Good American Family Review: Emotional Manipulation At Its Most Blatant

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The new Hulu limited drama series, titled “Good American Family,” is a challenging watch, even if you haven’t followed the sensational real-life story of Natalia Grace closely. The show, inspired by her tumultuous adoption saga, will leave you questioning the truth and becoming skeptical about its accuracy versus its manipulative potential to captivate viewers craving scandal. While “Good American Family” strives for authenticity, it often exaggerates and heightens certain elements, blurring the line between portraying the truth and being manipulatively engaging. Maintaining this delicate balance is a challenge the series faces throughout its eight episodes.

The narrative unfolds in 2019, featuring bestselling author and “supermom” Kristine Barnett (portrayed by Ellen Pompeo) delivering a speech at a mall about the trials of parenthood, specifically focusing on her experiences as a mother of three, especially her autistic son. However, the conversation takes an unexpected turn when she’s suddenly apprehended by the police under child neglect charges. The accusation stems from her adopted daughter Natalia Grace (Imogen Faith Reid in her debut lead role), who Kristine claims has posed a threat to her life. The story then shifts back to 2010, providing insights into the events that led to this situation. At this time, Kristine and her husband Michael (played by Mark Duplass, embodying a less intelligent variation of his character from “Creep” without the homicides) were unable to adopt an autistic girl, causing their marriage to crumble and leaving them all struggling to find purpose.

In this situation, a call arrives from an adoption agency that seems suspicious, offering a possible solution to the pain of the couple – a seven-year-old girl named Natalia who has a unique case of dwarfism, originally from Ukraine. Due to complications with her previous adoptive parents, she urgently requires a new home. Kristine and Michael are overjoyed at this opportunity as a means to heal their hearts. Despite the unexpected $7,000 fee supposedly for unpaid “medical bills” by the former family, they decide to proceed with the adoption. The entire situation seems fishy, but the Barnetts move forward anyway. However, the real terror begins when Natalia arrives at her new home and strange occurrences start happening around her.

Deceitfully creepy … until it isn’t

In a nod to the popular horror film “Orphan,” the series deliberately establishes an eerie similarity with its narrative elements. The character Natalia, portrayed by Imogen Faith Reid (who is 27 and has dwarfism), is unsettlingly villainous from the start, as conceived by creator Katie Robbins and her team of writers. Reid delivers a chilling, disquieting performance that pervades Natalia with an unsettling aura. She exhibits behavior such as stealing a kitchen knife, mutilating her stepbrother’s stuffed animals, and seeking constant attention. Her words, which seem unusual for a 7-year-old, are used in ambiguous, manipulative, and occasionally devious ways.

It seems for several episodes, it’s almost like the writers are playing a trick on us, intentionally overdoing aspects such as the acting, plot, and music to create a sense of something strange being concealed. The excessive soapiness suggests an impending twist because if not, this storyline is simply too predictable and lackluster. However, as we delve deeper into the narrative, the boundary between thriller and melodrama becomes increasingly indistinct.

The show titled “Good American Family” isn’t about horror, but rather a tale of redemption (and tears) that revolves around characters who are often dysfunctional, self-centered, and cruel. Some viewers might even label them as sociopaths, given their predatory behavior towards the vulnerable in order to gain power over them. As the narrative viewpoint shifts from one episode to another, it becomes increasingly challenging to discern the true purpose behind these events.

A contorted way to tell an otherwise gripping story

From the beginning of the series, all events spanning ten years are presented as indisputable facts and truths (which provokes curiosity), making it difficult to genuinely sympathize with the victims. The characters we initially encounter are portrayed in such a way that we’re inclined to detest them, and since we only witness their villainous and malicious actions for an extended period, we tend to feel anger instead of empathy. The writers strategically hold back information, keeping our perspective on the characters one-sided until the truth is disclosed. We are straightforwardly told who the “evil” and the “good” characters are because the narrative labels them as such – not because they inherently are. The writing deliberately manipulates our perception by making us believe certain things based on what serves the plot’s objectives at different points, often in a very transparent way to generate a potentially captivating, albeit sentimental, melodrama.

There’s undeniably a deep, mysterious, and moving narrative lurking beneath the surface, which revolves around a young girl with disabilities who has been mistreated, traumatized, and sensationalized by the media for mass entertainment. However, this true story only becomes apparent towards the final episodes, leaving us in a state of confusion, annoyance, and often feeling lost amidst the complex plot twists. Unfortunately, our emotional connection to the narrative might not be as strong as we’d like due to the challenging journey we’ve been on.

While the show’s captivating real-life story makes me hesitant to completely discredit it, there are clear flaws in its presentation and the methods used by the writers that detract from the viewing experience. I can’t help but wish for a more straightforward and unadorned narrative approach when telling Natalia’s tumultuous yet impactful life story. It’s a tale worth sharing, but I feel it could’ve been presented without resorting to sensationalism that often leans towards exploitation, misleading depictions, and provoking anger.

“Good American Family” premieres on March 19 on Hulu.

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2025-03-19 19:30