Netflix has released a new trailer for their upcoming six-part docuseries, Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies, and the Internet. The anthology series, directed by Brian Knappenberger (We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists), will take a deep dive into five stories detailing the relationship between the internet and crime, exploring the ways misinformation and deceit can impact lives.
The trailer offers a look at the five stories that will cover a variety of crimes committed through the use of the internet, providing voice-overs and interviews with experts and the victims. The episodes cover stories that have been researched for years, ranging from blackmail and white supremacy to the murder of Democratic National Committee staffer, Seth Rich. Discussing the series, Knappenberger told Variety, “To voyage bodilessly in the virtual world doesn’t mean we are separated from real-world consequences. Our lives still play out in the physical world even if our minds are mired in misinformation.”
The episodes will include “Death by Swat”, which tells the story of an online gamer who makes fraudulent 911 calls to send SWAT teams to innocent victims’ homes until one call turns tragic; “A Murder in DC” which will explore Rich’s 2016 murder in the wake of online conspiracies; “I’m Not a Nazi” in which a woman finds herself the mouthpiece for white nationalists, leading to a violent murder; “Sextortion” which lends a voice to the victims of a man who virtually blackmailed them for sensitive material; and “The Stingray Part 1 and 2” which chronicles the fraudulent schemes of two hackers.
Web of Make Believe director, Knappenberger, is no stranger to Netflix; his other projects include Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror and the heartbreaking Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. According to executive producer, Sara Bernstein, “There is no better platform and audience than Netflix…” for this harrowing and timely anthology. This will be the director’s first collaboration with Imagine Documentaries.
Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies, and the Internet will be released on Netflix on June 15. Check out the trailer and synopsis below:
Web of Make Believe: Death, Lies & The Internet is a 6-part anthology series from director Brian Knappenberger, Luminant Media and Imagine Documentaries that tells stories of people caught in a dark and twisted web of modern misinformation and digital deception. Haunting, bizarre and up-to-the-moment relevant, the series explores consequences of “SWATing”, takes a chilling trip down the rabbit hole of white supremacy, joins a Federal hunt for the suspect of a brazen IRS heist and investigates a murder set against the backdrop of Russian election interference. Rich with distinctive characters and surprising plotlines, reality is warped when the ordinary American household collides with a chaotic web of misinformation
Read Next
About The Author
