Our Father – Netflix Documentary Review (4/5)

OUR FATHER on Netflix is a new true-crime documentary co-produced with Blumhouse. During its runtime, you’ll witness a grotesque and creepy true story. Officially, it isn’t even a crime, but I’m sure you’ll agree that’s not right. Read our full Our Father documentary review here!

OUR FATHER is a new Netflix documentary produced with Blumhouse Television. We’re calling it a true crime because many crimes were definitely committed by the fertility doctor who decided to inseminate his patients with his own sperm. This is revealed when people discover many half-siblings via at-home DNA ancestry tests. And more half-siblings are still showing up today!

Importantly, he used his own sperm both in place of anonymous sperm donors and instead of using the sperm of the husbands present for insemination of their own wives. Surely crimes are committed when doing such a thing. From the ethical issues of a doctor abusing power and trust as well as fraud, assault, and a slew of others.

But no, apparently, there’s nothing in the law that prevents this. Which is (almost) as sick as the act itself!

Continue reading the Our Father documentary review below and find it on Netflix from May 11, 2022.

Interviews with the people who matter most

During this Netflix documentary, you’ll see lots of interviews with the people who have discovered that they have many half-siblings. Most of them even live within very close proximity. Also, there are interviews with the women who were treated (and inseminated) by fertility doctor Donald Cline. And, in a few cases, the men who believed their sperm was used for the insemination.

Also, and perhaps most importantly for the case, ultimately, the journalist Angela Ganote who was the only one listening when the half-siblings tried to get attention. The attorney general sure didn’t seem to care since there was no protection under the law. Well, there was for Donald Cline, of course, but not the victims of his wicked scheme.

Actually, the prosecutor is irritating as all Hell. He even tries to take credit for the thing that ultimately brought the doctor down. Despite this being served on a silver platter by Angela Ganote – the reporter who did the work that his office should have been doing. Finally, there are recorded phone conversations with Donald Cline.

Both conversations are of him sounding pathetic and downright threatening during the same conversations. Also, we see archive footage which also shows that he is without remorse.

Jacoba Ballard is a hero

I absolutely adore Jacoba Ballard, who is the woman leading the effort for justice. She is the one recording several conversations with Donald Cline (her biological father) and also the one who keeps hearing him “up the number” when the number of half-siblings continues to rise above the maximum he claimed was possible.

She just did not give up and was able to be strong when many other half-siblings (understandably!) felt depressed and distraught.

Her saying that she would not allow Donald Cline to “use her God to explain his actions” was so powerful and on-point. Plus, she also pointed out the fact that him using religion as some weird excuse pissed her off since that’s exactly why some people see religious people as “f*ck nuts”.

Oh yeah, I love it when angry people don’t hold back on the swearing… especially since Donald Cline no doubt loathes swear words!

Speculations ensue, but they are justified!

Since Donald Cline refuses to explain himself (other than the old “I just wanted to help” reasoning), he is forcing the many half-siblings to look for reasons themselves. This leads to a Christian cult focused on bringing as many children into the world as possible. Something that has clear The Handmaid’s Tale denotation.

Also, it’s impossible for them to not notice the fact that they are all blond and blue or green-eyed. In other words, something that feels like a right-wing Aryan dream. Well, except for the fact that they all have health problems. While anonymous donors were rejected for having any medical issues, Donald Cline knew damn well that he wasn’t the pillar of good health.

Yet he still chose to use his own sperm. Something that can only lead one to think these The Handmaid’s Tale or Nazi-related thoughts. Also, he is so damn cold and calculated that any kind of “Christian love” can hardly be used as an excuse. Of course, using something as an excuse would also require that he felt the need to excuse it. Which he clearly does not!

Watch Our Father on Netflix

Lucie Jordan is the director of this Netflix documentary which also has Jason Blum as a producer (via Blumhouse Television). This could have been a fiction production – and no doubt will be at some point since there are plenty of similar cases – but having this documentary is important. It’s focused on facts – yes, even though guessing for reasons is part of it!

It is a story so grotesque, creepy, cruel, and disgusting. Yet, it sounded vaguely familiar to me, which is because it isn’t exactly rare. In fact, an additional 44 fertility doctors have been proven to have used their own sperm for insemination. So yes, you may have heard of other cases. Still, Donald Cline went above and beyond any form of “sparing” use of his own sperm, which he otherwise claims.

During its runtime, you’ll witness a grotesque and creepy true story. While officially, the actions of fertility doctor Donald Cline aren’t defined as criminal by law, I’m sure you’ll agree that they should be. In fact, it’s a crime that he isn’t punishable by law!

Our Father is out on Netflix from May 11, 2022.