In the trailer for Peacock’s crime thriller ‘A Friend of the Family,’ Colin Hanks appears unrecognizable

September 13, 2022September 13, 2022 Editor

The series tells the true story of the abduction and abuse of Jan Broberg from the ages of 12-16

In the terrifying new trailer for A Friend of the Family, something is wrong with the Broberg family’s neighbor.

The tragic actual story of how obsessive family friend Robert Berchtold (Jake Lacy) exploited the Broberg family in order to steal their daughter is the basis for the Peacock criminal thriller.

Colin Hanks plays family patriarch Bob, who notices something off in his neighbor’s relationship with his wife, Mary Ann (Anna Paquin), and his daughter, Jan. Hanks, 44, is practically unrecognizable as the “big-hearted, compassionate” Bob, described as “the perfect ideal of a suburban father.”

The series follows Jan throughout her life, from her childhood (portrayed by Hendrix Yancey) to her adolescence (McKenna Grace), with the real-life Jan Broberg functioning as a producer with her mother.

Jan describes the series as telling the narrative of her “loving, trustworthy, educated family” and how her entire world changed one day in a surprising declaration.

Her family met “the finest new family at church” in 1972, and a years-long connection developed. “Then, on a routine afternoon,” she wrote, “the father kidnapped me — and from the age of 12 to 16, I was sexually molested and badly brainwashed by this man whom I trusted.”

Federal authorities arrive at the Brobergs’ home to question them about their contact with Berchtold, according to the trailer. “He’s virtually a family member,” Mary Ann explains.

“No one believes their best buddy is a monster,” Agent Pete Welsh (Austin Stowell) explains. “However, he has all of the characteristics of a psychopathic personality.”

Later on, Hanks’ character lashes out at Berchtold’s wife Gail (Lio Tipton). “Your husband kidnapped her once more!”

Showrunner Nick Antosca (Candy, The Act) described it as a “painful, complex story to work on,” and complimented the entire Broberg family, especially Jan, for their transparency throughout the process. “This is a survival story, but it’s also a story about the American psyche and the institutions of family, faith, and community,” he said in a statement.

Jan hopes that by telling the horrific story of her family and their neighbor’s exploitation of them, the series will make people “mad,” raising awareness for these types of abuse stories and starting a conversation.

A Friend of the Family premieres on Oct. 6 on Peacock.