“Amanda Knox” is a recently released Netflix documentary about an American girl who went abroad (in 2007) to live the student experience in a small Italian town called Perugia. After a couple of months, her life takes a dramatic turn when her roommate is found dead in their house. Amanda becomes the key suspect together with her fresh-off-the-boat Italian romance Raffaele Sollecito. A news item which will attract huge international coverage giving the sensational headlines: ‘pretty American girl and Italian lover slashes cute English roommate during sexual drug infused party gone wrong.’
Local authorities are under immense international pressure to find the one(s) responsible. Scientific research fuck ups and tabloid media will play their part during this 10-year trial.
Having been to Perugia to visit a friend, and even stepped into the ‘murder’ house where it all happened; I had a personal connection to the story. I couldn’t wait to know what had really happened, especially after watching great ‘murder documentaries’ this year, like “Making a Murderer” and “Jinx”.
The first half of the film starts of strong with first hand testimonies and detailed recollections of the tragedy. In the second part we get to see her trial(s) and tribulations. Here, everything stays on the surface. We don’t receive the most thorough presentation of evidence used during the judicial process. Nor does it give insightful explanations of possible scenarios and other suspects.
This is definitely not the new ‘making a murderer’ story, but more the story about an American girl, who happens to be accused of murder. The focus on Amanda’s personal life does not move the story forward and feels more like another routine episode to ‘get to know’ the killer (or is she also a victim?). Poor girl, indeed.
After a powerful first half, the film fails to keep the momentum going. A tragic story nonetheless, but we’re left with the idea that all the efforts made in this documentary, to let us come closer to the truth, are wasted.
