Nightmares, so many nightmares.
Though it premiered back in 2017, Abducted in Plain Sight only hit Netflix earlier this month. I'm really glad they picked up the film because I don't regret watching it. From Ted Bundy Tapes (don't watch alone) to I Am a Killer, Netflix has plenty of compelling true crime documentaries to choose from, and it seems that America can't help but just keep watching.
Documentaries don't usually capture my interest, but I chose to watch this particular one because it came highly recommended to me -- the trailer sent chills down my spine. This is a film that I will never forget.
Abducted in Plain Sight has it all: lust, affairs, molestation, rape, tape recorders, aliens, FBI, a gullible family, Mormons, and motor homes -- seriously, it has it all.
**Warning** Spoilers ahead!
Here's the trailer:
Courtesy of Skye Borgman
Take the time to watch this. Please do, especially if you have children. You can learn quite a lot from the Brobergs. Look at their mistakes and consider the safety of your own kids -- just don't go overboard with it. Nowadays, kids are taken right in broad daylight, so please be aware.
This abduction occurred back in the 1970s when the Broberg family had no technologically advanced way of looking for their daughter, so they simply had to sit and wait.
What I Didn't Like
Nothing -- I hated nothing. All 91 minutes of the film were captivating, chilling, and disturbing, and I couldn't look away. I watched the entire documentary like this ...
Courtesy of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
What I liked
So. Many. Things. This documentary was highly recommended for a reason.
Director Sky Borgman managed to capture the hate, disgust, and love that the Brobergs had for the Berchtold family. Every single one of them was tricked by Robert Berchtold -- he was a master manipulator. Bob managed to woo both the Broberg parents into affairs in order to break them apart as a distraction to his infatuation of Jan, which resulted in her kidnapping -- not once, but twice.
Berchtold brainwashed Jan during the first kidnapping, which drove her actions towards her family and furthered her love for him -- she really was in love with this man.
If you look into his eyes, you would think that he was just a normal person who was charming and a good friend to everyone. He simply was not. *Shivers*
Courtesy of Cosmopolitan
He used his powers of persuasion to get under each member of the family's skin. I felt horrified that they were so gullible -- they know this now. The Brobergs were a religious bunch that just had it in their hearts to be forgiving. They chose not to assume that their daughter was kidnapped by their family friend -- that it could not possibly be the case. But It was.
What angered me most was the audacity of the Brobergs to drop the charges against Berchtold after the first kidnapping!
Final Thoughts
I applaud Sky Borgman on her willingness to create such a masterpiece. She truly captured the creepy nature of Robert Berchtold; I, for one, am frightened by him. While watching, I even had to curl up with my dog for protection!
Abducted in Plain Sight came highly recommended for a reason. Go watch it if you can handle it.
Have you seen this? What are your thoughts on the situation? Tell us in the comments.