ABC News wants to know, Have You Seen This Man? Inspired by the true-crime podcast of the same name, this three-part documentary series unravels exclusively on Hulu beginning Thursday, March 24th. It’s a story about trust, lies, deception, and even love surrounding the disappearance of an unlikely conman.
(ABC News/Hulu)
John Ruffo went from running a computer sales company to leading a bank fraud operation to the sum of $353 million in the 1990s. Caught and sentenced, he disappeared on the day he was set to go to jail, leaving his family, friends, employees, and investigators in the lurch. As they dig in their unending search to find John Ruffo, they continuously find new jaw-dropping information.
The six-part podcast more-or-less becomes translated to three hour-long episodes, even retaining its host, Sunny Hostin. The benefit here is having visuals to accompany the story which, being an open case, is of great benefit. The title isn’t just attention-grabbing, they really mean it with information on who to contact if you think you’ve seen John Ruffo (www.usmarshals.gov/tips).
Talking head interviews and photos are accompanied by pantomimed reenactments of key moments in the story. They’re done in a reserved way and are visually different from the interviews thanks to the employment of filters that age the footage.
As was the case with the podcast, the stories that really hit you as a viewer are those of the people whose lives were drastically changed by John Ruffo’s crimes. His wife, Linda Lausten, becomes the central character, who also relays the experiences of John’s parents. The perspectives also include John’s lawyer, employees he involved in his crimes, and the U.S. Marshals leading the search to find John Russo and bring him to justice.
In a docuseries format, Have You Seen This Man? has the potential to help find John Ruffo and make him answer for his crimes. Having already experienced the podcast, the docuseries didn’t enhance the story as much as I expected it to, but it’s still the same engaging story. Whether you heard the story unfold last fall or are just getting into it, Have You Seen This Man? is a fascinating look at an inconspicuous man who fooled the entire world.
All three episodes of Have You Seen This Man? premiere Thursday, March 24th, on Hulu.