Unbelievable

Netflix’s miniseries Unbelievable details two contrasting investigations, in Washington State and Colorado respectively, into the same serial rapist’s crimes, one in which the police did not believe the victim, one in which they did. Kaitlyn Dever offers a devastating portrait of the unbelieved victim and survivor, while Merritt Wever and Toni Collette similarly shine as the Colorado police determined to believe, and to find the rapist. Drawing from a true story, Susannah Grant, Ayelet Waldman, and Michael Chabon expertly pen a rape investigation for the #MeToo era, showing not just what police work should look like, but what a mediated account of rape should entail. From shot selection to scripting and direction, Unbelievable serves as a model for how storytellers can implore society to believe women, but also how to shift the focus in the way we talk about rape. For offering both a gripping tale of investigation and a profound, humanized exploration of rape survival, we honor Unbelievable with a Peabody.