How well do you really know the person behind the screen texting you? The Netflix documentary, “Unknown Number,” premiered on Aug. 29, 2025. This documentary covered a cyberbullying case that had a large impact on a small town, Beal City, Michigan.
In 2020, Lauryn Licari and her boyfriend, Owen, started receiving messages from an unknown number. The messages paused and then started up again in September 2021. Over the next 15 months thousands of threatening messages were sent. Some of the messages included death threats and others targeted Lauryn’s insecurities. It was a mystery; the messages contained information only someone Lauryn was close with would know, leading her to believe it was a close friend or classmate.
The messages became more alarming, so Lauryn and Owen’s parents decided to take the messages to the police. The police first began investigating Lauryn and Owen’s friends and classmates. The investigation stalled, and police still had no trace of the messages. This made everyone feel hopeless.
After a few months Bradley Peter took over the investigation. Peter was able to determine the number by an app that hides a person’s phone number. He was able to get a search warrant to get the app’s data. He then identified that the phone was a carrier version. He was able to link the data to the individual phone number. This was huge; Lauryn and Owen were finally able to have some closure.
Unknown Number is more than just a true crime documentary it is about the dangers of cyberbullying and online communication. The interviews are real and emotional, letting Lauryn, Owen and their families share their own words about how the messages took over their lives and mental health. Text messages go across the screen showing viewers evidence of what the victims experienced. The music adds suspense and pulls viewers into the confusion of the ongoing mystery.
The documentary not only discovers the shocking investigation, but also shows how exposed people can be when their whole lives are connected to their phones. What stuck out the most was how fast trust can be broken, even in the closet circles.
Some viewers might argue that Unknown Number is dramatic. They might say that the case is rare and most teens navigate their phones safely. This could leave viewers feeling fearful of online interactions.
The documentary is worth watching because it makes viewers really question their safety and the dangers of cyberbullying. It is more of a cautionary story telling how technology can take over your life. Unknown number feels less like a story that happened in a small town in Michigan and more like a call to action to fix cyberbullying.
