American Vandal is a series produced by Netflix and created by Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault. This 2017 documentary parody was a great success with audiences and critics alike.
American Vandal tells the story of Dylan Maxwell, an American high school student accused of damaging the cars of his high school teaching staff. Indeed, the hoods of vehicles are covered with penis. Dylan, an undisciplined student accustomed to nonsense like phallic drawings is obviously the first suspect. However, two of his comrades, Peter Maldonado and Sam Ecklund are convinced of his innocence. Since they are part of the audiovisual club, they decide to make a report to defend his case.
First, they investigate by interviewing witnesses and then possible suspects. Pete and Sam try to distinguish the true from the false within the testimonies of their classmates and the teaching team. We discover through the interviews the different personalities of the comrades but also of some teachers. The Spanish teacher martyred for 4 years by Dylan is convinced that he is the culprit. The investigation raises many points that have not been exploited by the authorities. Pete and Sam decide to share their research.
In episode 7, Pete reveals their work by publishing the report on the Internet. The documentary called American Vandal (as the title of the series) will meet a great success with the public. Both positive and negative comments will enrich and bounce their investigation from angles that the apprentice investigators had not exploited. Eventually, they will be able to clear Dylan and determine who is the real culprit. And that's it for the summary! If you enjoy documentaries, humor and the American high school atmosphere, go for it!
The construction of the series is perfectly mastered. The style of the fake documentary of the series destabilizes the viewer. Indeed, even if it may seem crude, the fact that in the United States, a student owes $ 100,000 for drawing penises on his teachers' cars seems plausible. In addition, the presentation credits that include the names of the characters makes us doubt what we are watching. Indeed, he presents the series as the documentary of Pete and Sam which accentuates the mise en abyme and the identification with "real people". Humor and irony are an integral part of the series. This lightness counterbalances the impasse in which Dylan is. Indeed, it energizes the plot.
American Vandal is truly a reflection of today's society. It includes social networks like snaps to illustrate Dylan's jokes. The series also uses applications such as Instagram or Twitch to support the investigation with Mackenzie. This accentuates the realism of the series in a society where social media is a big part of teens' lives.
Then, amateur videos of high school students during the evenings help the research. The use of its footage sequences in found-footage mode is very clever because it gives more credibility to the plot. We feel more included in the investigation because we learn the information at the same time as Peter and Sam. The episodes show and demonstrate the dangers of the internet. Criticism and nasty comments fuse and can hurt the characters at times. In this the series is profoundly modern because it uses current means to demonstrate the violence that can result. In addition, the series is short. It is 8 episodes of 30 to 40 minutes. It's very well paced which makes it pass quickly. It's too short, the characters are very endearing, they are realistic and it seems like a heartbreak to have to leave them.
The first season of American Vandal was very refreshing. We will soon find Pete for a new report in another American high school for season 2. We can't wait to discover the new characters and the new plot planned for 2018!
