Murdaugh Murders: The Movie

My goodness - the accents are the first sign that this movie was going to be absolute garbage. They aren't talking like South Carolinians from the 21st century, they're talking like Virginians from the 1700s in the opening party. And the accents don't really improve.

Next, the acting is atrocious... what is Bill Pullman doing? He is playing a caricature of Alex Murdaugh... but it just comes across as a stage play. You know... where all of the actors are clearly "acting." There is no immersion... it's just... high school quality.

Next, there are many inaccuracies - from little things like where they set the law firm to big things like the complete absence of Morgan Doughty in the boat accident scene. Apart from Mallory Beach and Paul Murdaugh there was Connor Cook and his girlfriend Miley Altman, Anthony Cook (who was dating Mallory), and then Morgan Doughty (Paul's on & off again girlfriend).

This isn't a documentary, but his abuse of Morgan during that boat ride was a large factor in Paul crashing. Which leads me to my next point...

The writers of this clearly want to portray Alex Murdaugh and his father as the villains of this whole thing... but as somebody that's watched and read everything there is about this family and the events around them - and as someone who has personal connections with people who have close relationship with members of the Murdaugh family and their associates... portraying Maggie Murdaugh like a loving, caring person that is oblivious to the things her sons and husband were involved in (and not responsible for any of the events) is wildly inaccurate.

She bullied and tried to manipulate parents at the accident site to protect Paul, she likely covered up Paul assaulting the maid who later died because of her injuries... she wasn't an innocent angel as portrayed.

So, overall from the factual things we know (and in all honesty there is a lot of unknowns that will never be answered) this show is inaccurate, poorly acted, overly long, and MORE THAN ANYTHING distasteful to the many victims of the Murdaugh's.

First off I take my hat off to Lifetime Movies for such a great docudrama movie. Although there is a disclaimer at the start of the movie that some of the content has been "reconstructed" I have to say as an avid follower of the actual case this docudrama has to be around 98% accurate with only 2 sequences that seemed not to be mentioned in the trial. It must have taken a lot of soul searching for the producer(s) to show the actual shooting as none of the documentaries I have watched show the actual shooting except in "cartoon" or "model" mode. Bill Pullman is excellent but so are the other supporting cast. I really enjoyed this move and at 2 x 1.30 Hours Long it never seemed that. It comes highly recommended if you are interested in true crime and the Murdaugh storyline.

Puhleeze. The main character who's supposed to be Southern, called Beaufort BOOFERT. At least get the accent right.

I'm originally from Massachusetts so this is very reminiscent of what the Kennedy family thought their power would cover up. This is the SOUTH where the Good Old Boys still rule supreme.

The movie was entertaining enough and the main actors are pretty good. Bill Pullman was very unlikable as the slimed, Alec Murdaugh but the real Murdaugh was incredibly unlikable from what I've read. The story is what it is. Most assuredly if I hadn't moved to South Carolina, BOOFERT COUNTY, I wouldn't have watched this.

As a southerner, it's hard to concentrate on a film that uses non southern actors who try to talk southern. The problem is that from Texas to the Carolinas, each community sounds different. But, non southern actors try to pretend to be southern with same accent no matter where in the South the story is supposed to be located. It is like saying that someone from Boston sounds like someone from New York City. It causes a distraction that is hard to overcome, no matter how hard they try. That assist, this 2 parter is ok. It is a good attempt to tell this story of an American tragedy and a family gone wrong.

Boy, this Lifetime movie is boring. I saw quite a few documentaries on the case, but eventually tired of watching them, since they all were alike. Since this was a fiction movie, however, I was once again curious. What a waste of time, plus two rental fees at Amazon! I almost didn't even watch Episode 2 after seeing Episode 1.

If you know nothing or little about the case, it might interest you. If you know a lot, all this movie does is reenact details using characters that have no complexity. Alex is a drug addict in deep financial trouble. Maggie is like a '50s housewife, sweet but either blind to all that goes on with Alex, or simply turning a blind eye to it all. Paul was portrayed as much nicer than he was in real life. Buster is not there at all! He's mentioned, but never present, not even at the trial. Did the real Buster threaten to sue Lifetime?

There's no plot, no buildup to anything, not even the murder or the murder trial. I guess the viewer was supposed to be satisfied watching Bill Pullman play a desperate drug addict. Wow, how thrilling. Stick with documentaries if you want to know more about the Murdaugh family. Don't waste your time trying to make it through this pluff mud.