Just when you think that the industry is done with true-crime documentaries, shows, and series, something new comes up and grabs your attention. That’s the thing with works that are based on true crime. There is always something new that is salacious, controversial, and eyeball-grabbing. The latest addition to Netflix’s true crime category this week is ‘What Jennifer Did.’ The documentary revolves around a girl who reports a crime that took place in her house to the police. But things are not as easy as they seem. The case revolves around how her mother was shot dead in a home invasion and how the invaders attempted to kill her father, but she was left with barely a scratch. In case you are planning to add ‘What Jennifer Did’ to your weekend binge, here’s all that you need to know about it.
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‘What Jennifer Did’: Story
In 2010, a tragic incident took place in Markham, Canada. At the Pan household, a home invasion took a dangerous turn as one person was murdered, and the other was saved by an inch. The victims were Vietnamese immigrants who were targeted by three unidentified intruders who were looking for money. Shockingly, they shot the parents (Huei Hann Pan and Bich Ha), but they spared the daughter (Jennifer Pan), leaving her as the sole witness. She was tied to a banister while the entire event unfolded before her eyes.
While Jennifer was tied to the stairs, she took out her phone from her back pocket and called 911 for help. The father was gravely injured by gunfire, and he went into a coma. Tragically, her mother succumbed to the attack. Initially, the attack was assumed to be a brutal home invasion, but suspicions arose when the police started finding loopholes in Jennifer's statements.
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‘What Jennifer Did’: Performances
Being a documentary, there isn’t much to write about the performances. ‘What Jennifer Did’ relies heavily on interviews with the police authorities and the recorded statements of Jennifer Pan and her ex-boyfriend, Daniel Wong. The documentary does not involve recreating any of the incidents that took place. It does not reenact the attack. When it comes to the attack, it only shows how the police found the Pan household when they reached the spot after the call. This helps the documentary stick close to the facts and not rely much on sensationalism.
‘What Jennifer Did’: Script, Direction & Technical Aspects
What works best for this Jenny Popplewell directorial is the length of the documentary and how the case has been treated. The story has enough masala to make it more sensational but the way it has stuck to the facts makes it more realistic. The run-time of the documentary is enough to catch your attention. The way the editors have managed to wrap this story in this period deserves recognition. There is a lot that could have expanded the run time of the story, but this crisp editing keeps you glued to the case till the end.
The documentary also does not have a lot of unnecessary music added to it. This helps keep the narrative going and it does not take your attention away from the case. It packs a lot of shocks in its runtime which works well. As it relies heavily on the police-provided footage, the cinematography has that raw edge to it which makes you feel like you are solving the case along with the cops.
What does not work for this documentary is how it relies on just two or three interviews from the police and just two interviews from people who knew Jennifer. When you have a case that is this severe, it makes more sense that you add more distinct voices that encompass a plethora of points of view. At one point, these interviews make no difference to the plot because the police footages take the story forward smoothly.
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‘What Jennifer Did’: Cast & Crew
Director: Jenny Popplewell
Available On: Netflix
Duration: 1 hour 27 minutes
Languages: English
‘What Jennifer Did’: Can Kids Watch It?
No.
Outlook’s Verdict
Before I started watching ‘What Jennifer Did’, I took the pain to read about the case online. I took a quick perusal of a few websites because the plot almost seemed unbelievable. This made me want to watch the documentary even more. However, as I sat down to watch it, I thought more nuances and complexities of the case would be unveiled. But the documentary set me up for disappointment. While it has been treated well technically, it adds nothing new to the case. For people who are not aware of Jennifer Pan’s case, this documentary might be the next best thing. But when you take a bird’s eye view, it does not leave you with any thoughts except a feeling of sadness, you feel like there’s something more that the documentary is not touching upon. It lacks the nuance to leave you with sleepless nights. I am going with 2 stars.
