Official Netflix Trailer for “Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal” [VIDEO]

When Ashley Madison, a dating site for people seeking adulterous affairs, is hacked, millions of users’ intimate data is exposed, wrecking marriages and destroying lives. This three-episode documentary series from Minnow Films and director Toby Paton explores the creation of the website during the dot com boom, the people who used the site to explore a part of their love lives they felt was missing, and the hack that made it all come crashing down.

Format: Documentary Series; 3 x 50 minutes

Director/Co-Executive Producer: Toby Paton

Series Producer: Chris McLaughlin

Episodic Directors: Zoe Hutton, Gagan Rehill

Executive Producers: Fiona Caldwell, Sophie Jones

Production Company: Minnow Films

FILMMAKER STATEMENT:

When Minnow Films approached me to make a series about the rise of infidelity dating site Ashley Madison, and the catastrophic hack that led to its 37 million members having their identities exposed online, my first thought was ‘wow, what a story!’. It has everything – from the propulsive narrative and high stakes drama of a tech thriller to the tender, messy intimacy of the real marriages and relationships that are at the heart of the Ashley Madison story.

We all know infidelity can be incredibly destructive and hurtful, but at the same time, the fact that Ashley Madison had 37 million members tells us something else we all know – that committing to one person for the rest of your life is really hard. Rather than berating people who joined Ashley Madison we were much more interested in exploring why they were drawn to the site – what were they looking for? What was going on in their relationships? And crucially – what was their partner’s side of the story?

We were blessed with some extraordinary, larger than life characters and stylistically we felt there was a great opportunity with this story to go beyond the familiar true-crime tropes of dark, moody lighting and ominous music. We wanted to create a world that was unexpected and fresh, something that could feel playful and humorous one moment, but genuinely shocking and emotional when the story takes a tragic turn. The result, I hope, is a wild and enjoyable ride that also offers a chance to reflect on love, marriage and desire in the age of the internet.

-Toby Paton, Series Director

Watch on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81602885

Only On Netflix May 15th, 2024