A Murder Among the Mormonsis indeed something that happens in Netflix’s new true crime docuseries — but, wow, does that undersell the story it tells.
In this whiplash-inducing three-parter, directors Jared Hess and Tyler Measom cover the 1985 Salt Lake City bombings. It's the latest case to join Netflix's growing catalogue of crimes revisited, but it's considerably less well-known than, say, the notorious killings of Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer or the mysterious 2013 death of Elisa Lam in Crime Scene: Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel.
Can you "spoil" a real case — even one from 35 years ago?
Those old enough to have seen news coverage of these bombings will remember them as a horrific double homicide that captured the attention of a nation reeling from the attacks of Ted Kaczynski, who in the '80s was still known as the at-large Unabomber.
They may also recall that the two deaths and a third injury, all caused by pipe bombs, were later connected to a scheme that defrauded the Mormon Church, among other high-profile victims, and sent the religious organization into somewhat of a philosophical tailspin. Some may even manage to remember the killer's name.
But for those wholly unacquainted with this case, as I'd wager most Murder Among the Mormons viewers will be, Hess and Measom present a frenzied whodunit that’s best described as real-life Catch Me If You Can meets The Da Vinci Code,with fantasy action sequences inspired by Pablo Escobar and featuring the Toyota MR2. Seriously, watch the trailer.
It's a bizarre but gripping approach to the subject matter that raises one of the more vexing questions in modern true crime: Can you "spoil" a real case — even one from 35 years ago?
Murder Among the Mormons makes an excellent case that you can, presenting its story in strict chronological order and unraveling its mysteries with increasing dramatic tension.
Comprised of retrospective interviews with detectives, witnesses, and reporters involved directly in the case, as well as news broadcasts and archived police footage, the series walks its viewers through each event and revelation as it occurred.
The first episode is dedicated to establishing the central voices and characters in the case, taking extra time to explain how the Mormon community fit into the investigation, while the second and third recap and analyze the crime within that context before finally identifying the killer.
Murder Among the Mormons reviewCredit: netflixTaking less than three hours to binge, this a true crime title that's almost overstuffed with plot pivots and red herrings, never failing to end an episode, even its final one, on a thought-provoking cliffhanger. (FWIW, you're better off not googling anything in this show until you're done watching.) It's a very effective ramp-up in pacing and thematic intensity that's sure to keep viewers glued to the series, but can occasionally make the tone inappropriately giddy.
The show's star interview Shannon Flynn — the perpetrator's former friend, who appears wearing a waistcoat, bowtie, and pocket watch (call it 1930s Sunday best) — doesn't make matters better as he describes the ins and outs of this ingenious, but still gruesome crime with a baffling demeanor that's stuck somewhere between admiration and grief. Indeed, the series entire final scene, a sort of "heist explained" sequence largely narrated by Flynn's commentary, is a bit of a head scratcher.
But for good or bad, this is one true crime title sure to get genre fans talking. Murder Among the Mormons revisits a fascinating case with captivating framing that doesn't let up, proving even lesser-known, decades-old events can make for explosive new stories.
Murder Among the Mormons is now streaming on Netflix.
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