As a whole, audiences seem to have developed a morbid obsession with true crime documentaries. As long as the interest is still there, the documentaries will keep coming. Netflix, in particular, has capitalized on the general population’s dark fascination with death, as the streaming platform seems to be constantly churning out true crime docs. The newest of which is “American Murder: The Family Next Door.”
The documentary follows a crime that happened just two years ago. Shanann Watts and her two daughters went missing in 2018. Once details were released to the media, their story made global headlines. “American Murder: The Family Next Door” follows the case from start to finish, from archival footage to its heartbreaking conclusion.
Director Jenny Popplewell (“My Big, Fat Gypsy Wedding”) created the documentary from the perspective of both a disintegrating marriage and a thorough look at the examination of the Watts’ disappearance. “American Murder: The Family Next Door” is a true crime documentary that is meant to give the victims a voice.
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The documentary is edited by Simon Barker (“Bellingcat: Truth in a Post-Truth World”) and executive produced by James Marsh and Jonathan Stadlen.
Here’s the official summary for “American Murder: The Family Next Door”:
In 2018, 34-year-old Shanann Watts and her two young daughters went missing in Frederick, Colorado. As heartbreaking details emerged, their story made headlines worldwide. Told entirely through archival footage that includes social media posts, law enforcement recordings, text messages and never-before-seen home videos, director Jenny Popplewell pieces together an immersive and truthful examination of a police investigation and a disintegrating marriage. AMERICAN MURDER: THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR is the first film to give a voice to the victims.
“American Murder: The Family Next Door” drops on Netflix on September 30. Take a look at the new trailer below.