This Netflix documentary is one of the movies showing how catfishing is a true nightmare and should be taken seriously. You can stream Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare on Netflix uninterrupted through Optimum Stream available with Optimum Internet.
The Plot
Harkirat Assi a.k.a Kirat is a Kenyan-Sikh girl residing in England working as a digital marketer and a part-time 'Punjabi RJ'. Kirat has been experiencing pressure from her family to get married as she's in her 30s.
The reason why her family is so anxious is because she's in an 8-year relationship with her boyfriend. After some time, the relationship comes to an abrupt end, leaving her heartbroken and her family worried.
Seeking to find the right person, Kirat finds a friend online in the form of Bobby, a Sikh software engineer belonging to the same community.
The Buildup
Kirat and Bobby start chatting through Facebook and become unusually close friends. Kirat tells Bobby about her breakup, meanwhile, Bobby, who's married to Sanj, tells Kirat about getting divorced soon.
Keeping each other company, Kirat and Bobby become close and Bobby expresses his wishes to marry her. Excited about everything, Kirat fantasizes about the wedding, the kids, and the future with Bobby.
However, something happens and Bobby disappears only to reach out to Kirat later anonymously. Kirat is already engaged with Bobby's several cousins who tell her that Bobby has been shot and is shifted to an ICU in New York under witness protection.
Apparently, unable to speak, Bobby chats with Kirat, telling her about everything and that Kirat has to wait before they move things forward. Kirat tries her best to remain sane and calm through everything but things take a drastic turn.
The Toxic Behavior
During the conversation, Bobby tells Kirat that his ex-wife, Sanj, is having their kid, which breaks Kirat's heart but she remains strong. Both take things quite maturely, deciding to get the kid's custody and then having a family of their own.
But, while Bobby asks Kirat to remain patient for his recovery and the witness protection to end, he keeps pushing Kirat to her limits. Becoming controlling, Bobby navigates Kirat's entire lifestyle, which ultimately causes Kirat to break down, losing her job herself in the process.
In frustration, Kirat asks Bobby to come to the UK to meet her, and Bobby finally agrees. However, Kirat's beloved grandmother passes away, and she's unable to meet Bobby on the decided day.
But, she keeps tabs on his flight and asks him to visit him. Bobby refuses, which only pushes her to pay him a visit at the hotel Bobby's staying.
Things take a nasty turn as the hotel management denies someone like Bobby having booked their room while Bobby states that he can see Kirat but doesn't want to meet her. In her frustration and desperation, Kirat takes the help of a private investigator, asking for Bobby's current address, which leads her to a house in Boston.
The Confusing Reality
Reaching the acquired address, Kirat confronts Bobby, who is apparently living with his ex-wife OR wife Sanj, and their kid.
When Kirat tells Bobby everything, he looks appalled and confused. Refusing to even acknowledge her, let alone what she said, Bobby tells Kirat to leave as he intends to call the police.
The Truth Unfolds
Broken down into pieces, Kirat comes home and rests her mind, unable to process what has happened. The next day Simran comes to visit, her cousin and the one person who was and has been in constant contact with Kirat and Bobby during the entire time.
However, it was all HER! Simran admits orchestrating the entire story; the characters, the love of Bobby for Kirat, the divorce, the cousin's group, all of it. Baffled by what she's saying, Kirat is unable to accept the reality, let alone piece together what her cousin is saying.
The Consequences
Even though Kirat's been catfished and contacted the police to form a complaint against Simran, the latter remains uncharged due to a lack of legal frameworks. Instead, Simran claims innocence, terming the entire incident as a fault of events beginning when she was a schoolgirl.
Kirat takes it upon herself to raise awareness on the laws against catfishing.
Overall
The documentary-movie covered great aspects of what seems a minute problem. However, it failed to do justice to the emotional damage that occurred to the victim, which should've been under focus. Moreover, the aspect of a poor legal approach to the situation is also under question. Other than that, Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare offers a detailed and interesting look into how it's easy to fall for the catfishing traps on the internet.