Justice & Revenge
Why Did You Kill Me? feels like a blend of 2020’s thriller Searching and Netflix series Don’t F**k With Cats. The result is a well paced, thorough investigation, one that begins and ends with social media while asking one big question: where do you draw the line between revenge and justice?
This 80 minute documentary wastes absolutely no time either, getting straight to the heart of the issue. One night, 24 year old Crystal Theobald is shot dead just down the road from her house. A white Ford Expedition seems to hold a vital clue, as do the gangs operating in the area. With the detectives drawing a blank, and unsure how to proceed, Crystal’s family take matters into their own hands.
With daughter Jaime’s help, the family set up a new Myspace profile (or two) in order to find the killers through some good old fashioned catfishing. What ensues from here is a balanced and well rounded film, interviewing various people from both sides of the table and painting a portrait of exactly what happened that night.
Unlike some of the other documentaries on Netflix, this one does have a definitive conclusion. It also helps that the culprit’s family are interviewed here too, allowing for a rare perspective into this man’s early life and what drove him to commit such an act. No spoilers here of course over who this is.
Netflix have always been known to add some visual flair to their true crime pieces and this one is no exception. There are model table re-enactments and computer screen captures, alongside brief reenacted pieces from the night Crystal was killed. On top of that are numerous talking head interviews and sprinkled bites of CCTV as well. The result is something that feels very competently made and the story is every bit as engrossing because of this.
Why Did You Kill Me? is a well written, definitive film documenting what happened to Crystal Theobald. The balanced viewpoints and impressive aesthetic cues help this stand out, delivering a compelling true crime film. It’s best to jump into this one blind but even if you’re aware of the case, there’s enough here to recommend giving it a watch.
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Verdict - 8/10
8/10