Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for American Murder:
Vanlife is not for me.
Quick synopsis:
The story of Gabby Petito and her murder by her fiancé on a cross-country trip.
Fact for Non-History People:
There are approximately 3 million vanlifers (people who live exclusively out of their vehicles, voluntarily) in the U.S.
Fact for History Nerds:
YouTubers earn between 1 to 3 cents per view. Just so you know in case you are about to try and live the vanlife
My Take on American Murder:
Unfortunately, intimate partner violence is not a rare thing. However, in the case of Gabby Petito, the actions after the murder were what caught people’s attention (among other things, but I’ll get to that). Gabby and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie (trash person/murderer) had started a trek across the U.S. to create a YouTube channel focused on their life living in a van. Gabby goes missing and Brian comes home much to the surprise of her family who want to know where the hell she is. When Brian’s parents are questioned (also trash people), they lawyer up and refuse to answer police or anyone else for that matter.
The story is already well-documented, but this series fills in a lot of gaps and doesn’t shy away from some uncomfortable evidence and situations. This is a full story. Specifically, there are certain parts where Gabby comes off badly and where her push to make this van life account is a clear source of friction. I often see documentaries which make the victim to be a saint, and I feel like that is often a mistake. Gabby was a person with faults of her own and was as a young woman figuring out her life. I don’t think it at all lessens Brian’s culpability or places blame on Gabby and, in fact, I think it makes the viewer feel Gabby’s loss even more.
From a technical perspective, the series is not too long and not too short. The pacing is good, although a discussion of Missing White Woman Syndrome is quickly mentioned but moved on from. I would have liked a little more digging into Brian’s parents since they truly come off as monsters who bred a monster. In this case, the apple truly didn’t fall far from the tree.
Verdict:
Definitely worth a watch. Watch it here!
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