The top-ranked movie on Netflix this week is Maternal Instinct, a true-crime documentary about a notorious case in East Texas.
The film, which premiered on the streaming service June 12, examines the story of Taylor Rene Parker, who killed 21-year-old Reagan Michelle Simmons-Hancock in New Boston, Texas, in October 2020 and cut open her abdomen to abduct Simmons-Hancock’s unborn child. The baby did not survive. The case drew national headlines because of its shocking circumstances and Parker’s elaborate efforts to convince friends and family that she was pregnant.
The documentary, structured as part investigation and part psychological portrait, has been described by viewers online as “intense,” “gruesome” and “disturbing.”
The film opens with dashcam and bodycam footage of Parker’s first encounter with law enforcement. Pulled over for erratic driving by a Texas Highway Patrol trooper, Parker said she had given birth on the side of the road. She was taken to a hospital, where ultrasounds and exams indicated that she had never been pregnant.
Directed by Jessica Dimmock (HBO’s Thoughts and Prayers, Hulu’s Captive Audience), the documentary then traces the months of deception that preceded the killing. She told Wade Griffin, her new boyfriend at the time, that she was pregnant, and she took many steps to maintain the ruse: shopping for baby items, posting “baby bump” photos on social media and even throwing a gender-reveal party.
At the same time, Parker connected with Simmons-Hancock, who was preparing for the arrival of her second daughter.
Parker, now 34, was convicted of capital murder in October 2022 and sentenced to death the following month. She remains on Texas’ death row, where she is one of seven women awaiting execution. The documentary uses interviews, police footage and court records to examine how the crime unfolded and the lasting impact it had on the victims’ families.