14-year-old Holly’s (Flora Ofelia Hofman Lindahl) family is torn apart by her school essay detailing violence in the home.
Dedicated social worker Lars (Bjarne Henriksen) is assigned to the case. Convinced by Holly’s story, he places Holly and her seven-year-old brother, Theo, in foster care. However, when central family members including Holly’s stepfather claim that the essay is nothing more than teenage rebellion, Lars’s sense of certainty begins to fray at the edges.
Holly’s parents launch a full-scale legal attack against Lars and their own daughter.
Meanwhile, video footage of Lars performing a heavy-handed social services operation is shared on social media, turning private misery into public outrage.
In a sudden role reversal, Lars quickly finds himself on the receiving end of negative publicity.
Scrambling to rebuild his case before the final court ruling, several central questions remain. Are children always to be trusted? How much emotional turmoil can one family take? And who is really telling the truth?
Cry Wolf – Australian Premiere Thursday, 7 January 2021 on SBS On Demand (all eight episodes available to stream)
In Danish with English subtitles. Cry Wolf is an SBS On Demand exclusive.