Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal

Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal (2023) is a series that I recently watched on Netflix. The storyline follows a group of privileged kids with money, drugs, boats and planes in South Carolina that one day takes their carefree lifestyle too far leading to the death of a young lady. One of the kid's fathers is the town lawyer from a family with a history or privilege and living life above the law and comes in to hide the murder. The misdeeds of father's past come to the surface and he takes things a bit too far for the cover up.

This movie is codirected by Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason, who also worked together on The Pharmacist. Growing up in Maine I could relate to just about every aspect of this picture. This docuseries perfectly depicts small town white America and the lifestyles, relationships and how authority works...until someone gets too comfortable and gets over their skis. The interviews with the people involved was fascinating and their raw emotions and depiction of the events were fascinating. I did feel there was a lack of accountability on display from both the victims, families and towns people, but if this doesn't perfectly depict the problems within our society nothing does.

Overall, both the big picture and actual storyline of this series is fascinating, eye opening but not surprising. I would score this series an 8/10 and strongly recommend it.

The story is interesting. Powerful people above the law getting away with literally murder.

The execution by Netflix is worrying... the first two minutes of the 3 part doc is basically a trailer telling you everything which is going to happen over the next 3 hours. Could basically turn off then.

The final part of episode 2 (presumably to make you watch episode 3) is disgraceful. Literally just starts telling you about another case without any storytelling.

I'm starting to wonder if documentaries are dead and slowly just becoming fiction. Netflix are to blame for this, throwing out low quality docs month after month, with only one gem every year.

I was surprised at how well this was done. If is far superior to the trashy, cheap, sensational treatments it has gotten on Dateline NBC, 20 20, 48 Hours and many many other news outlets.

This show doesn't focus on Alex Murdaugh, it focuses on the situations and victims he caused.

You hear from the kids on the boat, their patents, law enforcement, private detectives, jailhouse recordings and others.

This is one documentary Netflix did right. It doesn't seem padded or overlong like many of their shows.

Please keep it up Netflix.

This is far more compelling than focusing on Murdoch himself.

The series starts with the exploration of the death of a young woman named Mallory Madison Beach, who dies in a boating accident, where she's accompanied by her boyfriend and some friends. One of those on board was Paul Murdaugh, a young man from a wealthy family, a family that has links to numerous deaths.

I am genuinely the first person to criticise Netflix when they drag out a documentary series, and after episode one, I felt that vibe, however I was unaware of The Murdaugh story, and this time I'd suggest the format works, there are numerous shocking revelations.

Lots of powerful interviews, and just think these events are so fresh and raw for many of the people, one or two interviewees made me feel as though they were trying a bit too hard, perhaps I'm being unkind.

If you're unaware of the story, it's shocking, it's truly like a plot from an over the top thriller, you can't believe one family got away with so much for so long.

You'll be aware that money and power carry a lot of weight, if you have one you're laughing, if you have both you're practically bomb proof.

I'm looking forward to the next chapter.

8/10.

Excellent overview of Murdaugh scandal, including the power they had in Hampton Country, South Carolina and more specifically the town of Hampton. This power included the fear of local law enforcement and local townspeople had in crossing the Murdaugh family. It covers an overview of the Murdaugh dynasty, which has come to a close now that Alex Murdaugh has been disbarred and fired from the powerful law firm that his great grandfather started and with his son Baxter thrown out of the University of South Carolina for plagiarism.

The scandal begins with the boating accident caused by their son Paul who was later murder along with his mother Maggie up through the "attempted" suicide on Alex's life.