Viewers left stunned after watching 'gut-wrenching' Netflix documentary that 'will stick with them'

Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse, sexual assault and rape which some readers may find distressing.

Netflix users have been left 'stunned and disgusted' after watching a 'heartbreaking' documentary.

Viewers have been left in shock, but are flooding to social media in praise of a 'gut-wrenching' documentary which brings to light the decades-long abuse of a group of children.

Cast, crew and synopsis

The Netflix documentary was directed by Brian Knappenberger - also known for other docs such as The Internet's Own Boy - and was produced by Conor Fetting-Smith, Sabrina Parke and Clive Patterson.

It focuses on the stories of 'survivors, whistleblowers and experts' connected to the cover-up of the sexual abuse cases which took place over decades within the Boy Scouts of America in the form of interviews and footage.

And the film - titled Scouts Honor: The Secret Files of the Boy Scouts of America - has left a long-lasting impression on viewers.

The Netflix documentary was released last year. (Netflix)

Reaction

The documentary has obtained a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score of 94 percent, alongside an audience score of 81 percent, with viewers having been left aghast by its revelations.

And it may've been released last year, but the shockwaves are still being felt, as many have flooded to social media to talk about it.

One Reddit user took to the thread r/NetflixBestOf to review it: "Wow. As an avid documentary watcher of all sorts of dark and twisted topics, this really proved to be especially disturbing, even with prior knowledge of some of the crimes that occurred. But nothing really could have prepared the viewer for what was to come imo and I found myself stunned and disgusted throughout the piece.

It has left a long-lasting impression on viewers. (Netflix)

"Besides the awful themes present, the general narrative and talking heads were mostly excellent and incredibly powerful in their words. Very well made doc with some incredible footage.

"The exception to this being the current head of the organization, who's attempt at damage control and deflection really just make the whole thing worse, if it could get worse.

"I'd like to know what anyone else thought about this riveting yet harrowing documentary."

And it's not taken long for others to weigh in on their thoughts.

"Gut wrenching. It made me so f**king mad I don't even know where to start. Everyone with kids needs to watch it," another user said.

And the conversation spilled onto X too.

The documentary interviews survivors as well as experts. (Netflix)

One user wrote: "I watched Netflix's 'Scouts Honor,' an absolutely devastating account of the industrialization of pedophilia within the Boy Scouts. Most damning is the sheer volume of reports--tens of thousands--all treated as anomalies because the victims were boys."

And Patrick Boyle - author of the book on which the documentary is based - tweeted: "30 years after my book, Scouts Honor, revealed sex abuse in Scouting, I’m honored to contribute to a documentary that premiers today on @netflix. In #ScoutsHonor whistleblowers and experts recount the Boy Scouts’ decades-long cover-up of sexual abuse and its heartbreaking impact."

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.

If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org