Netflix Friday - Volume 25

 Some Netflix film tips for the weekend! And there is something for everyone, since I picked a movie for all the different genres.
 

Action: King Kong (2005)
A greedy film producer (Jack Black) assembles a team of moviemakers and sets out for the infamous Skull Island, where they find more than just cannibalistic natives.
 

Drama: The Godfather (1972)
The aging patriarch (Marlon Brando) of an organized crime dynasty tranfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son (Al Pacino).
 

Comedy: Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)
Born on the original Christmas in the stable next door to Jesus Christ, Brian of Nazareth (Graham Chapman) spends his life being mistaken for a messiah.
 

Animation: Madagascar 2 (2008)
The Madagascar animals fly back to New York City, but crash-land on an African nature reserve, where they meet others of their own kind. And Alex (Ben Stiller) especially discovers his royal heritage as prince of a lion pride.
 

Romance: She’s the Man (2006)
When her brother dedides to ditch for a couple of weeks, Viola (Amanda Bynes) heads over to his elite boarding school, disguised as him, and proceeds to fall for his school’s star soccer player (Channing Tatum), and soon learns she’s not the only one with romantic troubles.
 

Horror: The Exorcist (1973)
When a 12-year-old girl (Linda Blair) is possessed by a mysterious entity, her mother (Ellen Burstyn) seeks the help of two priests (Max von Sydow, Jason Miller) to save her.
 

Science Fiction: Spider-Man Far From Home (2019)
Following the evens of “Avengers: Endgame”, Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.
 

Crime: Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his ten accomplices plan to rob three Las Vegas casinos simultaneously.
 

Thriller: The Girl on the Train (2016)
A divorcee (Emily Blunt) becomes entangled in a missing persons investigation that promises to send shockwaves throughout her life.
 

Documentary: American Murder: The Family Next Door (2020)
In 2018, 38-year-old Shanann Watts and her two young daughters disappeared in Colorado. With the heartbreaking details emerging, the family’s story made headlines around the world.

Family: Dudley Do-Right (1999)
Inept Canadian Mountie Dudley Do-Right (Brendan Fraser) chases after villain Snidley Whiplash (Alfred Molina) and woos girlfriend Nell Fenwick (Sarah Jessica Parker). (Okay, this is actually a really bad movie, but fun for the family)

Movie Review - American Murder: The Family Next Door

Director: Jenny Popplewell
Genre: Documentary/ Crime
Runtime: 82 minutes
Year: 2020
Starring: -

Description: In 2018, 38-year-old Shanann Watts and her two daughters disappeared in Colorado. With the heartbreaking details emerging, the family’s story made headlines around the world.

Review: The title “American Murder: The Family Next Door” already tells you something about this story, but the less you know, the more you will be touched by this intense documentary.
At first glance, Shanann and Chris Watts seem to be the perfect couple. They are still madly in love after a relationship of eight years and have two adorable daughters. But looks can be deceiving. In “American Murder: The Family Next Door”, the true story is told using archive footage. Because of the raw, unedited images, this horrible story make an even greater impact.
In America the tragic story about the Watts family was big news, but for the average non-American viewer this is a completely unknown story. Keep it that way for a while. Don’t look it up, because the less you know, the better. Although you can guess from the title that the story does not end well.
The documentary starts with Facebook videos that Shanann Watts made. They are everyday images of a proud mother filming her children and husband. Then you can see footage from their security camera that she comes home after a long weekend. They are the last images of the young mother. When Shanann misses an appointment, her friend is very worried and she calls the police.
U.S. police officers are required to wear a body cam, to prevent them from misbehaving, and this camera films how the story unfolds. Shanann seems to have disappeared without a trace and her husband Chris has no idea where she is. On the basis of new reports and images from the police investigation, the truth slowly comes to light.
It’s not a typical crime documentary that switches between archive footage and interviews with people who knew the family. Everything is seen through footage from the bodycam, security cameras, Facebook videos, text conversations between Shanann and Chris, home videos and old news footage. These unique images are brought together in a clear way and form an exciting story.
Like I stated before, there are no interviews with family members, friends or police officers working the case. As a result, you also miss certain information. For example, there is no expert to explain something or provide a little more context. And after the truth has surfaced, the documentary jumps to three months later.
However, the lack of this commentary is not a big problem. The tragic story is enough. And the way its told is very confronting. By only using archive footage, “American Murder: The Family Next Door” has become a documentary you won’t easily forget.

Rating: 3,5 / 5