The documentaries that tend to seize the zeitgeist are typically the more sensationalized stories of murder and mayhem, but Netflix’s Take Care of Maya has risen to the top of the viewership charts by way of sheer emotional devastation, with the crushing true story at the center of the feature-length exploration detailing a shocking series of events.
Per FlixPatrol, the heartbreaking story of the Kowalski family has entered the Top 10 in 43 countries since being added to the content library yesterday, and it’s guaranteed to leave a long-lasting impression on audiences around the world. The circumstances are difficult to begin with, but then they end up becoming so much worse.
10 year-old Maya Kowalski was admitted to John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in 2016 after her parents brought her in suffering from chronic pain. Despite revealing it was a regular occurrence and the youngster had undergone similar treatment in the past, suspicions of child abuse ultimately saw the parents lose custody of their daughter to the state.
From there, misery is piled on top of tragedy as the Kowalskis did everything in their power to try and bring their daughter home and fight the allegations laid at their door, which ended up having a profound impact on everyone connected to the case. Suffice to say, things may be in the process of resolving themselves as we speak via a lawsuit being filed against John Hopkins, but the damage has already long since been done in more ways than one.
It’s doubtful that Netflix will put out anything more powerful than Take Care of Maya this year, but it isn’t for the faint of heart.