LORENA Trailer: Amazon’s Four-Part Docuseries Looks Riveting

Jordan Peele's total pop culture domination is moving ahead full-steam in 2019: In addition to Us and Horror Noire, Peele has executive produced a four-part limited docuseries for Amazon Prime titled Lorena.

Now, most of you young folks probably don't know the sensational story of Lorena and John Wayne Bobbitt, but the rest of us Olds remember the headlines and news specials about the abused housewife who cut off her husband's penis in 1993. As teased in the first trailer for Lorena, the case was one of a few that was greedily devoured and regurgitated by the 24-hour news cycle - not unlike the Menendez brothers and O.J. Simpson trials, or the murder of JonBenet Ramsey. 

Unfortunately, due to the graphic and pointed nature of the act, Lorena Bobbitt became a national punchline, with many pundits and commentators ignoring what drove her to cut off her husband's wang in the first place. While Lorena was shamelessly mocked by late night hosts, comedians, and sensational headlines, John was portrayed as the helpless victim of a deranged woman. In the years that followed, John sought to capitalize on his strange "celebrity" status (he even starred in porn), while Lorena fought to rise above her past. It's a fascinating story that's only grown more so in the intervening years, though most people have forgotten all about it. 

Here's the official synopsis from Amazon:

On a sleepy night in 1993, Lorena Bobbitt sliced off her husband’s penis after years of abuse. John and Lorena Bobbitt’s dueling narratives exploded in a ravenous 24-hour news cycle, igniting a renewed battle of the sexes. Lorena became a national joke, her suffering ignored by the male-dominated press. But as John spiraled downward, Lorena found strength in the scars of her ordeal. This four-part docuseries from Executive Producer Jordan Peele, revisits the events of this American scandal and sheds a new light on one of the most sensationalized tabloid stories of our time.

The four-part series, directed by documentarian Joshua Rofé, will premiere on Amazon Prime on February 15th. In the meantime, I highly recommend reading this Vanity Fair feature on Lorena Bobbitt from 2018.