5 True Crime Documentaries You Can’t Unsee
There seems to be a large overlap between horror fans and true crime scholars. Perhaps the overlap exists because both horror and true crime allow viewers to face mortality in a safer fashion than via first-hand exposure to the evils of the world. With that in mind, I am taking a step away from the fictional realm and spotlighting five true crime documentaries that, for better or for worse, you will never be able to unsee.
Also See: Here Are 3 of the Best Limited-Run True Crime Podcasts
Trigger warning: This post contains depictions of real-life violence and sexual abuse. Please proceed with caution.
Abducted in Plain Sight
Skye Borgman’s Abducted in Plain Sight sees a man kidnapping a twelve-year-old girl after having previously seduced both of her parents. The predator then whisks her away to Mexico where he makes her his child bride. After she is returned to her parents, the young girl is abducted a second time (by the same predator).
This would be a horrifying story if it had happened once. But the fact that a child was kidnapped twice by the same pedophile is mind-boggling. And the fact that her parents let it happen under their noses is pure nightmare fuel. You can’t make this stuff up and I suspect no one would believe you if you did.
More than anything, this film scares me because it showcases just how dangerous naivety can be. So many of the horrifying events recounted in this doc were made possible (at least in part) by the Broberg family’s lack of any common sense. The naivety and negligence demonstrated by Mr. and Mrs. Broberg borders on and sometimes veers squarely into criminal territory. They willingly allowed a predator to sleep in their child’s bed. Several nights a week. For months. I recognize that they were preyed upon by a sick man. But their inability to protect themselves and their offspring defies reason and is nearly impossible to comprehend. Possibly even more horrifying is the way that young Jan Broberg (the victim) develops a Stockholm Syndrome of sorts that sees her believing she is in love with her abuser.
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
This film left me gutted. I’ve seen it once and I’m not sure I am ready to sit through it a second time. The doc follows the legacy of Andrew Bagby as a sort of video diary for his son, Zachary. The doc covers Andrew’s murder, a crime for which his wife, Shirley Turner was eventually charged. The suspected killer then fled to Canada, pregnant with Bagby’s son, Zachary. What follows is a lengthy extradition process and a series of gross miscarriages of justice. I won’t say more because I don’t want to lessen the impact of this gut-wrenching tale for those who haven’t experienced it.
Suffice to say, this is the kind of doc you cannot unsee. In some ways, I almost wish I could. It left me feeling broken, angry, and helpless. And for a film to have that kind of impact on a seasoned critic is really saying something. Director Kurt Kuenne captivates his audience with the story of Bagby’s legacy. He ensures the viewer feels the heartbreak and the agony experienced by Bagby’s surviving friends and family members.
There’s Something Wrong with Aunt Diane
Liz Garbus’ documentary film takes us through the harrowing final moments of Diane Schuler’s life. The mother and television executive drove the wrong way down the Taconic State Parkway. She killed herself, the five young kids in her care, and the occupants of an oncoming vehicle.
This doc tells a harrowing story. But the gravity of the events is accentuated by effective editing and honest accounts from those that knew Schuler best. This one is hard to watch for so many reasons. The fact that Dianne kept up the appearance that everything was fine for so long when things clearly weren’t (at least according to the story the evidence seems to tell) is bone-chilling. And the toll her silence took was life-changing for so many. The events recounted in this film have stayed with me since I first watched it. I still shudder when I think back on it.
This film put me in the mind of what it must have been like to be a passenger in Schuler’s car on that fateful day and that was horrifying. This doc stands as an example of masterful storytelling. But the story being told is so traumatic that getting to the end isn’t easy.
The Imposter
The Imposter recalls the story of a young grifter that takes on the identity of a missing Texas boy and presents himself to the boy’s family as their long, lost son.
Possibly the most horrifying aspect of this doc is that a young man would prey on a family’s vulnerability and desire to reconnect with a missing loved one. It’s reprehensible to take advantage of anyone. But to bamboozle a grieving family is a different level of low.
The entire ordeal is harrowing and hard to watch. But the doc is unflinching and gives the audience access to nearly everyone involved in the unfortunate ordeal. This doc very much left me feeling like I’d been punched in the stomach when I finished watching. But it’s an almost unbelievable story that should be seen (by anyone with a strong enough stomach to sit through it).
Capturing the Friedmans
This doc is horrifying for a number of reasons. It follows a Long Island family as they have their lives turned upside down over allegations regarding the possession of child pornography and sexual abuse of a minor. The subject matter is horrifying. And while the child pornography allegations are validated by the participants, the doc presents evidence that seems to suggest the abuse charges filed against Arnold and Jesse Friedman may have been without merit. The film presents viewers with a variety of interviews and information and seems to let the audience make up their own minds about the guilt of the accused parties.
Anyone brave enough to sit through the film will have to make up their own mind as to whether or not justice was served. But keep in mind that this is the kind of picture that will stick with you long after it’s over. However, I’m glad that the facts of the case are out there for people to see.
It’s important to note that this film comes from documentary filmmaker Andrew Jarecki, who was heavily involved with HBO’s The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst. Details in that docuseries have been called into question and so have certain details from Capturing the Friedmans (in this case, by the DA’s office that prosecuted members of the Friedman family). With that in mind, it’s tough to know where the truth really lies. But the doc is certainly compelling and impossible to forget.
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