FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE YET TO SEE A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY, THIS IS A NON-SPOILER REVIEW.

Lost in the Reel‘s video review for A Friend of the Family

The documentary Abducted in Plain Sight captured the world by storm when audiences discovered it on Netflix.  The film, in fact, was one of the catalysts of my own resurgent fascination with the true crime genre.  Something about this story felt so stranger-than-fiction, leaving viewers shocked that something as crazy as this could possibly happen in real life.  But, the idea of stretching said story, (which was suitably told in 90 minutes in the documentary) to 9 episodes with A Friend Of The Family, seemed a bit gratuitous to me.  And going off of the six episodes that Peacock provided for Early review, I can’t help, but stick to my guns that this length was unwarranted.  Yet, I still found myself captivated by the show, nonetheless… especially for one particular reason

WHAT IS A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY ALL ABOUT?

A Friend of the Family follows the Broberg clan, devout Mormons who lived a quiet life in a small suburb of Idaho.  They become best friends with their neighbors The Berchtolds, who also attend their church.  But, the patriarch of the family, Bob, who also goes by B, becomes obsessed with the eldest Broberg daughter, Jan.  He slowly manipulates the entire family, to get closer to the girl, who he wants to claim as his own… until he kidnaps and sexually abuses her, not once, but twice.

DID THIS SHOW REALLY NEED TO BE 9 EPISODES?

The creator of A Friend of the Family, Nick Antosca, has been quite busy as of late.  When he’s not creating twisted mind-bending series’ like Channel Zero or Brand New Cherry Flavor… he is churning out true crime shows like The Act, and this year’s Candy which starred Jessica Beal.  And while I was a fan of both of those Hulu Originals, I felt like both of them dragged along until they finally picked up at the end. 

With A Friend of the Family, which I think is his most accomplished work yet in this genre… I was much more engaged throughout. Although I still yearned for the show to just get to the point, in some spots.  This is definitely due to the fact that they have really stretched this story to its limits, as I previously mentioned.  Antosca’s Candy was five episodes. And while I feel like that was overkill for that particular narrative… I believe it would have been a perfectly suitable length for this one.

IS THERE MORE INSIGHT INTO THE STORY HERE, THAN IN THE DOCUMENTARY?

There isn’t a whole lot here, that wasn’t at least touched on in the documentary.  Antosca has taken a lot of smaller details that were brought up there… And expanded upon them exponentially with his series.  And I’m sure having the victim herself, Jan Broberg, as an executive producer, certainly helped in gathering valuable insight into the inner workings of her family.

I would say the biggest takeaway I got from this show, which felt glossed over in the movie, was all of the different ways “B” manipulated Bob and Mary Ann Broberg… And how through those manipulations, he gained power and control over the family. Thus making it easier for him to get away with his crimes.  It still doesn’t take away from the fact that these parents were so frustratingly naive… But, the series does a much better job at making it more clear how something as diabolical as this could have ever happened in the first place.

HOW IS THE ENSEMBLE CAST?

I think the biggest thing working in A Friend of the Family’s favor, is how great the cast is. Anna Paquin and Colin Hanks have the difficult task of making two typical seventies straight-laced, blue-collar parents interesting… And they do an admirable job of getting us to feel their emotional pain, especially when their marriage begins to fall apart.  Hendrix Yancey, who plays Jan at twelve years old, is a dead ringer for the real Broberg at that age and handles the difficult material well.  Though I am still confused as to why they decided they needed to cast two different actresses for the role of Jan when the timeline between the two is only a couple of years apart.  Was Mckenna Grace only available for half of the shooting days?  I don’t get it…

The stroke of genius here though was casting The White Lotus and The Office-alum Jake Lacy as the sociopathic Bob Berchtold.  Lacy is able to capture exactly why the man in real life was able to pull this off; he is so damn charming and likable.  Yet, underneath the facade, the actor relishes in this character’s calculated manipulations, slimy conduct, and sinister ulterior motives.  His shit-eating grin and piercing eyes take the audience prisoner… And he creates a truly great screen villain in the process.  It would be a crime if Lacy didn’t get a second Emmy nomination for his work here. His performance is that phenomenal.  

HOW IS THE PRODUCTION VALUE?

I also loved the seventies-style title cards and intricate period detail.  From the production design, soundtrack, props, and costumes all the way to the post-production work… Everything feels meticulously authentic and it all really transports you back to the Era. This was one of my favorite aspects of Candy. And Antosca proves here again, that he has a real knack for conceiving a time and place and bringing it to life.  I think this is one of the few things that sets his work apart from all of the other true crime series out there.  

IS THIS WORTH WATCHING?

My only other qualm with A Friend of the Family besides the length is that at the end of the day, it just doesn’t feel like essential viewing.  If you’ve seen the documentary, you already have a grasp on the story and everything that is to come.  So, unless you’re a huge true crime buff, I’m not sure that this series is a must-watch.  But, if you’re like me and are constantly searching for the next biopic, documentary, or limited series in this genre to consume… then A Friend of the Family will certainly appease your appetite.

The First Four Episodes of A Friend of the Family will be Streaming on Peacock on October 6th, 2022, with new episodes weekly.

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