I Just Killed My Dad Review: Theatrical Horror Story

I Just Killed My Dad is a Netflix true-crime limited documentary series directed by Skye Borgman and focuses on the real-life story of Anthony Templet and how and why he killed his father. The series has three episodes, with runtimes ranging from 35-45 minutes.

Netflix describes the series as:

Anthony Templet shot his father and never denied it. But why he did is a complex question with profound implications that go far beyond one family.

– I Just Killed My Dad Review Does Not Contain Spoilers –

At first glance, Anthony Templet seems rather normal, or as normal as a kid with trauma can be. He seems mild-mannered in both past and present interviews. However, then the story starts to open up, and you simply keep on questioning the various inconsistencies and the biggest question crops up – why?

The biggest positive when it comes to documentaries is to create a sort of tension and make you question what is going on even when you know exactly the facts of the story. I Just Killed My Dad gives away the gist of the story in its title but hides away the weirdest things in its various offshoots.

It’s just so odd to know these little things and watch it happen as it did – the documentary, as per usual, gives us real footage from when the initial murder took place as well as interviews in the present, which include with Anthony himself, his friends, family and coworkers as well as with those associated with the law and knew the case first hand.

I Just Killed My Dad goes from documentary to mystery-thriller to just a harrowing and heartbreaking tale of terror and how easy it is for people to repeat the cycle of those before you. It’s a story full of fear, and the series brings forth that really well.

Anthony’s story is quite fresh, having just happened in 2019. Thus, we cut back and forth from now to back then when Anthony’s life started to fall apart – it’s the backstory that is so important in cases like these. Why did Anthony do it? The series, thus, in my eyes, works as a cautionary tale for everyone out there.

However, this isn’t just about Anthony’s past, isn’t it? It’s about his present as well. As we discuss what led him to do what he did, we also come back to where the case stands at this point – he did kill his father. But did he intend to do so? I Just Killed My Dad gives us reasons to sympathise and dislike Anthony as the minutes tick on. It’s a complicated situation, definitely, but what does the law think about it?

Because complicated emotions, though a part of it, cannot overshadow facts in court. Thus, as law enforcement puts forth these important questions and morally ambiguous situations, you’ll be in a tough spot to understand where you stand with the situation. The series does a fantastic job of keeping up the thrill and keeping you at the edge of your seat, especially if you haven’t heard anything about this case.

That being said, I think the last episode gets a bit too much, gets too showman-y – it moves from documentary to murder-mystery movie about a killer who got wrongly accused. I Just Killed My Dad loses itself in this drama, and the real terror that documentaries give us turns into something very made-up and forced. These moments are peppered in between the show as well in small doses but just get so over the top in the end.

Summing Up: I Just Killed My Dad

I Just Killed My Dad is a horrifying tale of manipulation, abuse and what happens when you push people to a corner. Unfortunately, the series depends on the theatrics a bit too much sometimes. However, there’s still a lot of weight to it, and it reminds you to be careful and keep an eye out for your surroundings.

I Just Killed My Dad is streaming on Netflix.

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