One of my core responsibilities at Dread Central is covering true crime in the wild, as well as true crime programming. As a hazard of the trade, I take in an awful lot of documentaries and docu-series chronicling grisly murders. A trend I’ve observed through countless hours of programming is the tendency to skew reporting toward the perpetrator. Sure, the killer is part of the story, and their inclusion is a necessary evil. However, true crime should ideally center around the victim(s) and the family of the victim(s). Anything less has the potential to be cynical and exploitative. I’ve called out a few documentaries for that type of unpleasantness in the past.
With that said, I’m happy to say that Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer puts the victims and their families front and center. Moreover, the three-episode series (which is based on Robert Kolker’s book Lost Girls) makes strides toward de-stigmatizing sex work and giving those who participate in sex work the same level of in-depth coverage you’d see afforded to a soccer mom from the suburbs. In fact, this series is the best documentary I’ve seen this year.
The docu-series follows the lives of multiple young women who authorities believe fell victim to a prolific serial murderer in Gilgo Beach, New York. Suspected killer Rex Heuermann is currently on trial for these crimes. The series tells the stories of the young women he stands accused of killing.
I was taken by the thoughtful portrait of the victims that Gone Girls series director Liz Garbus paints. It’s a pleasant change of pace to see those who lost their lives take center stage, rather than watch them overshadowed by the monster who preyed upon them. Better still, the documentary showcases sex workers as human beings with hopes, dreams, and people who love them. Even though law enforcement has historically devalued sex workers’ lives, the documentarians behind this project challenge that paradigm. We hear these women’s stories from friends, family members, and co-workers who really knew and loved them.
Gone Girls shows posthumous respect to the victims.
Gone Girls puts the victims front and center from the get-go. The proceedings are well underway before we hear even a whisper about the killer. We don’t even get a clear picture of who the prime suspect is until the final episode. When the accused finally comes into the picture, we learn about him from the perspective of his victims, rather than sitting through a psychological profile explaining how he was once a great guy who eventually became a monster. It’s reassuring to see the first 2/3 (and then some) of the series focus on the victims and their loved ones. Even the title pays tribute to the victims first and foremost, giving them top billing ahead of their accused killer.
Garbus gives those who love the victims the chance to explain how these young women got into sex work in the first place. She’s ultimately giving viewers the opportunity to open their hearts and minds and feel something for these women. Hopefully, people will watch this series and challenge their preconceived notions. Engaged viewers are likely to come away with a greater sense of empathy. And that’s about the highest compliment I could pay to a documentarian profiling a case such as this.
The series challenges problematic police culture and media coverage.
In addition to advocating for the voiceless, the documentary also calls out and challenges indifference toward violence against sex workers by law enforcement and the media. It’s sad that I have to commend recognizing human beings as such. However, that’s the world we live in. It’s nice to see people like Garbus challenging the cynical nature of our society and using her voice to advocate for change and call for a paradigm shift.
Gone Girls calls out police corruption and calls attention to the way law enforcement turns a blind eye to sex workers, even going so far as to take advantage of their precarious relationship with the police. I won’t give too much away. However, I can say that I was shocked by some of the revelations contained within.
My sole negative critique is that the proceedings run longer than necessary. Two hours would have been enough time to cover the entire ordeal in detail. Yet the series lasts for about two-and-a-half hours. However, that’s a minor qualm.
Gone Girls is streaming now on Netflix.
https://ift.tt/nhw6Pp7 https://ift.tt/AX0t2Jc
No comments:
Post a Comment