10 Documentaries More Terrifying Than Most Horror Films

Bart Layton’s documentary The Imposter puts French conman Frédéric Bourdin in the spotlight as it weaves the unbelievable tale of how he was able to fool international authorities, journalists, and a grieving family into believing that he was their missing son.

Though the concept sounds like something we’ve seen before in schlocky horror flicks like Orphan: First Blood, The Imposter grips viewers instantly with its outrageous premise and continues to weave a tale that only becomes more unbelievable as it goes on.

The first half of the documentary focuses on how Bourdin succeeded in tricking a grieving Texan family into believing that he was their son Nicholas. Despite looking nothing like the boy and being older than he would've been, this complete stranger pulled the wool over everyone's eyes.

Unlike the other subjects, the conman looks straight into the lens while he's interviewed. His hypnotic stare is reminiscent of Norman Bates from Psycho as he spins lie after lie. He's so convincing that even audiences will begin to fall for his charms.

However, events take an even more sinister turn towards the third act when the documentary suggests that the family were responsible for their own child’s disappearance.