You recognize you are heading into darkish waters when the YouTube trailer for a documentary begins with a content material warning. That is what you need to see earlier than you possibly can watch the trailer for the brand new Netflix docuseries American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders, because it comprises references to suicide and self-harm. Like this story.
The documentary focuses on the dying of journalist Danny Casolaro, a author whose dying gave the impression to be suicide – however his household and his colleagues believed and proceed to consider in any other case. Casolaro had been investigating a conspiracy he referred to as “The Octopus,” which linked a collection of unsolved murders, a secret group with stolen authorities spy software program, and a number of the greatest political scandals of the twentieth century.
The documentary asks a easy query: what actually occurred to Danny Casolaro?
Wandering right into a tangled internet
Because the present reveals, Casolaro did not got down to discover a conspiracy. He thought he was investigating a moderately obscure mental property dispute. However as his investigation continued, he found connections to the hidden underbelly of Eighties America: cash laundering, adware, and even arms trafficking. The extra he uncovered, the extra satisfied Casolaro was of an enormous conspiracy – and the extra decided he was to convey the secrets and techniques he had discovered to mild. However he by no means bought the possibility.
Was Casolaro killed for what he knew? Based on his household, he had advised his brother that he had acquired threatening cellphone calls within the weeks earlier than his dying. Casolaro mentioned if one thing have been to occur to him, it would not be an accident. His household additionally identified his excessive clinginess, which meant that he himself was afraid of blood checks: would a person who couldn’t deal with the sight of blood actually take his personal life in such a violent means? Some regulation enforcement officers have been additionally suspicious, however whereas the case was picked up by each ABC Information and TIME journal, they may discover no proof of homicide.
That is the place this documentary is available in. American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders is not only a historic story. It follows Christian Hansen, a photojournalist, who picks up the items many years later and tries to seek out the solutions Casolaro sought. Together with filmmaker Zachary Treitz, he travels throughout America to seek out the important thing characters on this story, a journey that places each males at nice private danger. What actually occurred to Danny? This documentary – made by Duplass Brothers Productions with Stardust Frames, who final labored collectively on Wild, wild, nationamong the finest Netflix documentaries we have seen – attempt to discover out.
American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders will stream on Netflix within the US from February 28.