Identity theft emerges front and centre in Bart Layton’s eye-opening and often disconcerting The Imposter – a documentary that’s provoked mass chatter and acclaim amongst critics and audiences alike since its premiere at Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

Thirteen year-old Nicholas Barclay mysteriously vanishes from his family home in Texas one afternoon. More than three years later, an unaccompanied 16 year-old boy is found scared to death in Spain. In their desire to reunite the boy with his family, the authorities skip the necessary examinations. But, as circumstances surrounding his identity are questioned by the FBI and a private investigator, it soon becomes clear that the person claiming to be Nicholas Barclay is in fact serial impostor Frederic Bourdin.

Using well-known methods and styles associated with the documentary genre, Layton constructs a puzzle-like piece of filmmaking that pushes and pulls your emotions from start to finish, constantly making you question not only Bourdin’s intentions but also those of the Barclay family. The Imposter undoubtedly deserves its billing as one of the most riveting documentaries ever committed to celluloid and will have you debating its fundamentals for weeks to come.