Abducted in Plain Sight: Netflix’s Most Recent Eye-Opener
By AMEARA DISTCHE
Staff Writer
“Abducted in Plain Sight” is a true crime documentary on the kidnapping of Jan Broberg. Broberg was kidnapped twice by family friend and neighbor, Bob Berchtold, once when she was 12 and again when she was 14. The documentary goes into meticulous detail of the events of both kidnappings, the events in between, and the effect it has had on the family and their small community.
The documentary is composed of mainly two parts, those involved recounting on what they remember and some recordings and photos of the time. The recordings are in existence because as part of his ruse while kidnapping Jan, Berchtold had a tape recorder available at most times. Berchtold, often called B, told Jan that they were on a mission for aliens who were instructing what to do or else their families would be in danger. B used this as reasoning to rape and kidnap Jan. The details are gory and gritty but are important, they are honest truths on how child predators act. Children are easily convinced of such fairytale-esque things like aliens. Child predators are aware of this and use such tactics. The documentary did a stellar job at bringing to light seemingly absurdities that are in fact a harsh reality.
The premise of the film, Jan Broberg’s true story, captured viewers attention due to its unorthodox nature. When someone kidnaps, drugs, and rapes your child for a month, one would think you would no longer allow that person in your family’s life. The Brobergs, however, welcomed Berchtold back once he completed a therapy program. At one point he claimed part of his therapy was alone time with Jan. The Broberg’s forgiving nature proved unwarranted when B kidnapped Jan again when she was 14. This situation shines light on another important issue in child abuse: trust. Most cases of child abuse are carried out by someone the child knows and trusts, like Jan and B. To paint all child predators as strange monsters would be to do a disservice to children.
One of the films cinematic highlights is the juxtaposition of past and present day Jan. The Jan that was kidnaped was a clear sufferer of stockholm syndrome. This is made apparent partly by modern day Jan speaking out against the situation. This, next to primary sources like recordings and letters she wrote to B, shows the difficult progression Jan must have went through. The movie does an excellent job at portraying this without just blatantly saying it.
The film did not hold back when tapping into emotions. Almost everyone cried, all dirty laundry was aired, which contributed to the film’s integrity. It was at times difficult to watch, not because of poor quality, but the honesty in covering such a rough, scary topic.
It is important to note Jan Broberg’s strength. It cannot be easy to have to relive what was the worst thing to have ever happened to you. Broberg however, realized her tale could be a cautionary one and seized the opportunity to tell her important story.
Something the film left out however, was that Berchtold took his life in 2005, after evading persecution for so long. On one hand, it is easy to see that they left this out because suicide could humanize him and draw pity, which he doesn’t deserve. But, it is part of the truth and the story. Leaving out a pretty important fact undermined the ethos of the film. But, I do respect their choice to focus on Jan and her recovery.
Overall, the film was amazing. It was well shot and executed, performing a daunting task of sharing difficult to hear information, in an interesting, palatable package.
