'Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal' Review: A devastating story told in a perfectly constructed docuseries
Hampton County in South Carolina is a pretty small place and everyone knew each other. However, there’s one family that was undoubtedly the most influential one and considered to be bigger than the law. Yes, we are talking about the Murdaugh family and no one said anything against them even if they did something illegal. However, everything came crashing down after a 19-year-old girl named Mallory Beach died in a boat accident and the boat was being driven by Alex Murdaugh’s younger son, Paul Murdaugh. Netflix has come out with a three-part documentary series, titled ‘Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal’, that provides insights and first-hand accounts of what happened that fateful night.
To be honest, I didn’t know much about the ‘Murdaugh Murders’ and had only read about them a couple of times. However, the trailer for this docuseries intrigued me, and waited for the series to drop so that I could get all the necessary information. Even if there are many viewers who don’t know much about the case and just wanted to see it because of their love for true-crime series, Netflix has taken care of that aspect and we get all the behind-the-scenes look at what actually happened by bringing out the real people who experienced all the trauma of that accident and how they coped with it.
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But the death of Mallory Beach was just the beginning and whatever happened afterward was really shocking. The Murdaugh Family used their influence and money to save Paul Murdaugh. They did everything to keep their boy out of jail and unfortunately, were successful in doing so. However, things got darker than ever when it was revealed that Maggie Murdaugh and Paul Murdaugh were shot dead when they were living in their Moselle property. Trust me, when I say this, the 911 phone call made by Alex Murdaugh will send chills down your spine and even though you hate Alex for what he has done in the past, you start feeling a little bit bad for him. But if you believe, things can’t get any more intriguing, the documentary series throws another massive twist your way and things change drastically from there.
First-hand accounts give depth to the docuseries
The best part of the series is that viewers get to listen to all the people who were part of this entire incident. Anthony, Miley, Morgan, and Connor were Mallory’s friends and Paul was also a part of the group. Anthony was dating Mallory and Paul was in a relationship with Morgan. So, hearing what happened from Anthony and Morgan was really devastating and hard to hear. Also, the decision for ending this series in three episodes was absolutely perfect because the story isn’t over yet and Alex is still on trial, giving makers an opportunity to explore the story in the upcoming weeks or months.
Every aspect of the story is given ample time to explore, but if you are searching for answers, then you might have to wait for another part and frankly, viewers shouldn’t even search for answers because things are yet to be proven and you can’t get answers when everything is proven and someone is found guilty.
The editing is the highlight here and the series did a fantastic job in mixing the re-enactments with the real-life interviews. It also made the situations really intense and viewers are captivated by everything that’s happening on the screen.
On the other hand, every interview in this series gave valuable information and there was no fluff. Whether it was Mallory’s boyfriend Anthony or the ‘Wall Street Journal’ journalist Valerie Bauerlin, every interviewee came forward with information that opened new layers in the case. However, the most important piece of information came from Paul’s ex-girlfriend Morgan Doughty. From being slapped to getting punched in the knee, Morgan revealed every little thing that took place in their relationship. She also didn’t shy away from telling an incident where she first got to know that Murdaughs might have killed someone.
Meanwhile, the interviews given by Mallory's parents, Phillip and Renee Beach, will surely break your heart. The parents never got a call from law enforcement authorities in the case.
Is 'Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal' worth watching?
All in all, ‘Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal’ will definitely change perspectives. A perfectly constructed true-crime docuseries that provides chilling information about the Murdaugh Family and makes people understand why people were afraid of them. Some people might already know the story, but hearing the stories from people who lived that nightmare might create a long-lasting impact on people’s minds.
Undoubtedly, it is worth watching.
**** for ‘Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal’.
The docuseries is now streaming exclusively on Netflix.