Casting JonBenet

2017 "Everyone wants the part that's missing"
6.1| 1h21m| en| More Info
Released: 28 April 2017 Released
Producted By: Forensic Films
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: https://www.netflix.com/title/80142316
Synopsis

Twenty years after the modern world's most notorious child murder, the legacy of the crime and its impact are explored.

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Forensic Films

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Trailers & Images

  • Top Credited Cast
  • |
  • Crew
Hannah Cagwin as Self - JonBenet Ramsey Auditionee
Tamara Hutchins as Self - Patsy Ramsey Auditionee

Reviews

Dotsthavesp I wanted to but couldn't!
Pluskylang Great Film overall
Portia Hilton Blistering performances.
Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.
ihavemykids If I could give it 0 stars I would. This is nothing but a group of the most ignorant people speculating the murder of an innocent little girl. The truth is, no one knows the exact truth of what happened to this little girl. To have people running their mouths about opinions that don't matter and will never change the past is a huge waste of time. I truly believe this family was torn apart and destroyed over and over again, the first time by the loss of their little one, and then continuously by the media and the public is a shame. I'm sorry I watched this. Don't bother
asc85 This was the first Netflix original/Straight to Netflix movie that I had seen, so despite the mostly positive reviews, I was a little leery. However, as I said in my Title, it is an interesting angle on something most of us are very familiar with: JonBenet's tragic unsolved murder.I know many other critics have gone into deeper levels and deeper meanings, but honestly, I just thought on the surface that it was very interesting. Whenever you hear people talking about this case, it's usually those with a vested interest in a particular outcome, and they are attempting to spin it. Hearing from "typical" locals (well, at least the ones who were trying out to play John and Patsy Ramsey, and other people related to this case), and what they know and think about the case was interesting. Most were extremely passionate regarding their feelings about this case, and while maybe not 100% accurate, I'm sure they are an accurate reflection of what many people around Boulder, as well as around the world, think about this case, even if it's sometimes not the politically correct way to talk about it.I also am wondering what the original intention of this film was. Were they really going to make a movie about JonBenet, and then it evolved into this documentary? Or was it always the intention to make a film like this, and the so-called JonBenet film is merely a prop to get to what we see on the screen? At this point, I haven't seen anything written about this.Finally...I would take the majority of "1" ratings in this section with a grain of salt. Why? Whenever I see a string of dramatically low ratings for well-reviewed movies, or dramatically high ratings for average films (see the number of "10" ratings for the abysmal "Lambert and Stamp" documentary on The Who managers), I click on the profiles to see how many reviews they've done in addition to this one. At this point in time, there are seven ratings with a "1", and for five people, this is the only film they've ever reviewed. That leads me to believe that these five so-called reviewers are not at all objective, and have some unknown agenda they are trying to perpetuate. Perhaps they are friends of the Ramsey family? We'll never know. And if these same people choose to negatively rate my review on account of this, so be it.
timothyongb A brief look at the IMDb reviews put up there and one will be able to find a lot of hate for this movie. They say: there are no new insights to the case, basically a bunch of random strangers gossiping about and dramatizing the death of a child. This film is all of that, and because of that, it is great. I came into the film not knowing a single thing about the case. (I've yet to reach twenty and I do not live in the west) And it is through this film, through these gossips by these strangers that I have managed to piece together a vague sense of what the case is all about. But this understanding of mine that I received on what happened to the child is a dramatized and subjective rendition of the proceedings.The people interviewed are your regular Tom and Jane on the street. The answers they share are less of an expert's and more of the opinion being spread out on the streets, what the people believe. The subjects feel very assured of what they believe, which theory they believe. Their answers to the questions are filled with the passion of a group of people sharing their ideas on the case. They draw from their personal experiences and from their subjective ideas. Many of the interviewees personalize the case too much and as such it is definitely not something to be taken as the truth.Though this leads to some extremely fascinating scenes where the interviewees appear to be relating and perhaps even sympathizing with the proposed perpetrator in their theories of the case. Further more the fact that these interviewees are actually auditioning to be acting as the people they talk about serves to further blur the identities between the 'perpetrator' and the regular human being. Perhaps we all have the potential commit an act or play a part in something so horrifying. After all, we are all human. We make mistakes. In this respect, the film reminds me of the great documentary 'The Act of Killing' where the lines between the identity of fiction and reality, history are blurred. Of course 'Casting JonBenet' does not solely focus on the blurring of identity and the aspects of human nature, but there are moments where the tragic loss of the child can be felt from through the subjects, how they felt about it, how they can relate to the death. A little superficial perhaps, but it does not feel sentimental as many conventional documentaries would have done if they were in the shoes of such a topic. It feels earnest and real. This movie is not the typical documentary typically known to the mainstream, it's goal is less focused on delivering information to the public in an entertaining manner but rather, just as some of the best documentaries do, it focuses on exploring the human condition. This film is less about the case of Jonbenet but more about the normal person's interpretation, reaction and their personal bits of introspection regarding the tragic incident. The film certainly is not without faults, there are plenty. But my main complaint would be that the reaches not much of a conclusion and the montage near the end emphasizes a little too much on the film's concept and ends up feeling more manufactured than earnest and emotional.
Jeremy Stulberg I never review films on IMDb, but I had a particularly strong reaction to this one. It started out as an intriguing concept, and I was very impressed with the creative vision of the film, which seemed like it could add a new layer of commentary to a tired, old story...That impression lasted for about 10 minutes. After that, the film very quickly devolved into a one-note gimmick, which somehow managed to be disturbing, ghoulish and often boring at the same time. Ultimately, I was left with a hollow feeling of numbness about this murder, as well as the non-professional actors profiled. The film felt so craven in its blatant exploitation of the crime (as well as the interviewees). It was downright grotesque if you give more than a passing thought to the fact that it's all based upon a child's murder...one that has been examined ad nauseam over the course of the past 20 years. In the end this film felt like more of an exercise, or an experiment gone awry. It had no heart, or center. It was utterly empty.