Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich is an American web documentary television miniseries about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The miniseries is based on the 2016 book of the same name by James Patterson, and co-written by John Connolly and Tim Malloy. Filthy Rich was released on May 27, 2020, on Netflix. The four-part documentary features interviews with several survivors including Virginia Giuffre and Maria Farmer, along with former staff members and former police chief Michael Reiter, a key individual from the first criminal case against Epstein.
| Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich | |
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| Genre | Documentary |
| Based on | Filthy Rich: A Powerful Billionaire, the Sex Scandal that Undid Him, and All the Justice that Money Can Buy: The Shocking True Story of Jeffrey Epstein by James Patterson |
| Directed by | Lisa Bryant |
| Music by | Justin Melland |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
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| Running time | 55–57 minutes |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | May 27, 2020 |
Premise
editFilthy Rich tells the stories of the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein, and how he used his wealth and power to commit these crimes.[1]
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Hunting Grounds" | Lisa Bryant | May 27, 2020 | |
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Survivors recount how Epstein abused, manipulated and silenced them as he ran a so-called molestation "pyramid scheme" out of his Palm Beach mansion. | ||||
| 2 | "Follow the Money" | Lisa Bryant | May 27, 2020 | |
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Epstein goes on the offensive as police gather mountains of evidence against him. But how did he acquire the fortune that protected him for so long? | ||||
| 3 | "The Island" | Lisa Bryant | May 27, 2020 | |
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Some of the adult-aged "co-conspirators" of Epstein such as Haley Robson and Courtney Wild claim that they were "victims", and their collaboration recruiting more victims was part of the control Epstein held over them. Other collaborators are ignored, such as Sarah Kellen[2] and Nadia Marcinko. Lawyer Alan Dershowitz explains the strategy used as Epstein's attorney for his legal defense. Dershowitz, who wasn't a member of The Florida Bar, puts together a group of Florida-licensed lawyers to defend Epstein. Epstein brokers a plea deal that's unprecedented in its leniency, Sarah Ransome opens up about the horrors she endured, at the age of 22, on Jeffrey Epstein's private island, Little Saint James, U.S. Virgin Islands. | ||||
| 4 | "Finding Their Voice" | Lisa Bryant | May 27, 2020 | |
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In 2008, Epstein enters a state-level guilty plea in exchange for a federal non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with Alex Acosta's office and serves an 18-month prison term. In 2019, Florida federal Judge Kenneth Marra invalidates the NPA. Virginia Giuffre claims to have been abused by Prince Andrew and Epstein's attorney Alan Dershowitz, who denies having sexually abused anyone. Arrested and charged in 2019 with child sex trafficking, Epstein spends only a short time behind bars, but his accusers still get their day in court. | ||||
Production
editThe miniseries was based on the 2016 book Filthy Rich: A Powerful Billionaire, the Sex Scandal that Undid Him, and All the Justice that Money Can Buy: The Shocking True Story of Jeffrey Epstein written by James Patterson, and co-written by John Connolly with Tim Malloy.[3][4] Filthy Rich was announced prior to Epstein's death, and was in production nine months prior to his arrest.[5][6] The project was initially known as The Florida Project, taking precautions as Epstein was still alive, working on a secret server.[7] They also worked in a locked room with cameras and a safe to hold materials.[8]
Release
editThe trailer for the miniseries was released on May 13, 2020.[9][10]
Reception
editOn Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 82%, based on reviews from 44 critics, with an average rating of 7.00/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "It lacks new insight, but by focusing on the stories of survivors Filthy Rich sheds light on the lasting impact of Epstein's crimes."[11] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Kreps, Daniel (May 13, 2020). "See First Trailer for Netflix's 'Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich' Docuseries". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- ^ "Sarah Kellen Vickers: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". August 29, 2019.
- ^ "Documentary on the Crimes Of Jeffrey Epstein Coming To Netflix". Cultured Vultures. May 14, 2020. Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- ^ "Netflix to release docuseries on Jeffrey Epstein". WCJB. Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- ^ "Netflix's 'Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich' Docuseries Gets a Trailer". Complex. Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- ^ Gajanan, Mathia (May 22, 2020). "The Story Behind the Netflix Docuseries Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich". Time. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ Hibberd, James (May 27, 2020). "Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich director breaks silence on film's disturbing revelations". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ Bruney, Gabrielle (May 27, 2020). "Armed Guards and Death Threats: Inside the Making of Netflix's Harrowing Jeffrey Epstein Documentary". Esquire. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
- ^ Shafer, Ellise (May 13, 2020). "Jeffrey Epstein Docuseries Gets Trailer, Netflix Release Date". Variety. Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- ^ "'Filthy Rich' Trailer: Jeffrey Epstein Accusers Warn 'Monsters Are Still Out There'". TheWrap. May 13, 2020. Archived from the original on May 14, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- ^ "Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- ^ "Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich". Metacritic. Retrieved June 10, 2020.