Netflix's newest true crime offering, A Toxic Love Story, has been labelled so startling that devotees of the genre must add it to their watch list without delay.
The feature-length production began streaming on the platform today (July 23) and is anticipated to rapidly climb the ranks of most-viewed films.
What is the Anaheim Craigslist case?
The film centres on a case unfolding in an affluent Californian suburb. Within American media circles, it gained notoriety as the 'Anaheim Craigslist case'. A young woman faces arrest following reports she orchestrated a violent fantasy scheme targeting her former boyfriend's new spouse. The matter swiftly evolves into a sensation that grips public attention.
Yet the complete truth lies buried beneath an intricate network of lies. As investigators unpick successive layers of treachery, the lines blur between genuine victim and perpetrator in a scenario where all parties appear to be performing a role.
Critical acclaim
A Guardian critic, who confesses to being amongst the minority left underwhelmed by Worst Neighbor Ever, proclaimed that this latest film is an 'astonishing real-life saga will leave you goggle-eyed and barely breathing'. They indicated it represents one of Netflix's finest true crime offerings in recent times, noting: 'A Toxic Love Story is a welcome, if doubtless temporary, return to form. It is a rigorous, 88-minute recounting of an astonishing story that became notorious about 10 years ago in the US and was known as the Anaheim Craigslist case.'
Another reviewer concurred: 'A Toxic Love Story is far better than Netflix's recent true‐crime offerings. From afar, it may seem like your average toxic relationship tale bottled in a flabbergasting and insane love triangle, but it's truly a story of a woman's infuriating, triumphant story of getting her justice and resilience to obtain the happily ever after she always deserved.'
Meanwhile, one reviewer admitted: 'A Toxic Love Story genuinely shocked me. It both flips the usual crime story on its head and touches on subversive themes.'
Viewer reactions
Those who've already viewed it appear unanimous that approaching it with minimal prior knowledge significantly enriches the experience. One said: 'This is the kind of sofa-viewing experience that will have you texting your fellow true-crime friends to ask if they've seen A Toxic Love Story, and if they haven't, they need to get to it.'
A Toxic Love Story is streaming on Netflix.
