The chilling first trailer for American Murder: The Family Next Door gives a voice to the victims in a triple murder that shocked the world.
The new documentary, from director Jenny Popplewell and Oscar-winning executive producer James Marsh, brings audiences into the grim mystery leading up to the deaths of 34-year-old Shanann Watts and her two young daughters, who, in 2018, were reported missing in their hometown of Frederick, Colorado. While initially seeming like Shanann simply walked away with her children, suspicion soon fell on her husband Chris Watts. It was eventually discovered that Watts was having an affair and he subsequently admitted to killing his wife and kids and disposing of their bodies in an oil storage site owned by his then-employer. This revelation uncovered a twisted backstory the filmmakers explore entirely through archival footage, Shanann’s social media posts and self-shot videos, law enforcement recordings, text messages, and never-before-seen home videos from family and friends.
Even though Chris was ultimately sentenced to life in prison, the film explores the police investigation that exposed the root of his disintegrating marriage with Shanann in a narrative Netflix claims “is the first film to give a voice to the victims” in the shocking case. This was truly a murder that made national headlines and has been the subject of many specials in the past but Netflix has been great at going deeper into these cases and this one should be one to watch.
American Murder: The Family Next Door hits Netflix on September 30. Check out the official key art below!
