American Nightmare: Netflix users left appalled by true-crime series – ‘I’m in a complete state of shock’

‘This is the craziest thing I have EVER watched,’ one astounded viewer wrote

Netflix users are reacting in disbelief to a “shocking” new true-crime series titled American Nightmare.

Earlier this week, the streaming service added the title, which is the latest release from the makers of former streaming service hit The Tinder Swindler, which was released in February 2022.

The three-part series places the spotlight on a case dubbed “the real-life Gone Girl” – the story of a woman’s abduction and police’s ensuing refusal to believe it was legitimate.

In 2015, an intruder broke into the Vallejo, California home of Denise Huskin and her boyfriend Aaron Quinn, and drugged them both before abducting Huskins and holding her for ransom.

When Quinn turned to the police for help, he was shocked to discover he was not believed – and was soon suspected of being responsible for her disappearance.

At the time, the case was quickly compared to Gone Girl, the best-selling novel by Gillian Flynn that was adapted into a film in 2014, starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike. In the fictional story, author Amy Dunne (played by Pike) suddenly vanishes, causing the police to suspect that her husband Nick (Affleck) was behind it.

Viewers are tearing through the series, with one person branding it “the craziest” Netflix true-crime series yet.

”The absolute JOURNEY #AmericanNightmare just put me through, oh my god,” one subscriber wroter, with another adding: “This is the craziest thing I have EVER watched!!” An additional viewer said: “I just finished American Nightmare on Netflix and I am in a complete state of shock.

These viewers also shared their shock and disgust at Huskins’ treatment by the authorities after watching the series.

One person wrote on X/Twitter: “This entire documentary is a prime example of why women don’t call the police when they’re assaulted. The police are so negligent it’s disgusting.”

Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn on ‘American Nightmare’ (Netflix)

Another viewer concurred: “I’m still so emotional and p***ed off,” with an additional stating: “American Nightmare on Netflix was jaw dropping. The world is sick.”

In American Nightmare, viewers get a behind-the-scenes view of the ordeal, finding out what really went on and how the couple had to fight for their traumatic experience to be taken seriously.

Speaking about their recovery from the incident in 2021, Huskins told ABC News: “You can go through any kind of trauma to where it leaves you devastated and in a place where you just think, ‘This is impossible to move forward from. What do I do next?’”

American Nightmare is available to stream on Netflix now.