MURDAUGH MURDERS: THE MOVIE
US, 2023, 185 minutes, Colour.
Bill Pullman, Lauren K. Robeck, Curtis Tweedie, Donavon Stinson, Vanessa Walsh, Tanja Dixon-Warren.
Directed by Greg Beeman.
This is a Lifetime production, a recreation of actual characters and events, crime and trials. Adapted for the wide popular audience.
The action takes place from the late 2010s, the crimes at the centre in 2021.
The film introduces us to a South Carolina family, long tradition of lawyers, comfortable living, pride. The focus is on Alex Murdaugh, middle-aged, two sons (one film is never seen but referred to), but seemingly subdued because of his stern father and the tradition of father and grandfather with his legal company. With their place in society, they have quite a lot of influence, connections, favours given, even with judges for places in country clubs…
Alex is married to Maggie, their teenage son, Paul, living at home, the servants, Gloria, drinking heavily, with his friends, and clashing with his father. There are financial difficulties, Alex has an opioid problem, taking money from accounts, getting behind in repayments, and, as the film reveals, making all kinds of payments, pretending to be sympathetic for injury cases but siphoning off the grants.. There are also scenes with him visiting a young woman, a violent sexual encounter.
This all builds up to an evening where somebody in a hooded raincoat shoots his son and his wife, Alex calling the police, the explanations – especially in connection with his son who has been involved in a boating accident with consequent death of a young woman, his being under the influence of drink.
The audience looking at the story makes the assumption that the hooded killer is Alex himself. What follows is police investigation, interventions by the authorities, Alex in denial, playing the macho, but eventually going to court, his use of an expert lawyer to defend him, but his being found guilty. And there are a few complications throughout, even with Alex asking a former client indebted to him to do a bypass shooting and injuring him.
Comments say that Bill Pullman has all the mannerisms of the actual Alex Murdaugh. He is a smooth character on the one hand, and completely unlikable as well. Many praised Bill Pullman’s performance, others not persuaded – and this reviewer had a similar reaction to him and his mannerisms, let alone his denials.
- Screened in two parts on television? Based on actual characters and events? Comment that this re-creation stays close to the facts?
- American audiences, familiar with the case? The impact on the audiences outside the US? The credibility of the characters, the plot, the crimes? The final information about sentencing?
- South Carolina setting, the style of life in the south, reputations, the law and lawyers, John Grisham territory? The lawyers themselves, ethics, long family traditions and pride, influence in society, favours, cutting corners? Reputations, pride, falls?
- Alex and his situation, finance, debts, as wife’s cheques bouncing, his meeting up with his drug supplier, taking of opioids? Other cases, the crippled man, his offer of compensation? The maid and her tripping on the step, her death, allegedly tripping of the dog? The funeral, Alex offering compensation for the family? The series of these sympathetic grants, the long delays, the money not coming through, his being taken to court?
- The revelation of the deals, his associate questioning him, missing money, false accounts?
- The young woman, his attraction, visit to her, the Savage sexual encounter and his injuries?
- Clashes with his son, drinking, the surly attitude of the son, his mother support? Drinking with his friends in Alex’s office, the scope of the opioids, his son’s hold over him? The drinking outing, the girls, the dispute about driving the boat, the crash into the bridge, the girl disappearing and drowning, Paul in denial? Police investigations, Alex and his ambiguous role, his son being charged? Offer of protection, the court, the lawyers?
- The buildup to the killings, the visualising of them, Alex and his reaction, the investigators? The continued investigations, the inconsistencies, Alex and his continued lying, apologies, allegedly visiting his mother, his father in hospital, the carer and trying to force her testimony, her telling the truth in court? The continued backtracking, the episode of the drive-by shooting, the man giving testimony? The issue of looking people in the eye and lying? His practice sessions of absolute love for his family?
- The court proceedings, the prosecution, the artful defence, the jury, guilty?
- The repercussions for Alex, the taking down of his grandfather’s portrait in the court, the prison sequences? Continued denial?
