Lorena
GenreTrue crime
Documentary
Directed byJoshua Rofé
Starring
  • Lorena Bobbitt
  • John Wayne Bobbitt
  • David Berman
  • Kim Gandy
  • Janna Bisutti
  • Becki Rinker
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes4
Production
Executive producers
Production companies
Original release
NetworkAmazon Prime Video
ReleaseFebruary 15, 2019 (2019-02-15)

Lorena is a 2019 American true-crime docuseries about the 1993 assault and subsequent court case involving John and Lorena Bobbitt. The four-part series premiered on February 15, 2019 on Amazon Prime Video. It was directed by Joshua Rofé who also served as an executive producer alongside Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, Steven J. Berger, Jenna Santoianni, and Tom Lesinski.

Premise

On June 23, 1993, Lorena Bobbitt cut off her husband John Bobbitt’s penis with an eight-inch carving knife from the kitchen counter while he was asleep in bed. She left the apartment with the severed appendage and drove her car to the nail salon where she worked. She threw the penis out of the car window into a roadside field during her commute. It was later found and re-attached. After her arrest, Lorena accused John of ongoing domestic violence and marital rape. The story and trial became a headline worldwide due to the 24-hour news cycle.

Lorena features interviews with both Lorena and John as they detail the events leading up to the night of the incident, the trial and aftermath in their personal lives. It is described by Amazon as "a groundbreaking re-investigation of the deep moral issues and painful human tragedies buried at the heart of this infamous American scandal. Lost in the tabloid coverage and jokes was the opportunity for a national discussion on domestic and sexual assault in America."[1]

Production

On April 5, 2018, it was announced that Amazon Prime Video had given the production a series order consisting of four episodes. The series was set to be directed by Joshua Rofé who was also expected to executive produce alongside Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, Steven J. Berger, Jenna Santoianni, and Tom Lesinski. Production companies involved with the series were slated to consist of Monkeypaw Productions, Sonar Entertainment, and Number 19.[1][2][3][4] On January 8, 2019, it was announced that the series would premiere on February 15, 2019.[5]

Release

On January 8, 2019, the first trailer for the series was released.[5]

The series held its official premiere on January 29, 2019, during the 2019 Sundance Film Festival as a part of the festival's Special Events section of screenings.[5][6]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected by [1]Original air date [7]
1"The Night Of"Joshua RoféFebruary 15, 2019 (2019-02-15)
In the middle of a June night in 1993, a young woman slices off her husband's penis in a seeming fit of rage. John and Lorena Bobbitt's dueling versions of the attack explode into the worldwide media and spill into the courtroom. The nation takes sides as a renewed battle of the sexes feeds a ravenous 24-hour TV news cycle.
2"A Woman in Trouble"Joshua RoféFebruary 15, 2019 (2019-02-15)
Acquitted of rape, John became a celebrity while Lorena stood trial, facing decades in prison. TV cameras recorded her ordeal as prosecutors attacked her relentlessly-a jealous shrew, a liar and thief. But though John proved a poor witness, and her lawyers demonstrated years of domestic abuse, it looked doubtful that they could prove she was legally insane the night she cut off his penis.
3"An Irresistible Impulse"Joshua RoféFebruary 15, 2019 (2019-02-15)
As Lorena's trial resumed, all agreed she had been abused. But was she legally insane when she attacked John? Millions stayed glued to their TVs as her testimony reached the fateful night she lost all control. Her lawyers had to prove she was under the influence of an "irresistible impulse," a defense that rarely worked. As momentum seemed to swing against her, a surprise witness took the stand.
4"The Cycle of Abuse"Joshua RoféFebruary 15, 2019 (2019-02-15)
Millions of TV viewers sat glued to their sets to see what fate Lorena would meet. Would she be found guilty and deported? Found not guilty and have the opportunity to rebuild? John and Lorena would set out on wildly different paths — John chased fame in a self-destructive downward spiral, while Lorena had to come to grips with the scars of her ordeal, no matter the verdict.

Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 82% based on 45 reviews, with an average rating of 7.33/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Fascinating and frustrating, Lorena's ample footage and fresh perspective on a long-mocked moment provide welcome context and vindication to the woman at its center — even if its reenactments don't quite measure up."[8] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the series a score of 75 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Petski, Denise (April 5, 2018). "Jordan Peele To Produce Lorena Bobbitt Docuseries For Amazon". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  2. ↑ Otterson, Joe (April 5, 2018). "Jordan Peele to Produce Lorena Bobbitt Docuseries for Amazon". Variety. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  3. ↑ O'Connell, Michael (April 5, 2018). "Jordan Peele Is Making a Lorena Bobbitt Docuseries for Amazon". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  4. ↑ Hibberd, James (April 5, 2018). "Jordan Peele to tackle Lorena Bobbitt scandal in Amazon series". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 Hibberd, James (January 8, 2019). "Amazon's first Lorena Bobbitt trailer re-examines infamous crime from her perspective". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  6. ↑ Olsen, Mark (December 3, 2018). "Jordan Peele's Lorena Bobbitt docu-series and new episodes of 'Documentary Now' lead Sundance's TV lineup". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 8, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Lorena – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Lorena: Season 1 (2018-2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Lorena". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
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