Phil’s Quick Capsule Review:
Is Minority Report ever happened for real and real life crime stopped I’d fear for Netflix’s documentary team. Yup another day another real life crime story. But American Murder: the Family Next Door is a bit different. Taking social posts, ‘live’ footage, body-cams and media reporting, it crafts a murder story for the modern age where almost everything is caught on camera as it happens (except obviously the actual crime!) . The format is fascinating and gives you a real intimate look at the public lives of an ordinary family and makes the tragic end even more impactful. Probably the films biggest limitation also lies in its format – without TV cameras in the court a lot of the detail and the background is missed (not least the WHY) and the later half of the film leaves you with more questions than answers but, this aside, this is a compelling watch.
Best Bit: Lie detector
Buy, Stream, Avoid: Stream
If You Liked this Try: The Social Dilemma, Making A Murderer (TV), Tiger King (TV)