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Netflix's The Imposter viewers left 'disturbed' over bizarre true story of missing child who 'returned'

Home> Entertainment

Updated 09:12 28 Dec 2022 GMTPublished 20:42 27 Dec 2022 GMT

Netflix's The Imposter viewers left 'disturbed' over bizarre true story of missing child who 'returned'

The Imposter was originally released 10 years ago but is new to Netflix’s true crime catalogue

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

Netflix viewers are completely 'disturbed' over the bizarre true story of a missing child who 'returned'. Check out the eerie trailer below:

True crime doc The Imposter has frightened the life out of viewers as many have referred to it as 'insane' and 'crazy'.

For those unaware, the BAFTA-winning film was actually released 10 years ago - but for many Netflix users, it definitely has come as a pleasant surprise.

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The story begins in 1994, when 13-year-old Nicholas Barclay goes missing in Texas after playing basketball with friends.

Barclay went missing suddenly in San Antonio and cops presumed he had been murdered, but his body was never found.

After the search was called off, the grieving family got a phone call three years on, which they really did not expect.

Remarkably, in 1997, the Barclays were told that their son had been found alone and scared in Spain.

It seemed as though the family’s issues were all but resolved, however, that was certainly not the case.

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Missing child Nicholas Barclay.
Film4

Nicholas used to be a blonde-haired, blue-eyed kid who had grown up in Texas.

When he came back home a few years, the boy, looked completely different - with brown eyes, dyed hair and a French accent.

What happened exactly, well that's for you to find out.

Reacting to the doc, one person said: "Just watched The Imposter on Netflix and honestly wtf was that."

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Another added: "I watched this and completely disturbed. This movie gave me chills."

While a third thought: "If you’ve never seen true crime doc The Imposter, bump it to the front of your Netflix queue immediately."

"Netflix adding The Imposter today, it's genuinely one of the greatest and most jaw-dropping docs I've ever seen. Well worth a watch," someone else added.

The man who came back claiming to be Nicholas.
Film4

An official synopsis for the doc reads: “Unforgettable, chilling and emotional, The Imposter tells the gripping true story of a Texan boy who went missing in 1994 and was miraculously found three and a half years later thousands of miles away in southern Spain.

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“Despite glaring inconsistencies in his physical appearance, the boy's family brought their long-lost 'son' home to restart his life in Texas.

"Questions soon arise: how could the Barclay's blonde, blue-eyed son have returned with darker skin and eyes? How could his personality and even accent have changed so dramatically? Truth soon proves stranger than fiction as the real story emerges.”

The Imposter is available to stream on Netflix now.

Featured Image Credit: Film4

Topics: Documentaries, Netflix, True Crime

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

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@Anish_Vij

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