But, of course, that’s something people do all the time-we’re often pulled into macabre true-crime stories, perhaps because they offer a glimpse into a world we don’t understand, or because we recognize something from our past, or ourselves, in them. Its central idea is unavoidably disturbing: that the best way to get these ordinary people to reflect on their lives is by getting them to relate to one of the most infamous murders of recent decades. This confessional device draws some fascinating digressions from its subjects, while filtering their words through the prism of a national tragedy every American of a certain age likely remembers.Ĭasting JonBenét takes sad stock of a country, perhaps without meaning to. That’s left entirely to the actors, all of whom have something to say, and the audience, who can piece together the rest of the context pretty easily. So there’s no explanation for her film’s strange premise, no voice heard from offscreen asking questions of the interviewees, no attempt by her to recap the details of the murder case itself. Green herself isn’t an actual character in Casting JonBenét. Beyond that, she’s also curious about the actors themselves, and why they might relate to the parts they’re looking to play (particularly the Ramsey parents, whom some suspected of killing their daughter). She cares more about their opinions on the case, their recollections of the media fracas that ensued at the time, and their theories on who might have killed JonBenét and why. That’s because Green isn’t really interested in the actors’ performances (although she does include some test footage). The film begins with the compelling, if unsettling sight of a gaggle of children, in stars-and-stripes-themed pageant wear, sitting on a row of chairs and waiting for their turn in front of the camera. Green is auditioning local residents of Boulder, Colorado, where JonBenét lived and died, for various roles-her mother Patsy, her father John, her brother Burke, the local police chief, and, of course, JonBenét herself.
WHERE CAN I WATCH THE JONBENET DOCU SERIES MOVIE
The film functions as a casting call for an unnamed, non-existent fiction movie about the 1996 murder of JonBenét Ramsey, the shocking unsolved killing of a 6-year-old that captured America’s imagination for years (and has never quite vanished from the public consciousness). It’s a distressing idea, but it’s one baked into Casting JonBen ét, whose premise is hard to describe in a way that doesn’t feel somewhat uncomfortable. In Kitty Green’s new movie Casting JonBen ét, which premieres April 28 on Netflix, a whole ensemble of aspiring actors share their thoughts and memories, some startlingly personal and others mundane, with a disarming willingness, as if trying to win the viewer over with their tragedies. We strive for accuracy and fairness.The documentary film is often a space for confession, or interrogation-a public forum that’s both intimate and private, where people can spill their life stories into a camera without thinking about who might one day watch the results.
Watch Who Killed JonBenet? on Lifetime Movie Club Fact Check However, none of these people have been charged.
Outside of the Ramsey Family, the media has also reported on others deemed suspicious: from the convicted child sex offender (Gary Oliva) to the housekeeper (Linda Hoffman-Pugh) to the electrician (Michael Helgoth) to even the town Santa (Bill McReynolds). Phil Show, breaking his 20-year silence about the case but bringing no new evidence to the story.Ĭountless books, documentaries, and true crime shows have featured their own theories about JonBenét’s murder. In 2016, JonBenét’s brother Burke made a surprising appearance on The Dr. John claims he has lost his entire family fortune after being a multi-millionaire in the 1990s. Four years later, Pasty succumbed to ovarian cancer at the age of 49. After the case was dropped, the Ramsey family returned to Atlanta, Georgia, to escape the media glare and released the 2001 memoir The Death of Innocence. In December 1999, the Boulder grand jury voted to indict John and Patsy for their alleged role in their daughter’s murder however, Boulder District Attorney Alex Hunter decided not to charge them, citing insufficient evidence.