A Friend of the Family

What’s fascinating about A Friend of the Family, and also what makes it different than a lot of other scripted takes on true crime, is that the series doesn’t so much try to answer the why of how this happened (psychologists have devoted their entire careers to exploring why someone would prey on a child). Instead, it looks at the how of it. ... Much of the success of this limited series can be attributed to its willingness to cast against type.

Sluggishness doesn’t do too much to take the viewer out of A Friend, thanks to the performances, as well as a cool color-grading technique that places the subjects directly in the show’s retro time period. These elements combined make for an almost unbearably uncomfortable viewing experience. And more than anything, that is the foremost indicator of true crime storytelling done right.

Peacock’s series remains compelling as it draws out the full extent of Berchtold’s psychological abuse. It’s not perfect, but it’s the in-depth treatment the case deserves beyond AIPS and its accompanying podcast. The real Jan and Mary Ann already documented their experiences in a memoir, but their contribution to AFOTF is what cements it as an undoubtedly difficult but unmissable project.

Naturally, a story so hard to comprehend can only be sold through stellar performances, and “Family” is crammed full of them. ... The writing is also strong. ... [But] Much of what makes the story inscrutable remains so, at least in the six episodes provided to critics. One piece of the puzzle, chief among the “WTF were you thinking” Broberg decisions, is folded into “Family” so subtly that the audience might not even pick up on it without prior knowledge of the events.

With sharp writing from the great showrunner Nick Antosca, sensitive direction from Eliza Hittman (“Never Rarely Sometimes Always”) and others, and a dedicated ensemble, this series rises above your average true crime drama. It sometimes stumbles a little bit by making Jan’s story take a back seat to the adult characters in early episodes, but everyone here navigates a tricky narrative, humanizing two parents who could easily have been ridiculed by a lesser production.

Nine episodes feels unnecessarily bloated. Strong performances, a sensitive tone and high production values mean A Friend of the Family is solid drama. It still feels like a story that didn’t need retelling.

Thanks to Hittman’s light touch and the performances by Yancey, Lacy, Paquin and Tipton, A Friend of the Family has eerie, provocative menace. But it still doesn’t have six hours’ worth, much less nine. I appreciated what I appreciated, but I nevertheless have no desire to see the tale through to the end.

this show was written by an AI spellchecker, trained to hate women...........