Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
If you’re a fan of true-crime documentaries, allow me to introduce you to your next weekend binge.
Earlier today, all eight episodes of the true-crime docu-series Captive premiered on Netflix. From executive producers Doug Liman (Swingers, The Bourne Identity) and Simon and Jonathan Chinn, this Netflix Original takes an inside look at some of the most challenging hostage negotiations of our time. Through interviews, archived footage, photographs, and reenactments, the series offers a captivating glimpse into the unimaginably tense world of kidnapping by providing the unique perspectives of both the abductor and the abductee, which makes for a fascinating dichotomy. From Somali pirates to a prison riot in Lucasville, Ohio, each episode delves into the difficult to fathom real-life events of a different kidnapping.
Episode two of the series centers on the 1991 kidnapping of a local Coca-Cola executive, Corinne Coffin, in Brazil. While the intricate machinations of the kidnapping and hostage negotiations are certainly interesting, it’s the human element — specifically the relationship between Coffin and her abductor — that offers a relentless hold on your attention. Listening to the kidnapper, Ronaldo Monteiro, emotionlessly intone about the unconscionable terror he put a fellow human being through is chilling, but the evolution of Coffin and Monteiro’s relationship is incredible to witness.
“He could kill me. He could keep me captive. But he could not remove my dignity,” Coffin states when recounting her harrowing experience.
When Captive is at its best it provides a nuanced insight into the complexities of the criminal mind. You certainly won’t agree with their indefensible actions, but you will gain a better understanding of their perspective.
While numerous social issues are tucked away inside each episode, the documentaries, which vary between 59 to 73 minutes in length, mostly focus on the personal details that pertain to the story they’re telling. Listening to a person recount the unimaginable horror of being held captive can be emotionally depleting, but the series sometimes provides a glimpse of redemption — like in one episode when a reformed kidnapper becomes an advocate for social change.
The eight episodes are a mix between high-profile cases and those kept hidden from the public, but on more than one occasion I found myself wondering how it was possible that I’d never heard about a particular story. While the anthology nature of the series doesn’t lend itself to the “have to watch one more” immersion of serialized counterparts like Making a Murderer or The Jinx, Captive is a welcome addition to Netflix’s already impressive slate of true-crime documentaries.
