REVIEW: The harrowing details of American Murder: The Family Next Door make it a very tough watch

The following review for American Murder: The Family Next Door contains details that some readers may find upsetting.

American Murder: The Family Next Door was released on Netflix earlier this week and the true crime documentary has brought one of the most shocking murder cases of recent years back into the spotlight.

In mid-August 2018, the United States media was dominated by the story of pregnant Shanann Watts and her two young daughters who had gone missing from their home in Frederick, Colorado. Seemingly desperate to locate his family, Shanann’s husband Christopher Watts appeared on television to appeal for their return but all the while he was hiding a secret that’s almost too difficult to fathom.

What American Murder does is use actual footage, taken from police bodycams, neighbours’ home cameras and Shanann’s social media activity to tell the story of how Chris’ shocking secret began to unravel. It also shares text messages, with permission from Shanann’s family, which were exchanged between herself and her husband as well as some friends. These conversations give viewers a revealing insight into a relationship that clearly had problems, despite the news that the couple were expecting their third child.

The method used by director Jenny Popplewell makes the film stand out from other examples of its genre, by allowing viewers to watch the investigation play out from the very start. From the moment we first see Christopher interacting with police officers in his home, your eyes are immediately drawn to his behaviour and body language (at one point he gives the one-word answer “sweet” when a police officer tells him to get in touch if he hears anything).

The most gripping part of the documentary revolves around police station footage of Chris’ interrogation while a conversation between Chris and his father provides some fairly uncomfortable viewing.

If you’re not familiar with the case, the title in itself is a bit of a giveaway and if you do know what happened you’ll be slightly more prepared for this harrowing watch. However, seeing real footage of the couple’s young daughters simply drives home what happened in that seemingly normal house on that late-summer day in August 2018.

The film also ends with some sobering on-screen statistics about violence against women and children in the United States and if it teaches us anything, it’s to check in on those who we think might be in danger.

American Murder: The Family Next Door will leave you asking “why” and will stay in your head for a long while afterwards. Some might feel it’s not for them but if you’re into true crime documentaries, this one takes you further into the story than most others.

It’s available to watch on Netflix now and you can have a look at the trailer below…

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