‘Abducted in Plain Sight’ is a disturbing and unreal roller coaster
By Jack Murphy// A&E Editor
New to the Netflix series of horrifyingly messed up documentaries is “Abducted in Plain Slight.” We’ve had Ted Bundy, we’ve had Fyre Festival, we’ve had “Making a Murderer,” we’ve had confession tapes, and now we have Abducted in Plain Sight. Directed by Skye Borgman, Abducted in Plain Sight tells the true story of Jan Broberg being abducted by her neighbor and family friend and how her kidnapper manipulated her entire family during the 1970s. The documentary features mostly interviews with the family and those involved at the time, while also featuring some audio recordings of the abductor. So, how is Abducted in Plain Sight? If I had to describe it in three words, they would be, “What the Bleep!”
I swear this is the most insane and terrifying story I’ve ever heard in my life. I would gamble Jeff Bezo’s entire net worth that no one could predict where this story would go because it is absolutely unreal. Bob Berchtold, Jans kidnapper, has got to go down as one of the best manipulators of all time, in the worst kind of way. He’s up there with Jim Jones, Joseph Stalin, and Charles Manson. The things Berchtold was able to get this family to do are so messed up and just mind-boggling that I had to pause and sit on my couch for minutes at a time to contemplate how he was able to pull all these horrible things off. From Jans father, mother and Jan herself, he got them to believe and trust him and to do horrible things with him that left me speechless.
Speaking of Jan’s parents, they failed Jan every step of the way. When Jan was first kidnapped by Berchtold, they didn’t call the police for five days. Again, they were so manipulated that they didn’t tell the police that their twelve-year-old daughter had disappeared with their neighbor for five days, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg for these people. If there’s a PSA for parents on how not to treat your children, just show them Abducted in Plain Sight and they’ll know what to do, I guarantee it. One more quick spoiler that happens early on, but her parents let Berchtold off without any charges because he manipulated them to that extent.
Borgman does an absolutely incredible job just letting the story speak for itself. Every five minutes there would be another moment that would require me to yell, “How?” at my TV in complete disbelief. While there’s nothing really unique about the cinematography or the editing, the story just elevates the final product. I also got to give props to the interviewing skills of the team behind the film because the things they got these people to say are just, once again, unreal. The entire team behind this documentary deserve a raise because the way they were able to tell this story is just incredible. I also have to acknowledge Bob Berchtold’s brother, Joe Berchtold, because while everyone else is just talking about these mind-blowing experiences, he’s just brutally honest.
“My brother was always a sexual pervert; he always had a thing for little girls,” said Berchtold’s brother. He gives no fond memories, he just says he was always a pedophile and reaffirms to us that Bob Berchtold is a monster.
Overall, this is a sick roller coaster ride of a monster and how he controlled a family for nearly a decade. As a warning to parents out there, this might be harder to get through and avoiding it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. However, if you have the stomach to handle some truly horrifying things, I would recommend Abducted in Plain Sight 100 percent, just because this story is so unique that I believe it’s worth sitting through the hour and 30-minute runtime. I’m gonna give Abducted in Plain Sight an “A-,” however it’s not for everyone and I would completely understand anyone walking away hating it due to the subject matter.
The Brobergs tell one of the most insane and messed up stories that have ever been told in ‘Abducted in Plain Sight.’ Photo by Netflix