Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn Review: Directed by James Jones and produced by Kate Hardie-Buckley, this documentary series is inspired by the book Boundless by Nick Kostov and Sean McLain. The series has 4 episodes, each with a runtime of around 45 minutes.
Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn Plot
When automotive dream-maker Carlos Ghosn first came under the limelight, he was completely thrust into it from day one. From heading Renault to Nissan and bringing in huge profits for both companies, the businessman was someone everyone looked up to and revered immensely.
However, just as quickly he was riding high from the success of his ventures, he crashed equally quickly when, in 2018, he was arrested in Tokyo for charges of false accounting. What started as a story of justice, guilty-innocent, and everything in between quickly turned into a fascinating case of escape as Ghosn not only gave the general public a baffling story but also turned himself into a fugitive overnight.
Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn Review
There is something absolutely baffling about Carlos Ghosn’s rise to astronomical fame and his eventual crash and burn. The documentary series, tracking Ghosn’s life, is a very engaging watch that will leave you in two minds. The series is very divisive and, at the end of its 4 episodes, will leave you questioning whether or not Ghosn is actually guilty of the crimes he has been accused of.
Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn is a really well-made show; the production value is really good and is comprised of very detailed interviews from various people close to this insanity of international proportions. The interviews are really interesting, and you will hang on to every word that they are saying. Since we get so many different interviews, there are several different perspectives to consider, which is always a good idea. Fortunately or unfortunately, everyone’s points of view are very polarising, and none will ever really answer any question that you might have.
Coming to Ghosn, as I mentioned several times already – we are never really sure what really happened. But it obviously goes without saying that rich people have a tendency to hide their assets, and the justification given in the documentary about why Ghosn might have stolen money is just so petty and greedy that it might just be true. But, true or not, it’s a fascinating tale that will leave you stumped. There isn’t a moment in this comparatively short documentary that you will feel bored since there is simply just so much information packed in every scene.
It’s also interesting to note that Ghosn’s insistence and justifications for some of his questionable decisions are really baffling and point towards the fact that whether or not he really did defraud his own company and its people, there is definitely something there. In one scene in the last episode, a journalist asks Ghosn why he is running from the French authorities as he now claims that he will only get a fair trial in Lebanon, and whether or not he will only agree to a trial only if the authorities agree with only. After 4 episodes and numerous accusations, I think even the audience will lean towards asking similar questions.
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I was also very interested to learn about how people justify doing illegal things internationally, even if they think that they are morally correct. There’s a scene wherein Ghosn is helped by Michael Taylor to flee from Japan – a truly fascinating story. However, it’s interesting to note that he is left irate when he is charged and then extradited to Japan for helping an accused man under house arrest flee out of the country. It’s hilarious and a little sad that you think that you can just run off with an alleged criminal by hiding them in a musical box.
But, as I said, this is an absolutely insane watch based on an equally insane story.
Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn Review: Final Thoughts
That being said, Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn is a fun documentary to watch, especially if you were previously not privy to the details of the Ghosn case. The series is engaging and a wild watch with very interesting points put across from all spheres. For documentary lovers, this is going to be a worthwhile watch.
Wanted: The Escape of Carlos Ghosn is streaming on AppleTV+ on August 25, 2023.