Netflix users are shaken by a true crime documentary labeled the platform’s most disturbing. The streaming service hosts numerous documentaries that probe intricate and chilling criminal cases, illuminating the crimes and the psychological and social dynamics behind them.
One documentary has deeply unsettled audiences, igniting intense online debates. A social media post read: “I’ve watched tons of docs, but this was some of the most shocking content I’ve ever seen.” Another user stated: “It’s among the most troubling and uneasy documentaries I’ve encountered, and I’ve seen many.” A third noted, “It left me nauseated.” A fourth commented: “This could be the most unsettling doc I’ve ever watched on Netflix.”
With executive production from the acclaimed Louis Theroux, this gripping documentary dives into a highly controversial and upsetting case that some viewers find too heavy to bear.
Directed by Nick August-Perna, previously recognized for The Swell Season, it examines the disturbing case of Anna Stubblefield, a former philosophy professor whose actions resulted in a criminal conviction.
The story started in 2009 when Stubblefield, aged 41, met Derrick Johnson, a 30-year-old non-verbal man with cerebral palsy, through his brother, a student in her Rutgers University course in Newark, New Jersey.
Per a 2015 New York Times article, Stubblefield’s parents, both Ph.D. holders in special education, had significant experience supporting people with disabilities. Stubblefield offered to assist Derrick with his communication abilities, seemingly following her parents’ path.
The situation, however, veered into controversy when Stubblefield, then married, asserted that her engagement with Derrick had developed into a consensual sexual relationship. Derrick’s mother, Daisy Johnson, fiercely contested this, insisting her son could not consent to any physical or emotional intimacy due to his condition.
Netflix frames the documentary as a scandalous look at ‘a controversial relationship between a professor and a nonverbal man, leading to a trial grappling with race, disability, and power.’
Stubblefield was convicted of two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and received a 12-year prison sentence, according to NJ.com. In 2017, her conviction was overturned, paving the way for a new trial.
She later accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, and was released after time served, per NJ.com. In the documentary, she claims: “I’m not guilty of a crime.”
Due to the sensitive nature of the case and the gravity of the allegations, Tell Them You Love Me has provoked powerful responses from viewers. Beyond unpacking the case specifics, it raises broader questions about consent, power imbalances, and the interplay of race and disability in the legal system. View the compelling trailer below…
Tell Them You Love Me is now available on Netflix in the U.S., with U.K. audiences able to stream it via Sky.