Film Review: Believe Me

A sinister true crime drama which has taken its spot as Netflix’s number one. Believe me; the true story based upon The Abduction of Lisa McVey. The film recreates the disturbing story of when the 17-year-old girl Lisa was kidnapped and held by serial killer Bobby Joe Long.

The movie originally released in 2018 has recently taken Netflix watchers by storm as it has shot to number one as well as being in the top 10 list in the UK; after viewers saying it is a must-watch.

The movie is based on the abduction which happened in 1984 when 17-year-old Lisa was abducted by a serial killer as she cycled home from her job at a doughnut store in Tampa. He grabbed her off her bike, pulled her into his car then blindfolded her and took her to his apartment; where he held her at gunpoint, sexually assaulted and tortured her for 26 hours.

Lisa surprisingly managed to persuade the killer to set her free, after sweettalking him saying that if he let her go home and take care of her sick father then she would be his girlfriend; playing with his mind.

After Lisa had been set free and she had reported it to the police she somehow managed to remember an incredible amount of detail about the kidnapping; as she leaves traces of herself for evidence and manages to take in as much of her surroundings as she can.

It was the details Lisa had given and the evidence she had left that led the police to her suspect. However, it did not happen straight away as it had taken Lisa several attempts until she could find an officer who believed her and was willing to work with her; hence the title ‘believe me’.

Whilst Lisa’s case is under investigation, there is another large case involving a killer who had been sexually assaulting and murdering numerous girls; it was Lisa’s clues and details that solved this crime as well as her own. Leaving her labelled as a ‘hero’.

A movie which has been classed by viewers as being ‘horrid’ yet still being classed as a ‘must watch’. People are saying how the movie has left them ‘sobbing and ‘touched’ because of how much Lisa was failed by so many people but also due to the fact the story was real so made it closer to home for a lot of people.

Personally, I really enjoyed the movie. It is a movie which hit close to home, mostly due to the fact we are similar ages. I would say it’s a good watch; an interesting, edge of your seat drama which captured my full attention within the first 15 minutes.