True Crime Triumph: American Murder: The Family Next Door

Netflix has become a hub for true crime film, having produced riveting documentaries like Tiger King, The Ted Bundy Tapes, and The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez. As the current Netflix obsession of true crime fanatics, American Murder: The Family Next Door is another gripping movie added to that list.  

This movie revolves around the murders of Shanann Watts, her two daughters, Bella Watts (4 years old) and Celeste Watts (3 years old), and her unborn son, Nico Watts. These murders were committed by her husband, Chris Watts, in August of 2018 in Frederick, Colorado.

The investigation of the Watts disappearances and murders were heavily covered by the media back in 2018, but this movie captures a new perspective of the story that leaves its audience grappling with the absolute sick nature of the murders.

Unlike many documentaries, American Murder does not rely on interviews to tell the story of the Watts. Instead, it uses police body-cam footage, police questioning footage, videos from Shanann’s social media pages, and texts among other evidence. The footage was compiled to detail the disappearance and investigation in a chronological manner, drawing the audience in before jolting them with Chris Watts’s confession.  By including portions of Shanann’s social media pages and texts, the movie reveals Shanann’s side of story during the days leading up to her death. This creates a whole new level of empathy the audience feels for Shanann and her family.

If you enjoy true crime, this disturbing yet captivating documentary is one you shouldn’t miss.