"A Friend of the Family" Review

"A Friend of the Family" is a limited drama series about the true story of Jan Broberg's kidnappings in the 1970s, starring Jake Lacy as the infamous kidnapper Robert Berchtold, Colin Hanks as Jan's father Bob Broberg, Anna Paquin as Jan's mother Mary Ann Broberg, Lio Tipton as Robert's wife Gail Berchtold, and Mckenna Grace and Hendrix Yancey as Jan Broberg and young Jan Broberg respectively.

The pace of the story is slow but the proceedings are appropriately horrifying and transfixing, as Robert Berchtold kidnaps Jan and we see Bob and Mary Ann paralyzed by inaction. Only later do we gradually understand the extent of the hold that Berchtold has over the entire family. Berchtold is played to chilling perfection by Jake Lacy, Hendrix Yancey as Jan Broberg is also very absorbing to watch, and as is Mckenna Grace as a slightly older Jan Broberg in the second half of the season. The production design is also superb, immersing the viewer in its 1970s setting entirely.

"A Friend of the Family" is an absorbing series featuring a supremely creepy performance from Jake Lacy, good performances all around, great production values, and a stark reminder of how the most dangerous people around us can look just like an ordinary person, subtly manipulating you while skillfully concealing their evil intentions, all while biding their time to strike. Please take care in who you trust.

"A Friend of the Family" 是一套迷你劇集，根據真人真事改編，講述小女孩Jan Broberg被父母的朋友Robert Berchtold 兩次誘拐。Jake Lacy 飾演 Robert Berchtold，Colin Hanks 飾演 Jan'的父親 Bob Broberg，Anna Paquin 飾演 Jan的母親Mary Ann Broberg，Lio Tipton 飾演 Robert 的太太Gail Berchtold，還有 Mckenna Grace 和 Hendrix Yancey 分別飾演 14歲和12歲Jan Broberg。

故事的節奏比較慢，但劇情的發展相當令人注目。我們看到Robert Berchtold 枴走 Jan，亦見到Jan 的父母不敢輕舉妄動，好像害怕什麼的。故事一直發展下去時，我們才慢慢開始明白到Berchtold 控制這個家庭是到怎樣的地步。Jake Lacy飾演Robert Berchtold的演出非常陰森，而Hendrix Yancey和Mckenna Grace飾演不同年紀的Jan Broberg 都演得很出色，令觀眾感受到Robert Berchtold 對她的影響有多麼深遠。劇集的製作細節也是一流的。

"A Friend of the Family" 是一套非常值得一看的劇集，每一位主要演員都演得很好，Jake Lacy尤其出色，製作上的每一個細節都做得非常好。這套劇集更加提醒我們，一些很危險的人驟眼看可能跟其他人無異，非常善於掩蓋他們的意圖，以便製造下手的最好時機，所以我想藉此叮囑各位，一定要小心，千萬不要隨便相信別人。

如果你已經看過這套電視劇或者有任何意見，歡迎在下面留言！

If you've seen this series, what did you think of it? Let me know in the comments below!