True crime drama Believe Me is ‘harrowing’, ‘sinister’ and ‘wildly heartbreaking’

Netflix has just added a true crime drama film called Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey. The film recreates the shocking and chilling story of what happened to 17-year-old Lisa McVey, when she was abducted and held by serial killer Bobby Joe Long.

The movie, which was originally released in 2018, has gone straight into number one in the Netflix Top 10 list in the UK, and viewers are saying it’s a must-watch for anyone who likes true crime or crime dramas. In it, Lisa is played by Katie Douglas, who you might recognise from her role in Ginny and Georgia – also on Netflix.

Here’s what you need to know about the film, and what everyone has been saying about it.

Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey recreates the true story of what happened to her when she was aged 17

In 1984, 17-year-old Lisa McVey was abducted by serial killer Bobby Joe Long as she cycled home from her job at a doughnut store in Tampa, Florida. He bundled her into his car, blindfolded, and took her to his apartment. Here, she would be held at gunpoint, sexually assaulted and tortured for 26 hours.

Lisa McVey miraculously managed to persuade Long to set her free, saying she could be his girlfriend and claiming she needed to return home to care for her ill father. When he did set her free, she recalled in incredible detail what had happened to her to police, so vividly that they were able to capture him. However, this was only after she managed to persuade some officers, and her own family, that she was even telling the truth.

Before he took Lisa, Bobby Joe Long had killed 10 other women in the Tampa Bay area of Florida and is thought to have sexually assaulted at least 50.

The Netflix synopsis reads: “After a horrifying kidnapping and narrow escape, a Florida teen struggles to convince family and authorities of her ordeal. Based on true events.”

People are calling the true crime drama film ‘harrowing’ and are saying the story is ‘horrific’ but a ‘must-watch’

Viewers who have watched Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey are calling the story horrible, but agree that it is a must-watch. People are saying the case has left them “sobbing” and that how Lisa was “failed by so many people” made their “blood boil”.

It also has a very impressive Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 92 per cent.

Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Believe Me on Netflix: Where is the real Lisa McVey now?

• What happened to Bobby Joe Long? The serial killer who abducted Lisa McVey

• Where you recognise cast of Netflix true crime Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey from