If there’s one genre that consistently triumphs on Netflix, it’s true-crime documentaries. The latest addition to the platform’s Top 10 in the US is “Tell Them You Love Me.” According to FlixPatrol, a specialized website which collects viewership data, it has secured the second spot on the most-watched list in the country.
Directed by Nick August-Perna, “Tell Them You Love Me” explores the contentious relationship between a white, able-bodied professor and a nonverbal Black man with cerebral palsy. The man’s mother claimed he couldn’t give consent, sparking a nationwide debate over power dynamics, disability, and race, as reported by Netflix’s Tudum.
August-Perna is known for helming the 2011 documentary “The Swell Season,” while Louis Theroux (My Scientology Movie) and Arron Fellows (Louis Theroux Interviews…) serve as executive producers. Here’s everything you need to know about this new documentary, which tells the story of Anna Stubblefield and Derrick Johnson.
What happens in Tell Them You Love Me?
The documentary details the case against Anna Stubblefield, a Rutgers University-Newark ethics professor who was originally convicted in 2015 of sexually assaulting Derrick Johnson, a nonverbal man with cerebral palsy. The two first met in 2009 through Derrick’s brother, John Johnson, who was one of Stubblefield’s students. When John approached the professor about his brother’s condition, Stubblefield, then 41, offered to help Derrick, then 30, with his communication skills.
With Stubblefield’s assistance, Derrick learned to use a keyboard with an LED screen to type and even began taking a university class. Over time, Stubblefield claims that they fell in love and entered into a consensual sexual relationship. However, Derrick’s mother, Daisy Johnson, disputed this, arguing that her son lacked the capacity for physical or emotional intimacy. She also alleged that Derrick’s use of the keyboard was only possible because Stubblefield was manipulating his hands.
The film explores the complexities of Derrick and Stubblefield’s relationship, which developed while Stubblefield was married. It delves into the trial that ensued, highlighting the contentious debates over Derrick’s ability to consent and the ethical implications of their relationship.
Eve Batey from Reality Blurred gave the documentary a positive review, writing that “does one of the best jobs I’ve ever seen of truly telling all sides of a case — including the suspect’s — without selling anyone out. Given the remarkably loaded nature of the case, which is fraught with issues of gender, race, disability, culture, and consent, it’s a notable achievement from director Nick August-Perna.”
