In this Netflix docuseries, Linda Napolitano shares her experience of being abducted by aliens from her Manhattan home. Amid widespread controversy surrounding the existence of alien life online, the docuseries attempts to understand whether her claims are true or an elaborate hoax.
The series has 3 episodes, each with a runtime of around 40 minutes.
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The Manhattan Alien Abduction Director
Daniel Vernon
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The Manhattan Alien Abduction Release Date
30 October 2024
The Manhattan Alien Abduction Review
The Manhattan Alien Abduction showcases two women’s discussions surrounding an infamous alien abduction case – Linda Napolitano, the alleged abductee, and writer & filmmaker Carol Rainey. From the moment the series starts, you are aware that this will be an extremely dramatic watch. From its editing to its background score, everything is extremely exaggerated and I guess that’s a good thing for the series because otherwise, it might’ve fallen a little flat.
The series, with only 3 episodes, is a breeze to watch. Although it doesn’t bring forth anything scientific in any way, it’s the drama of it all that feels too delicious to not enjoy. The series lets its interviewees take the lead to tell the story and Linda herself retells her abduction, her relationship with Budd Hopkins and her emotional state when she realised that she had a foreign object in her nose. It’s interesting that we never really get to know what this foreign object was and whether she took it out of her nose or not but, again, it’s the theatrics that make this a fun and forgettable watch.
We constantly see a reenactment of women getting sucked into a sky of different colours while the creators make Napolitano do these crazy reenactments that are cheesy and frankly hilarious. I am unsure what this was supposed to achieve but it definitely doesn’t make you fearful for anyone’s safety. Other than witness testimonies, the series brings forth no solid, scientific evidence that viewers can see and doubt the world that they know of. The creators have clearly taken a more campy approach to this series and the moment the series mentions that over 20 people saw Linda’s alleged abduction, you know this is a kooky show that isn’t trying to be anything but that.
Viewers might find the series’ sensationalism in bad taste, but The Manhattan Alien Abduction is somehow entertaining because of it. Napolitano is a bad actor, and her motivations become clear after a while, but the series showcases her words with as much cringe as it can muster, complete with heaps of drama, to give us a true saga. Everyone interviewed in the series is equally effective in upping the drama and leaves you thoroughly engrossed.
Personally, this could’ve been a documentary film. The series dramatises so much that it takes up a large chunk of the runtime but adds nothing exciting to it. There are some interesting things said, but you mostly aren’t able to believe anything that Linda or the other abductees mention because they are told in such a far-fetched, extra way. The claims are extremely outlandish and it almost seems to be on purpose so viewers have a hard time accepting anything being said. It’s so bizarre. It felt like the series did that on purpose and overdid every little thing to sensationalize the viewing experience. However, it made me question the purpose of the series.
Final Thoughts
This sensationalized, insane story about a 1980s UFO abduction case is nothing short of dramatic and cringy. Rainey comes across as the only sane one out of the lot but the series does make you question whether or not Napolitano lied through her teeth to get the limelight on her. At least by the looks of it, that seems to be the case. But, of course, opinions might vary based on whether or not you believe in UFOs!
Also Read: You Would Do It Too Review: Thrilling and Thought Provoking
Fever dream means bad? It was bad.
Your comment cracked me up.
Agreed!
This is a pretty lame series with so much repetition that it would equal one episode if we did not hear the same things and see the same things repeated – ad nauseum.
Truthfully, for my part, I do not believe any of the characters. It feels like a hoax with the protagonist seeking the limelight and she comes across as most insincere in her affect which is decidedly lacking – especially in relation to her son who she claims was abducted (if it were either of my children I would be most passionate about it for all the days of my life and most deeply affected by it forever) and as for the “skeptic,” well, she seems like a very embittered woman consumed on some level with hatred, jealousy and some other indefinable emotion.
For my part, I see all of the characters as coming off poorly and that is saying a lot since I set the bar low in expectations in the first place.
Secondly, I do not believe we are alone in the universe as in my mind, I think it takes a lot of arrogance to believe we are the only intelligent lifeforms.
Yet, this show brings no scientific evidence to prove or disprove and is a huge time waster that comes across as a poorly scripted, acted and produced C grade 3 part series.
I only watched it in order to keep my adult daughter company and regret that the time spent wasted on it will never be reclaimed and console myself that at least it was spent in the company of my adult daughter.
I don’t believe we are the only intelligent beings in the world but this woman’s story of abduction is ridiculous. Her interviews at the time of her abduction were so over acted it was obvious she wanted her 15 minutes of fame. She gave up a possible career in entertainment to be a wife and mother, she regretted it, became a bored housewife and found a way to become “famous”. She ignored her husband and children when she got her “fame” , got slammed for it and got her son involved (not sure how she got that con going) and was so removed from even caring that it possibly happened to him, what mother does that? It’s like she didn’t care, just sat there when he was recalling what happened to him. Then conjured up a story that these aliens have been following her family since before she was born? Come on!!!! Dumbest thing I’ve watched since I don’t know when. Carol was the only one her saw right through her and tried to get Budd to see the same. I don’t feel sorry for Budd, such a naive man.