Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini

• Directed and Produced by Michael Beach Nichols
• June 20, 2024
• Hulu

The story of Sherri and Keith Papini who by all accounts had an ordinary life until Sherri disappeared and triggered a search that became news around the world.

Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini was something that kept popping up repeatedly as a suggestion for me to watch on Hulu, but I just assumed it was a documentary focusing on a pretty blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman. Not that it doesn’t but for some reason something was saying to me that there was something ultimately generic about what I would get. The media has a habit of focusing on attractive upper middle-class people. I assumed it would be more of that and pretty bland.

I was wrong on that front. This movie went full Gone Girl. Calling this straight from a Hollywood script would be strangely accurate. They point to several fictional accounts that Sherri appeared to draw from to make her case look legitimate.

When all is revealed, it is a complicated and convoluted story. Not because what happened has been pre-written but because there are lies on top of lies. Weirdly it all boils down to ‘dumb.’ I can find no other way to accurately describe it. The perfect wife went through all this trouble for a very small thing which based on that was shown of her (now) ex-husband he probably would’ve said “Okay. You need that.”

If you are not familiar with the story, director Michael Beach Nichols and friends take you through it as if you are unfamiliar with events. You learn as the public would learn and you are just drawn in. And you actually feel bad for those affected by Sherri’s lie. As is often the case there are plenty of innocent people that get hurt. Her husband. Her two kids. Friends and family. This is a wound that you can’t properly heal from. They do a good job of explaining but not excusing why Sherri did what she did. It’s nothing that others haven’t managed to avoid becoming destructive from, but Sherri clearly wasn’t strong enough.

By the end of this, you’ll have your jaw on the floor. And you may ask yourself how these people could not have known the truth or could not have seen any signs. Friends and family who are interviewed give this a personal feel and general look inside her. What they thought her character was and even hints at her past. They also talk to her husband and you feel real pity for him. They don’t go out of their way to make him sympathetic, but he comes off as a bit naïve and overly trusting. Not that you should immediately question your wife, but he’s that significantly nice guy who gives people far too much benefit of the doubt.

What’s missing from all this is an interview with Sherri who declined to participate. Smart move since it is doubtful she could have done herself any favors. It would have been interesting to see her (and I really wish they had) but she has every right to refuse an interview. While her ego let her to believe she could get away with it, I’m guessing cause she did not she is far too bruised to expose herself to her humiliation again. It would’ve been intriguing to hear her side though.

The insane and surreal nature of the story and the audacity of the act will hook you. And it certainly helps that Papini is stunning. Captivating good looks hid a messed up individual. Whodda thunk? But the thing was people saw her as a great wife and eventually a supermom. She did a great job of creating an image and what is clear is this was all part of maintaining THAT image. There is even the hint of the hold she had on people based on interviews with her ex-husband and that an ex-boyfriend helped hide/help her with no expectation of anything in return.

Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini is a gripping and suspenseful documentary series. Once you start watching, you will not be able to walk away. If you want to watch something stranger than fiction, this is it.