The serial killer who destroyed an entire family for personal gains
The dictionary describes the term serial killer as a person who commits more than two murders, typically following a characteristic, predictable behaviour pattern often with no apparent motive. However, such was not the case for Jolly Joseph, the woman who killed six of her family members.
All six murders allegedly committed by Jolly followed a predictable modus operandi (MO). However, viewers of the latest Netflix documentary film, Curry & Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case, hint at an apparent motive that makes it difficult to categorise Jolly as a serial killer.
The 95-minute documentary narrates the story of Jolly Joseph’s life, linking her to the six murders in the Koodathayi Cyanide killing case that spanned over 14 years. The documentary narrates how Jolly and an accomplice allegedly killed her mother-in-law, her father-in-law, her first husband, her husband’s uncle as well as her husband’s cousin’s wife and 2-year-old daughter.
The revelations made are bone-chilling and tragic, especially when it comes to the testimonies by Jolly’s son, Remo, who talks about his mother’s alleged actions and Jolly’s sister-in-law, Renji. Moreover, the documentary takes a dark turn when tragic details about the murder of an innocent 2-year-old child are revealed.
The film starts by narrating the story of Jolly’s life and how she came to marry Roy Thomas. The initial story of Jolly’s entry into the Thomas family is innocuous and it does not tell much about the repercussions of Jolly’s future actions. Jolly Joseph’s case ends with her allegedly killing her second husband, Shaju’s wife, Cily.
The case is messed up and the judiciary is just as responsible as Jolly and others involved for what happened in the Thomas-Shaju family. The documentary highlights how Jolly’s alleged actions could have been stopped after the first murder of her mother-in-law, Annamma Thomas.
Gripping details from the testimonies of Renji and Rojo (Roy’s sister and brother) show how the legal justice system had failed to identify Jolly’s supposed actions during Annamma’s death which prompted her to end more lives, perfecting her MO one murder after the other. We also see Jolly’s legal aide who does not see a flaw in her actions and is willing to prove her apparent innocence.
The film does end on a positive note though, and with decent editing and a gripping vibe, this one is well worth checking out.
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Verdict - 7/10
7/10