The trailer of Netflix’s The Devil Next Door leaves viewers with conflicting feeling as the story of a typical Ukrainian-American accused of committing crimes unfolds.
The streaming giant is known for bringing in quality movies and TV series to its viewers and so it is not that shocking that Netflix is also capable of telling stories about true events, let alone true crime stories.
Earlier this year, Netflix produced a docuseries about the famous serial killer, Ted Bundy, titled Conversations with the Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes. It was then followed by a film starring Zac Efron and Lily Collins. Now, the streaming giant is bringing another thrilling true crime docuseries to every screen about John Demjanjuk.
As per Collider.com, this is not your typical “whodunnit” story where viewers will have to guess who the culprit is. Instead, the series will introduce a typical old man from Ohio. According to the synopsis, John Demjanjuk is known to people as a retired Ukrainian-American autoworker who was living a peaceful life with his family in the suburb of Cleveland, Ohio in 1980s. Known to his children as a kind and gentle person, this man’s American dream started to fall apart when a group of Holocaust survivors accused him for committing heinous crimes against the Jews during World War II. Apparently, the then 66-year old Demjanjuk was a Ukrainian SS soldier, “Ivan the Terrible” who served in Treblinka extermination and killed millions of Jewish people.
Ivan the Terrible, or Ivan Marchenko, was described as a cruel torturer by his victims. He went around the camp whipping prisoners, slicing off their ears while they were working and stabbing them with his sword before bringing them to their death. It was said that the terrible camp guard was in-charged with two tank engines that fed off the gas chambers within the camp.
Now, Netflix’s The Devil Next Door follows this story of Demjanjuk as he was handed down to Israel to stand trial. The docuseries trailer showed the accused, pleading innocence and telling the audience that his heart is pure. The trial became a national obsession when the victims of Holocaust started to give their own testimony. Every reported all over the street, waiting for the next happening.
The big question that will make the viewer wonder is if John Demjanjuk is really Ivan the Terrible or if he is just a victim of false accusation.
Catch Netflix’s The Devil Next Door on November 4, 2019.