Netflix fans say an ‘absolutely twisted’ new documentary which ‘constantly’ had them guessing left them ‘sick’ to their stomachs.
The streaming giant is famed for its captivating documentaries, with recent true crime series, including Worst Roommate Ever and its follow-up Worst Ex Ever.
Now, Netflix’s latest offering delves into the murky world of catfishing – the act of tricking someone else into a relationship through a fake online identity.
Those of us who religiously watched Max and Nev on MTV’s Catfish: The TV Show already know that.
But not everyone is as well versed in the practice, with some 20,000 people still catfished each year in the US, according to recent data.
Tens of thousands of Americans are catfished each year (Netflix)
People are still being duped across the pond too, including Brit Kirat Assi, who spent close to a decade in an online relationship with a man she’d never met.
Kirat believed she’d connected with a handsome cardiologist called Bobby via Facebook. They had friends from their London Sikh community in common when they first connected in 2010.
Their friendship soon blossomed into a seriously romantic relationship. But whenever Kirat pushed to meet Bobby in person, he spewed a whole host of dramatic excuses.
Kirat told Netflix Tudum about her ordeal: “People think coercive control can’t happen online, but it can. It slowly breaks you down to the point where you’re not yourself anymore.”
Eight years on, Kirat was distraught when she learnt who was really behind Bobby’s Facebook account. Now, she’s opened up about the experience in Netflix’s Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare.
You can watch the trailer below:
The documentary is currently fourth in the Netflix US film charts, and fans have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts. One person said: “#SweetBobby on #Netflix is spine chilling. Extremely shook. The extent to which humanity can stoop to is just unf*****gbelievable. This is more than just #catfishing”.
A second agreed: “Sweet Bobby on Netflix has me sick in my stomach. My brain cannot comprehend the extent of crazy/twisted that a person can be. I literally have no trust in human kind.”
Others were eager to recommend the documentary, as one said: “If you want your absolute pants blown off of you I need you all to watch ‘Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare’ on Netflix… just. what the f**k.”
Another agreed: “Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare is a must-watch documentary on Netflix… Be careful of people you talk to on social media.”
Kirat Assi previously told her story in a Tortoise podcast (Netflix)
A third said: “If you’re trying to find something to watch, give Sweet Bobby on Netflix a go. Absolutely twisted, had me constantly guessing what was going on”.
Kirat’s story was first told in a 2021 Tortoise podcast, which attracted thousands of shocked listeners.
She previously told Netflix Tudum of the reception: “I thought it would just blow over, that it wasn’t going to be anything big. Little did I know that it would take over. It just blew up out of proportion.”
Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare is available to stream now on Netflix.
