DB Cooper: Where Are You?! is the latest true-crime documentary series released on Netflix on 13 July 2022. It is a Fullwell 73 production in association with PMZ pictures and directed by Marina Zenovich. The investigative series follows the 50-year quest to find the mysterious man who hijacked a Northwest Airlines passenger jet in November 1971 and escaped with $200,000, never to be seen again.
It has been almost five decades since the incident with very few clues and too many suspects. The identity of skyjacker D.B. Cooper remains one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century. The unknown man is a famous figure who has been featured in various popular cultures as well.
-DB Cooper: Where Are You?! Review Contain Spoilers-
A Suited Man With a Briefcase on a Flight
The series starts off with a man being questioned or heckled to confess his true identity being the infamous hijacker DB Cooper. Followed by some news reports which tell us that, on 24 November 1971, a Northwest flight from Portland to Seattle was highjacked. The culprit had asked for $200,000 dollars in cash with parachutes, and once his demands were met, he jumped off the plane in the middle of nowhere.
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Sounds like the start of some action-adventure film and it shouldn’t be surprising, because we all have already seen this particular scenario in series like Loki (2021), Breaking Bad or the film Without a Paddle (2004). As they all have embedded scenes which directly reference or are influenced by this incident.
According to a fellow passenger on the flight, a well-suited man wearing sunglasses was sitting near him. He found it odd since it was already dark outside, but didn’t think much of it. The man then passed a note to the air hostess and asked her to read it. The note said that he was carrying a bomb in his briefcase and would blow it if his demands aren’t met.
To keep other people safe, the pilot made an announcement that they are facing an engine issue and asked passengers to move to the front. The flight safely landed at the airport and passengers boarded off without any suspicions of being in danger or hijacked. Only when the passengers reached the airport they were met with the police officers and reporters telling them about the situation they are coming from.
Only the pilots and the staff was left in the aircraft, which took flight again at a low height, as per the man’s demand. And midflight he opened the plane gate and jumped off in the dark of the night. The unique thing about this case is that in the 70s hijacking was rampant and would certainly cause death & destruction. But in this scenario, nobody was hurt or even aware of what was happening.
Folk Legend or Just a Fugitive?
This single incident made the wanted man DB Cooper a famous personality and a celebrated antihero. His fans are called ‘Cooperites’ and they applaud the man for doing a well-done job. He feeds our inner fantasies of going against the system, rebelling and getting away with it without facing any consequences. Whereas, if there have been a single casualty it would have been a really tragic incident.
The Cooper vortex has lured many authors, journalists like Tom Colbert, Geoffrey George and many others to spend years of their lives, trying to find a single clue that would lead them to the infamous man. There have been many suspects, investigated by the FBI and other investigators alike but nobody matched.
However, Tom Colbert truly believes that the suspect named Robert Rackstraw is the man they have been looking for, for ages. He is the man who was being heckled at the start to confess. For almost a decade Tom and his team tried to prove that Rackstraw is the culprit, he published books, History Channel Documentary etc but it hasn’t been proved yet.
Final Thoughts: Stream It or Skip It?
DB Cooper: Where Are You?! on Netflix is definitely an interesting watch. But if you are looking for answers then this is not the one for you. The documentary simply investigates what happened, what followed in the investigation thereafter and the endless theories surrounding the identity of the man.
It gives the viewpoint of all the sides, what they believe and don’t, but doesn’t reach any conclusion. Personally, it was exciting for me to watch since I was not aware of the details of the case and the suspense build-up makes you think of your own suspects. But in an overview, it’s just an extension of the conspiracy theories laying around the internet for years.
DB Cooper: Where Are You?! is streaming on Netflix.
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