Review of Amanda Knox (2016) by Jonny P — 01 Oct 2016

"Amanda Knox" falls into the crime-mystery documentary genre that has been in vogue for several years. Hot off of the success and buzz created by their "Making a Murderer" series, Netflix was smart to quickly bring this controversial story back into the public eye.

The key was their ability to get Knox to give them her first onscreen interview. The one-sided nature of the documentary makes her innocence very obvious from start to finish. The result is an emotionally-driven tale of empathy instead of a slow revelation of details that forces us to decide whether she is guilty or innocent.

The entire documentary hinges on our sympathy for Knox and it works. Her opening monologue puts us into her position, claiming that she is either a psychopath in sheep's clothing or she is as innocent as us.

It is unnerving to see the witch hunt that commenced with little-to-no evidence. The filmmakers do represent the other side of the argument by providing interviews with the case's lead investigator but he comes off as unintelligent and presumptuous in every word that he speaks about Knox.

Before watching this film, it is important to know that nearly half of it requires the reading of subtitles. You have to commit to this one fully or else you will miss important information each time that you glance down at your phone.

Also, it carries a Mature rating for a reason, so be prepared for strong language and some fairly graphic crime scene footage. I am around the same age as Knox but this story somehow eluded me back in 2007.

If you don't know the details of the case or even if you wonder what ever happened to that study-abroad student who was convicted of murdering her roommate, "Amanda Knox" delivers an informative and gripping story that will stick with you for a while.