# American Vandal (2017)

> Two teen amateur documentarians pursue a crude graffiti prank at their high school with the solemnity of a true crime docuseries.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/63697

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 16
- Episode runtime: 34 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: comedy, crime
- Created by: Dan Perrault, Tony Yacenda
- Network: Netflix
- Cast: Tyler Alvarez, Griffin Gluck, Jimmy Tatro, Calum Worthy, Nathaniel J. Potvin, Natalie Shershow, Camille Ramsey, Carlos Luna
- TMDB rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6877772/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: none
- Tone: deadpan, irreverent, earnest, absurd, suspenseful

## What critics say

Viewers broadly praise the show's deadpan mockumentary parody of true crime docuseries and its meticulous, escalating mystery, rated positively by audiences.

## Synopsis

American Vandal (2017-2018) is a United States Netflix mockumentary comedy series created by Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda. Filmed in the found footage style of a true crime docuseries, it follows aspiring documentarians Peter Maldonado (Tyler Alvarez) and Sam Ecklund (Griffin Gluck), two high school students who, after a first documentary's success, turn their cameras toward a stomach-churning mystery at a Washington high school. Their engine is a relentless, earnest pursuit of answers: they interview classmates, stage reenactments, and chase suspects while Dylan Maxwell (Jimmy Tatro) and Alex Trimboli (Calum Worthy) hover nearby as the prime suspects. Each season is a self-contained case built from interviews, dramatic music, and cutaways that treat a crude vandalism prank with grave seriousness. The tone is deadpan and irreverent, a parody of true crime docuseries conventions that plays its absurd stakes perfectly straight. Set in contemporary suburban Washington, the show is an eight-episode-per-season run across two seasons. Fans of Parks and Recreation, Making a Murderer and Brooklyn Nine-Nine will find resonance in its mock-serious investigation and irreverent humor.

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