Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini is the newest true-crime docuseries joining Hulu’s already immense slate of similar programming. Papini went missing for 22 days in late 2016, finally being found on the side of the road after being branded, wrapped in chains, and covered in bruises. The three-episode series tracks the work to find Sherri and the devastating understanding of what actually occurred during those 22 days and the years of investigating afterwards.
Keith Papini has a sick retro pick-up truck and his son has an incredible yeehaw personal style at such a young age. Does that have anything to do with the case at hand? Absolutely not, but I felt the need to share the things I appreciated whilst slogging through this series up top. Perfect Wife tries, over the course of three overlong hours, to victimize a variety of people before making its final reveal of the truth. It sends viewers into target practice, trying to keep everyone guessing as to the true nature of this upsetting tale of trickery, as if we can’t do a quick Google search.
Throughout the series, a variety of social media posts pop-up on screen from insufferable individuals trying to “solve the case” from their homes. An interview with an individual whose lower-third reads “local blogger” shines light on one, whose own basement-detective-work seemingly finds flaws in the case from the get-go. Paired together, the creators can’t get a grasp on whether or not they are commending individuals for being so involved with a case that they have nothing to do with or celebrating the work of numbnuts who think Facebook posts have merit.
As multiple stories are told to law enforcement, miniatures are placed in dioramas to help viewers visualize the trauma (!) Sherri Papini went through. Whoever had the idea of miniatures should not be allowed to make documentaries henceforth, as the cloying nature of watching action figures be abused is not needed. Ever. Alongside these Hereditary-esque scenes are a psychedelic, seizure inducing series of images, colors, and heinous sounds to…confuse? Entice? Their constant appearance across the series had no purpose other than to create a sense of ongoing dread.
I believe that’s the point: why dread? Why must these series tell us how to feel? If the goal is to highlight wack-a-doo and disheartening cases (and this one surely is), why not just state the facts? Why must we manipulate everyone watching into switching allegiances with real people who were manipulated themselves? While Keith Papini, near the end of the series, states that revisiting the entirety of the case helped gain a certain amount of awareness and closure about his relationship with Sherri, viewers leave feeling dirty. Real people were hurt. Real individuals' lives have been upended. Instead of delivering anecdotes and information, we’re instead treated to a thriller. This is not a narrative feature. This is a documentary.
This kind of series is where my problems with the true crime genre emanate. It’s all for show. Late in the runtime, information appears leading investigators back to a neo-nazi forum. Sherri frequently brings up negative Latino stereotypes. Minutes before the credits roll, it’s revealed how Sherri treated her children in the past. Heinous, disgusting, and vulgar claims, yet, the documentary doesn’t care. They are dropped in for shock value and then they quickly move on. Anecdotes to add to the momentum of the thriller, not to actually consider the further harm of those involved. In relation to the Latino stereotypes, a talking head with a radio host is brought in for 15 seconds, as if to check off a box. “Alright, we covered ourselves on that one. Moving on!”
There are interesting true crime documentaries. There are pieces of filmmaking and story recounting that are still engaging, while allowing everyone involved to remain a human being. There are TV series and films that are produced to give a voice to a voiceless after trying situations. Perfect Wife is none of those things. I’m beyond thrilled for Keith Papini and his children, who have heroically been able to move on with their lives and create a sense of peace after a turbulent few years. However, this is not the storytelling they, or viewers, deserve.
Perfect Wife: The Disappearance of Sherri Papini is now streaming on Hulu.