“Wormwood:” Errol Morris’ Dark Tale Shrouded in Government Secrets

The defining image of documentarian Errol Morris’ Wormwood is Peter Sarsgaard falling out an 11th-story window, over and over. It’d be hard to count the number of times you’ll see his pained faced bursting through shattering glass, but however many times, the question left behind him is: did he leap, or was he thrown? In this six-part Netflix mini-series, Morris explores the death of government scientist Frank Olson (Sarsgaard) and son Eric’s obsession with learning the truth behind his father’s fate. Frank was probably working on chemical weapons for the army, so answers are shrouded in secrecy — including an official explanation that involves the government dosing the man with LSD without his knowledge. This documentary is stranger than fiction, but the terrifying reality is that it’s true. THE WORD: Even more upsetting is that similar experiments are likely still being performed, and the measures some will take to hide them. THE WHERE: Netflix