While Netflix might catch flack for canceling beloved shows or producing far too many vacuous, expensive action movies, you will never hear anyone complain about the streamer’s lack of true crime content. Every month, Netflix rolls out another half a dozen or so original true crime series and movies, and October is no different. But the upcoming true crime documentary we are most curious about is Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare.
Inspired by the 2021 podcast of the same name, Sweet Bobby recounts the story of the doomed relationship of Kirat Assi, a woman living in London who formed a deep friendship and eventually fell in love with Bobby, a man she met on Facebook. The problem was that every time they tried to meet up in person, something got in the way.
In this documentary from The Tinder Swindler producer Raw, we’ll have the chance to hear from Assi herself and see tons of photos, screenshots, and messages from her eight-year relationship with the convincing and manipulative catfish Bobby.
The investigative podcast was produced by Tortoise Media, which also recently published a six-episode podcast focused on the allegations against author Neil Gaiman.
“Sweet Bobby is a live, multi-part investigation in search of one of the world’s most sophisticated catfishers,” reads Tortoise’s synopsis. “It’s a story about who we are online, and how social media can be weaponised as a tool of abuse and coercion.”
Streamers are increasingly turning to podcasts for content, especially investigation series based on true stories. Hulu’s The Dropout, Apple’s The Shrink Next Door and WeCrashed series, and Peacock’s The Thing About Pam were all inspired by podcasts.
Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare starts streaming on Netflix on October 16.
