Just over a quarter of an hour into The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman (Netflix), one of the contributors says something you cannot quite believe. She recalls how, in 1993, she chose to go on a road trip with two friends and a stranger called Rob: “That decision changed the next 10 years of my life.” At this point, we know we are watching a documentary about a fearsomely persuasive con artist, but even so: 10 years?
By the end of this chilling, frequently astounding three-parter about how powerful lies can be when delivered with confidence – and specifically about the abusive behaviour known as coercive control – it makes perfect, awful sense.
