This no-holds-barred Netflix mockumentary series takes a look at true crime

American vandal remains one of NetflixThe most heartbreaking rejection victims. The show proved that despite its short two-season run, it was unique in both concept and execution. The show focused on two amateur high school documentarians, Peter Maldonado (Tyler Alvarez) and Sam Eckland (Griffin Gluck), which deal with cases of minor offenses in order to prove that the accused is not guilty and to reveal the truth. Stylistically, the show is designed as a mockumentary and utilizes interviews, digital recreations and CCTV footage – the entire show is put together in the same way as a true crime documentary. However, the series balances its serious tone with the ridiculousness of the cases to create biting satire without resorting to slapstick humor. American vandal criticizes the formulation of true crime while maintaining its own identity; It is truly unique and deserves more recognition.

What is “American Vandal” about?

American vandals The first season takes place after a prank in which faculty members’ cars were vandalized with phallic images. The alleged perpetrator is Dylan Maxwell (Jimmy Tatro), who is known as the class clown at Hanover High School. However, Peter and Griffin begin solving the crime and uncovering darker secrets lurking at the school. The presentation intentionally mirrors true crime documentaries, so the episodes end with huge cliffhangers that tonally echo the statement “Nothing could have prepared them for what would happen next.” Although these moments are a clear caricature of true crime, the Plot twists and dramatic revelations are actually extremely well done. The true nature of the characters is brought to light in a way that does not compromise their characterization, but also does not go to an extreme unimaginable to high school students.

Buffalo Jim gives a thumbs up from his convertible in

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At the beginning of the second season, the series gets extremely metaphorical, as a voiceover explains that the low-budget documentary has become so popular that it was picked up by Netflix – and this is the first season of the series! It says that Netflix helped them add drone footage and animated 3D recreations to make the documentary appear more polished and professional. The entire sequence is self-referential and gives the show so much personality and transparency. It mocks the way technology is used to make true crime shows even more intrusive and detailed. However, the refined production makes the documentary even more detached from reality. Peter and Sam acknowledge this by telling the audience that after the success of the first season, they were inundated with messages from people asking them to solve similar cases – one of them even asked them to solve a real murder. Through this, American vandal shows the separation between reality and dramatization.

“American Vandal” criticizes the glorification of true crime

Two high school students sit at a picnic table, one showing the other paper evidence of his crimes in American Vandal — Image via Netflix

American vandal The format could have easily been exploited, but instead it suggests that the main characters hand-picked their next case because it was so obsessively different from all the other requests they received. It gave the series the freedom to create a new, completely different crime and establish its anthology format, keeping the basics of the mockumentary style but creating a completely different scenario.

The extreme of the crime series of the second season American vandals Commitment to pushing visual boundaries. The opening episode shows the “brownout,” the school-wide defecation after laxatives are added to cafeteria soda. The entire sequence is really difficult to watch due to its graphic nature. There are constant close-ups of students in compromising, uncontrollable situations and detailed descriptions of what happened by eyewitnesses. But that’s the point: the series is seduced by the extremes of true crime, but depicts it in the most infamous and crude way possible. By showing something that the audience actively looks away from, it offers a mirror to the morbid curiosity that encourages people to watch true crime.

“American Vandal” was canceled too soon

Despite its short duration American vandal demonstrated its adaptability and longevity. The anthology format was keen to continue as the show was never tied to specific storylines. It has the addictive quality of genuine but stylized humor that exudes self-awareness. It offered such a frank portrayal of high school, but didn’t shy away from more serious topics. Because the show is a real documentary, the episodes are interspersed with real facts about convictions. It would introduce you to a character who feels guilty before offering you a valid explanation for his actions, and illustrate the danger of jumping to conclusions in criminal cases. This was most evident through the use of authority figures: it showed how teachers abused their power and how police officers wore down their suspects in order to force a confession. This followed statistics showing that minors are more likely to confess to crimes they did not commit. It highlights the series’ ability to address injustices in the real world.

American vandal explores themes of isolation, the pressures of social media, and the viciousness of high school. The characters’ relationships feel realistic, and this is maintained through a commitment to a candid documentary style. On the surface it’s a biting satire criticizing true crime, but a closer look reveals it American vandal is one of the most underrated Netflix series of all time.