by Natalie Lynch
The Utah family vlogger Ruby Franke of 8 Passengers is now serving 4-30 years in prison for accounts of child abuse. Years later the documentary “The Devil In The Family” exposes people to the awful treatment of these children.
This case shocked the world with the careless and inhumane behaviors coming from a YouTuber who acted as a mentor to many in parenting successfully. Throughout the show, the two eldest children, Shari and Chad, along with their father had several speaking parts to add a first-person view for the audience to gain a better understanding of what the children went through. This was how the show was mostly built, having people who were part of this event talking instead of an investigator.
The documentary dates back to years before this event when Ruby started her YouTube account to demonstrate how to be the perfect mom, following the beliefs of Mormonism. In Mormon culture, people strive to be their best selves/perfectionism. The show dives into the rules and expectations of Mormon families giving the viewer knowledge of some of her actions and laying the foundation for the audience to understand her religious motivations. Ruby believed she wasn’t valued by her family enough so Ruby resorted to posting on her account. At first, nothing was wrong. It benefited their family, making thousands of dollars and funding family trips. The two eldest children Shari and Chad were the stars of the YouTube account for a while. Over time, Ruby realized Chad was greatly wanted on her channel. She started to show his life excessively. In the Hulu documentary, Chad admits he started to act out to purposely try to not be the center of attention for the YouTube account. Stating again, Ruby Frank’s purpose for having a YouTube account was to show that her family was perfect and that having a disobedient child, Chad, wouldn’t look good. Instead of her taking the camera off of him, it backfired on him.
Jubi Hildebrandt, a therapist, was introduced to the show for Chad, and at first, Chad was hesitant but gave in. Viewers could see signs of manipulation in the relationship between Jubi and Chad. Using certain sounds and clips, the show portrays a bit of foreshadowing which adds a good element of suspense. Ruby Franke fell in love with what Jubi was preaching and started to go to the women’s united group she ran. This group would talk about God and in some ways go into how most husbands are not contributing to the household enough. Ruby, having the idea that her husband is not good enough, forced him to attend these meetings. Jubi became an influential figure in the Franke household. The two oldest admitted that Ruby started to get physically abusive and hit them. Shari recalls helping Chad clean blood off the walls because of the intensity of the beating. Jubi convinced them her house was haunted by demons, using the father’s perspective and videos to demonstrate her powerful control over Ruby. The documentary uses this footage to highlight her influence. Throughout the third episode, the pace really keeps the viewer focused on the show. From Jubi using Ruby for her big platform to her kicking Chad and the father out of the house, not much is overly dwelled on. A few people say that pieces are missing from the father’s part in this and his involvement with this terrible event is heavily debated. Some even criticize the documentary for including the father in the show because of their opinions of his involvement.
Besides the father, many other perspectives were used in this episode like the neighbors. The neighbors reached out to the police about the children’s welfare, but the police initially dismissed their concerns due to the lack of evidence. The element of the worried neighbors being dismissed by the police adds distress or even encourages the watchers to feel a certain way, making them want more. The leading up to Ruby’s arrest was done creatively. They start with a Ring camera of the youngest son escaping from the house and running to the neighbors, which later leads to the police being called and raiding the house. The conversation with the son and the neighbors had no narration over it, making it even creepier for the audience. It drives the mood in the scene. The documentary in some ways lacks in giving the viewer information about the court case, but does let the viewer know Ruby and Jubi both pleaded guilty. In general, the documentary uses good visuals and great interviewers but lacks some information.
Many of us grew up watching the 8 passengers believing this family was the perfect example of what families should be. People need to watch this documentary to see the truth of not only this family but also to understand that not all families on the internet are truly happy and that not everything on the internet is authentic.
Sources:
https://www.biography.com/crime/a63963849/who-is-jodi-hildebrandt
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