Good start, but then it gets ruined

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Interesting but hard to watch crime documentary that starts out with the premise of Mason Jenkins's guilt. He's been convicted and is serving his time and whatever stories he's told over the years, the possibility of his innocence isn't really on the table here. Instead, the documentary is mostly focused on the aftermath of the crime and the relationship of this eviscerated family unit.I felt somewhat uncomfortable watching this intimate footage of his families pain. From the police interview tapes from the time of the murder to the aunt who wants to support the parents but can't condone their frankly desperate support for their son. Its just hard to watch the two parents clinging to the idea of a family their son already effectively stole from them. The visits in the sad little prison house illustrate this perfectly; it's not a real home the relationships are a performance and murdered Jennifer is conspicuously absent. It's an interesting contrast that the prison guard who has no such emotional investment in Mason's innocence has no time for his lying.As for the killer himself, I have to say he's frustratingly banal. Not very bright, not ready to take on the mantle of guilt but not able to lie convincingly either. He comes across as a big fat adult baby- childishly dependant on his parents yet frustrated by their enmeshment, narcissistically selfish like a toddler. I feel he can't admit to the murder because of the narcissistic blow that would be to his ego, he'd risk losing the support of his parents upon whose approval he seems dependant. They need him to be their child so they can cling to the family unit idea and he can't handle the withdrawal of their approval so they're all trapped and can only sneak up on the truth in tiny slow steps. The truth being that their son is a killer who feels no real love or respect for them. I can't help but wonder what signs might have been ignored during his upbringing that let him turn into such a monster.

This movie is not flashy or full of the beautiful people doing exciting things. It's 10 years after a family tragedy, a family ripped apart and not yet back together, afraid of asking questions when they might not want the answers. My heart was heavy every minute, always with the ultimate question, "What would I do?" I know the family is still suffering with pain and doubt, and my heart aches for them. I can't fault the parents for any of their choices. These people are such "normal folk" as they say. This movie makes me aware that even if you decide to be dull and normal, other people can rip that choice away from you, and then what do you do?