When documentary maker Mark Laita first met the Whittaker family in rural West Virginia in 2020, he likened the experience to “a scene from a horror film.” Introduced by a local police officer, Laita found the family wary of outsiders, with protective neighbors guarding their privacy.

At first, they refused to speak to him. But after returning to take photos for a loved one’s casket, he slowly earned their trust, eventually creating the viral series Inbred Family – The Whittakers. Viewers were fascinated, though some accused Laita of exploitation — a label he admits has truth to it, noting that “photography and video are by nature exploitative.”

Laita described his first visit as surreal: dirt roads leading to a small shack, family members acting unpredictably, and one man repeatedly screaming, fleeing, and knocking over trash cans. While he compared the setting to the film Deliverance, he stressed the Whittakers are not dangerous — just isolated, with limited access to modern life.

Some praise the series for raising awareness and giving the family a voice; others warn it has attracted unwanted visitors. Laita cautions against trying to meet them without permission, as relatives and neighbors are protective. Local pastor William Plumley says the attention has helped the family in some ways but also brought trouble.