The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks – Review

THE CURIOUS CASE OF NATALIA GRACE: NATALIA SPEAKS is on HBO Max in its entirety and has aired on ID. It should give the answers you need, but 6 episodes are too much. Read our The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks series review here!

THE CURIOUS CASE OF NATALIA GRACE: NATALIA SPEAKS is now on HBO Max with all six episodes and has aired on ID [Investigation Discovery] from January 1, 2024. This add-on to the original series should finally give answers to the questions you have.

For me, it feels as much like a reality show as the original docu-series did. This is due to the people involved – Natalia Grace herself excluded – and the style. Six episodes is too much and I would’ve preferred an actual HBO Documentary to this. But this is what we have.

Continue reading our The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks series review below.

Finally, we hear from Natalia Grace

This follow-up to the 2023 docuseries The Curious Case of Natalia Grace, finally lets us hear from Natalia Grace herself. It’s a six-part documentary series and while that is too much, you’ll want to watch it in its entirety.

With The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks we get insight from Natalia herself as she describes her life with the Barnetts. It becomes increasingly obvious that Kristine Barnett was inspired by the horror movie Orphan which is so sick.

Even Natalia comments on this!

What I was blown away by with the original docuseries and in this one, is how people can be convinced of strange claims. Not just people, but the courts, who agreed to legally change the age of Natalia based on claims by her adoptive mother, Kristine Barnett, and not much else.

In fact, evidence of her age has existed all along, and Kristine knew this. However much I dislike the Barnett family (or the parents, I should say), at least Michael Barnett shows up and tells “his truth”. Kristine Barnett just hides. I wish it was in shame, but I doubt it.

As for Michael Barnett? Well, it’s more of the same. Including his desperate need to force tears and make himself the main victim of it all. To be fair, Natalia supports the notion that he never hurt her himself. He just stood by and let Kristine inflict pain and torture!

The Michael Barnett show

The huge takeaway from The Curious Case of Natalia Grace was the madness of Michael Barnett. I never personally doubted that Natalia was in fact a child, so I watched the original series with that mindset.

This also means I was watching Michale Barnett putting on one hell of a show. Which he continues to do in this Natalia Speaks add-on series.

To be fair to Michael – though he doesn’t deserve it – it doesn’t help that Natalia’s current guardian is more hung up on the use of cuss words than getting answers. While I believe he means well, his need to bring God into everything is not only unnecessary, it’s detrimental to Natalia Grace getting the answers she’s looking for.

That is a damn shame. And yes, I did just include the word “damn” to show that no adult should ever determine how other adults choose to get their opinion across. This is also a point Michael Barnett’s attorney tries to make when Michael (in true form) storms off.

Plus, it was the use of the word “Hell” which is certainly mentioned enough by religious figures when it suits their purpose. Also, it’s in the Bible!

In any case, I wish the drama had been left out of this, so it wasn’t the classic reality show along the lines of The Kardashians or Real Housewives. The story of Natalia Grace deserves so much more. And better!

The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks is on ID and Max now!

This new chapter in the stranger-than-fiction case could and should have been better. I so desperately wish a serious documentary with respect for facts and details could’ve been made instead of this drama.

Having said that, you should definitely watch this docu-series if you watched the first part. Finally, Natalia Grace gets to speak for herself.

And also, definitive proof of her age is brought to light – not that it’s new as we hear from a dentist, who confirmed her age to Kristine Barnett. As much as I dislike Michael Barnett, he at least shows up. Because he feels the need to be on camera and get attention, no doubt, but still.

Kristine Barnett, however, is surely getting ready to write her own tell-all book. If one thing is obvious from watching The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks it’s that money was a huge motivator in everything Kristine Barnett ever did. Including what she did to her own son!

The Natalia Speaks documentary series is available to stream on ID, Max, and Discovery+.