In “Unbelievable,” a Lynnwood teenager, played by Kaitlyn Dever, is charged with lying about being raped. (Beth Dubber / Netflix)

In “Unbelievable,” a Lynnwood teenager, played by Kaitlyn Dever, is charged with lying about being raped. (Beth Dubber / Netflix)

Netflix series kept rape survivor in mind, creator says

Susannah Grant was inspired by ProPublica reporting on a Lynnwood case to make “Unbelievable.”

Susannah Grant is a screenwriter and director known for her Oscar-nominated work in the film “Erin Brockovich,” as well as screen adaptations of “In Her Shoes” and “Charlotte’s Web.”

She also is the creator of Netflix’s new true crime series, “Unbelievable,” about a Lynnwood teenager, played by Kaitlyn Dever, who was pressured into retracting a rape allegation. Police later find out she was telling the truth after a pair of female detectives, played by Emmy winners Toni Collette and Merritt Wever, track down her rapist in Colorado.

The show is based on reporting by The Marshall Project and ProPublica and a follow-up radio episode on “This American Life” that won a Pulitzer Prize. The series also draws upon the book “A False Report,” written by the two reporters who researched the 2008 case.

Susannah Grant is the showrunner of Netflix’s new true crime series “Unbelievable.” (Beth Dubber / Netflix)

Susannah Grant is the showrunner of Netflix’s new true crime series “Unbelievable.” (Beth Dubber / Netflix)

Here, Grant, 56, of Santa Monica, California, talks about what inspired the eight-episode series and how all involved strove for authenticity and sensitivity in making the show.

What was it that led you to create “Unbelievable”?

I read the ProPublica and The Marshall Project article and brought it to my production partner, Sarah Timberman, who had also received it from a pair of writers. All of us were interested in turning it into a limited series. We brought it to Netflix, who saw the huge potential of it.

What did you think of the article “An Unbelievable Story of Rape”?

I thought it was just a brilliant piece of journalism. It took an issue I was vaguely aware of and made it so personal and so emotionally affecting, and connected that issue to one person who endured that. I was moved by the character at the heart of the story — known as Marie in our story and in the article — and her ability to withstand just the worst injustices and still continue fighting for the quality of life she felt she deserved. And of course, within that story, there are some really unpleasant truths to look at.

Like what?

A very small percentage of rapes are reported and a minute amount of them are prosecuted. The number of new cases that were similar to Marie’s — just over the course of making this show the past two years — was really surprising. You come across one every three to six weeks. It’s very resonate of the tact in our story and how it’s very clearly not an isolated incident. I knew the statistics. I saw the opportunity to do what the article did and “This American Life” did as well, and tell it in a different medium and connect with audiences in a different way and magnify it.

Did you feel any societal pressures?

Yes. You’re telling the story of real people, and not just real people, but real people and possibly the worst things they’ll ever have to endure in their lives. We knew at the get-go we had to treat this story with respect and really tell the truth of it without turning it into sensationalism at all. It was a good pressure — it was something to be very mindful of, from the tonal decisions and visual decisions we were making. We talked about it as we were shooting: Keep the real people in mind and bring the respect to your work every day as if you were looking them in the eye.

What was your approach from a filmmaking perspective?

We all agreed we wanted to tell the story with a lot of authenticity. We didn’t want it to live in the fantasy land that a lot of entertainment can live in, but in a way that is successful for those. It had to feel very real. We talked to our hair and makeup people and said we don’t want perfect hair — we wanted their hair to look like someone’s been living in the world. Our wardrobes people encouraged our actors to get in their clothes very early in the day to make it look like they were lived in.

Tell me more about Marie’s character.

When you meet her, she’s gone through this horrible, dreadful traumatic experience. The rest of the show is her trying to get herself back to the place she was in before — she had just aged out of a foster care system and really optimistically starting her very young adult life — and she never loses that desire to make her life what she wanted it to be. I found that so inspiring, how hard she fought for her quality of life, even as the odds got stacked higher and higher against her.

Why shine a light on those two Colorado detectives?

I found their work so inspiring. They’ve taken on a difficult job of looking at the worst things human beings can do to each other and doing something about it. That’s a big, admirable undertaking, and it comes at a personal cost. I have so much respect for them and their dogged determination they brought to the case. Writing and portraying that was really an honor.

Merritt Wever (left) and Toni Collette star in the drama “Unbelievable.” (Beth Dubber / Netflix)

Merritt Wever (left) and Toni Collette star in the drama “Unbelievable.” (Beth Dubber / Netflix)

Tell me more about the cast.

I just love them. Those actors are just tremendous. Kaitlyn is so young and so hugely talented. Toni and Merritt are just as good as actors can get. Then we had this amazing supporting cast. We had actors who came in for just one day and did such beautiful work. I’m thrilled with our lead cast and the attention they’re getting, but I want to acknowledge the acting quality in our show goes all the way across the board.

What do you hope audiences will take away from watching the show?

I hope the ideas that sort of carried us through the making of it lands with viewers. It’s hard to miss the bigger points we’re making there. The reason the crime of rape is so underreported and underprosecuted in our culture isn’t a problem with a couple of bad apples — it’s a huge systemic and societal problem. It’s so widespread that most people I know have some personal connection to it. I hope this show will open the audiences’ heart to it a little more.

Evan Thompson: 425-339-3427, ethompson@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @ByEvanThompson.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

A stroll on Rome's ancient Appian Way is a kind of time travel. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves on the Appian Way, Rome’s ancient superhighway

Twenty-nine highways fanned out from Rome, but this one was the first and remains the most legendary.

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Inside Elle Marie Hair Studio in Smokey Point. (Provided by Acacia Delzer)
The best hair salon in Snohomish County

You voted, we tallied. Here are the results.

The 2024 Kia EV9 electric SUV has room for up to six or seven passengers, depending on seat configuration. (Photo provided by Kia)
Kia’s all-new EV9 electric SUV occupies rarified air

Roomy three-row electric SUVs priced below 60 grand are scarce.

2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD (Photo provided by Toyota)
2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD

The compact SUV electric vehicle offers customers the ultimate flexibility for getting around town in zero emission EV mode or road-tripping in hybrid mode with a range of 440 miles and 42 mile per gallon fuel economy.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.