Teen Torture, Inc.

Guided by skillful and straightforward direction from Tara Malone, this three-part series can make for difficult viewing, but through the stories of pain and suffering, we’re also left with profound empathy and admiration for the survivors.

There are a lot of powerful, personal moments in the interviews featured in Teen Torture, Inc. But the docuseries also relies heavily on the kind of stilted reenactments that clog up a lot of today’s true crime stuff, repeated use of the same stock footage and personal photographs, and provocative statements that it doesn’t immediately back up with facts or research.

Director Tara Malone talks to a handful of now-adult survivors who recall, in detail, their harrowing experiences. Alas, the seriousness of their stories is continually undermined by Malone’s stylistic choices, from the use of what appear to be grainy dramatic recreations to a score that seems intended to emulate a horror movie.