The Imposter: What's the true story behind Netflix's shocking new documentary?
Looking for your next true-crime watch? Netflix is the place to go. The streaming giant recently began showing the investigative film The Imposter, which tells the shocking true story behind the disappearance of a 13-year-old boy in the US.
The documentary film has been described by viewers as one of the best true-crime watches ever and, despite it being released ten years ago, a whole new audience are discovering it for the first time. But what is it about? Here's all you need to know…
WATCH: Have you watched Netflix's other true-crime doc, The Texas Killing Fields?
What is Netflix's The Imposter about?
The jaw-dropping documentary seeks to investigate the mysterious disappearance of 13-year-old Nicholas Barclay in the 1990s. The young boy was presumed dead when he vanished but authorities were stunned when he showed up again three years later.
Nicholas claimed he had been kidnapped and was subsequently the victim of sex trafficking, but it was not an open-shut case. The documentary film features interviews with the Barclay family as well as authorities. It also includes archive footage and re-enacted dramatised scenes depicting what may have happened in real life.
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The Imposter is now on Netflix
What is the true story behind Netflix's The Imposter?
In 1994, Nicholas Barclay, from Texas, America, went missing aged 13. The news of disappearance began to circulate when the young teen did not return home from a sports game he attended in San Antonio. For three years, he was presumed dead but his body was never found.
Then, in 1997, the Barclay family were contacted by authorities who said that Nicholas had been found alive and well in Spain. He then returned, but all was not what it seemed.
Warning! Potential spoilers for the documentary ahead…
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When Nicholas returned to Texas from Spain, his physical appearance – the fact that he now had brown-eyes and brown hair – was overshadowed by his family's delight at having him back.
Viewers have described the film as a 'gripping watch'
It then transpired that the 'new Nicholas' was in fact an impersonator named Frederic Bourdin, who has experience impersonating children in the past. He had managed to convince and fool US and Spanish authorities before his crime was then exposed. Frederic was sentenced to prison for passport fraud and perjury.
Sadly, Nicholas' case remains to this day yet unsolved but it's thought that a number of private detectives are still investigating his disappearance.
What are the fans making of Netflix's The Imposter?
Fans who are watching The Imposter for the first time thanks to its arrival on Netflix have been taking to social media to share their reactions. One person wrote: "#TheImposter #Netflix what a mind bending, gripping and unbelievable true story!"
A second said: "Just watched #theimposter on #Netflix not often I'm at a loss for words. That's some crazy [expletive]. Well worth the watch though!" A third was keen to encourage others to tune in, tweeting: "One of the best documentaries of our time, The Imposter, is on Netflix. You HAVE to watch it."
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