peacock

A common criticism levelled at true-crime drama is that it exploits the harrowing, difficult experiences of real people in pursuit of popular entertainment. But this nine-parter dodges that accusation immediately. It opens with a message from Jan Broberg, the victim behind this extraordinary tale, who tells viewers that she wanted her story dramatised “because so many people think that something like this could never happen to them – especially at the hands of someone they know and trust”. During the 1970s, Broberg (played here by Hendrix Yancey) was kidnapped multiple times by Robert Berchtold, a charismatic family friend who manipulated both her parents (Anna Paquin and Colin Hanks) through blackmail and seduction. Berchtold is played wonderfully by The White Lotus’s Jake Lacy, whose all-American “aw shucks!” veneer gives his actions a sinister edge.

Premiering with three episodes, we’re shown how his obsession with 12-year-old Jan leads to him brainwashing her into believing that they have been given a special mission by aliens – one which involves getting married and having a baby. It is a wild and disturbing story – the kind that will have you checking every detail online (and finding them all true). Stephen Kelly

Television

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2022-10-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-10-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://dailytelegraph.pressreader.com/article/282286734148832

Daily Telegraph