The Secret Of Dr. Grinberg (2020) on Netflix

The mysterious disappearance of Dr. Grinberg, a groundbreaking scientist in telepathy and neurophysiology, has become one of the most enigmatic stories of recent Mexican history.

This magical, mystical thriller is based on 9 years of arduous investigation into the disappearance of acclaimed Mexican scientist Dr. Jacobo Grinberg. Interviews are conducted with his family members, close friends and colleagues, in an attempt to discover why the Doctor disappeared in 1994, never to be seen again. As we travel around Mexico, new and curious details about the disappearance begin to emerge and the original police officer assigned to Grinberg's case, and then later removed, gives his take on why we still haven't gotten any real answers over 25 years later.

—Ida Cuéllar

Doctor Jacobo Grinberg is one of the most fascinating characters in recent Mexican history. Considered by many as the "Einstein of consciousness" Grinberg pushed the traditional boundaries of science in an attempt to better understand the potential of the human brain. Serious and meticulous, he held a prestigious position at UNAM as director of a high tech laboratory. There he and his team investigated and conducted experiments, until Grinberg claimed he could demonstrate the first steps of telepathy. It was during this time, in 1994 and at the height of his career, that Jacobo Grinberg mysteriously disappeared. The strange circumstances surrounding his sudden disappearance have given rise to multiple theories which continue to shroud the real version of events. Dr. Grinberg was no ordinary scientist. As well as carrying out experiments in his laboratory, he had a personal obsession with explaining, scientifically, the mysterious practices of shamanism in Mexico. This fascination led him to interact with magical and inexplicable worlds, something which ultimately coloured his legacy and gave a legend like quality to his disappearance. Following the police inquiry of Commander Clemente Padilla, a well regarded officer who took the lead in the Grinberg case, this documentary reconstructs the surprising real facts behind this 25 year mystery. Through testimony from Grinberg's family members, colleagues and friends, we learn that the Doctor had many different sides. Suspicions of a crime of passion, that slowly reveal a potential kidnapping, the theft of valuable information and questionable interests from government forces, this metaphysical thriller spans multiple countries and nearly a decades worth of investigation. In the search for the whereabouts of this enigmatic Mexican scholar, we are really searching for THE SECRET OF DOCTOR GRINBERG.

—Ida Cuéllar