Another week, another documentary, and this one among the saddest and most wretched we've seen in a while. "Con Mum" on Netflix tells the story of a man, a star chef and seemingly decent guy, who gets scammed by his own mother. And not to belittle the victim, but... he made some truly questionable decisions along the way, including abandoning his partner and child in pursuit of a windfall he could barely imagine (and had no proof was even real). I wouldn't call him a hero, or even an anti-hero. In trying to heal his childhood wounds, he just passed that same trauma along to his son. Of course, it's easy to say "take a step back and think", but that's how manipulation and brainwashing work. It's how people fall for con artists, cults, and orange shitgibbon carnival barkers. If someone promises you something too good to be true, they're not going to improve your well-being in any way, shape, or form.
