'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The new Netflix original American Nightmare, which premieres on January 17, 2024, is about the famous Gone Girl case in Vallejo, California. This series is a true crime documentary that revolves around the story of the couple Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn, who were accused of fake alarms in 2015 by an intruder who then held Huskins hostage.
Felicity Morris and Bernadette Higgins, who also made The Tinder Swindler, created the documentary series. It is a three-part documentary series, connecting a series of questioning videos and new interviews. The story of Huskins' absence got a lot of attention from the national media across the country, and many people compared it to Gillian Flynn's 2012 book Gone Girl.
The police turned down the couple as suspects, not victims, and the inquiry focused more on creating a tale than finding justice for the victims of a violent sadist. The American Nightmare series is not just about the crime itself but also features complex opinions about the failures of law enforcement and the public view of how this particular incident eventually unfolded.
American Nightmare: Denise Huskins' case explained
The documentary series American Nightmare may give audiences an impression of real-life Gone Girl, but the truth is bizarre, sad, and frustrating. Morris has stated in the documentary,
“It has this amazing woman who fell victim to a horrendous crime. But it’s about more than that. It’s about victims not being believed, about the institutions that are meant to protect us and yet they fall short. For her, in a terrible, terrible way.”
Quinn reveals to the police that the intruders sneaked into their house while they were sleeping, restrained him with zip ties, blindfolded him with swimming goggles, and drugged him with cold medicine before leaving with his girlfriend. This version of events does seem unlikely to occur.
According to the source, CBS Bay Area, the attacker intoxicated Quinn and drove Huskins to Lake Tahoe, where she was held hostage for two days, enduring repeated assaults. The kidnapper took Huskins to Huntington Beach, California, and left her there after sending ransom demands anonymously through email to both Quinn and the police.
Vallejo police declared their belief that the kidnapping was a hoax and requested Huskins and Quinn to withdraw their statements and apologize to the public. The actual perpetrator, Matthew Muller, was not arrested until June 5, 2015, when he tried a similar break-in attempt in a Dublin, California, home, approximately an hour south of Vallejo.
Denise Hudkins and Aaron Quinn finds justice
Denise shared the American Nightmare series on her Instagram handle and has spoken about the long journey to finding the right team to collaborate with the creators of Netflix. She stated,
"Perhaps more importantly, it's a story of hope when all feels lost. I believe anyone who’s overcome a trauma can connect with different parts of this series and what we went through."
In 2021, Quinn and Huskins made public statements on their treatment after the publication of a book titled Victim F: From Victims to Suspects to Survivors, which detailed their experiences. More than six years later, Huskins and Quinn, who are now married, received a formal apology from the Vallejo Police Department.
American Nightmare is available on Netflix now.
