The story presented in Netflix’s American Nightmare was called the “real life Gone Girl.”
And then something unexpected happened …
This article discusses the real life events behindAmerican Nightmareand will therefore spoil the docuseries.
The events that unfold inNetflixtrue crime docuseriesAmerican Nightmareare hard to believe.
I know that because I didnt believe them.
At least not at first.
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The police and the media were swiftly proven wrong.
The crime that the couple experienced unfolded precisely how they described it.
There really was a wetsuit-wearing monster out there with a syringe full of diazepam and NyQuil.
And he really was in the midst of a kidnapping spree.
Quinn and Huskins story was literally unbelievable.
But it was also literally real.
And thats what makes this doc such a compelling, disorienting watch.
American Nightmares three episodes have all the familiar cadences of a true crime streaming docuseries.
Somewhat atypically for a documentary, however,American Nightmarehas writers credited.
Now, written as a credit doesnt always automatically mean scripted.
A writer can be involved on a non-fiction project to help shape the reconstructed narrative of real life events.
Still, its a detail I clocked as I watched the first episode of the series.
I quickly Googled the name Denise Huskins and discovered, to my horror, that this was all real.
I tell this story for two reasons.
First and foremost so that we can all laugh at what a massive dumbass I am.
American Nightmareis an excellent entry into Netflixs true crime canon.
Whats even more impressive, however, is how it subtly interrogates us.
But that doesnt mean we should mistake our familiarity for expertise.
Even the most helpful heuristics can lead you astray.
The lesson ofAmerican Nightmareis that Occams razor is useful but it can still draw blood.
All three episodes ofAmerican Nightmareare available to stream on Netflix now.
