Summary
For once, this true crime documentary might actually focus on a crime that you know nothing about.
This review of the Netflix documentary The Photographer: Murder in Pinamar does not contain any spoilers.
Whilst you may not be overly familiar with this case prior to the documentary, it’s one that you’ll wish you had known about earlier. It’s a shocking and horrifying case, so it’s a surprise that the crime has gone under the radar for so long. The documentary location is a beautiful resort in Argentina, an area that “journalists loved going to”. But this documentary isn’t about the location; the main focus is a chilling murder that highlights the conspiracy that surrounded a local journalist’s murder.
The unfortunate journalist, Jose Luis, was last seen alive on the 24th of January 1997. And following concerns from his friend, it later becomes apparent that Jose has been shot in the head and then handcuffed in a car that was then set on fire. But who murdered Jose? And what were their reasons for wanting him dead? Was his career a part of it? Or was it something much more sinister? Despite initial claims that his death was an accident, his journalist friends were adamant that justice would be served. But does political corruption mean that the truth never comes to light, meaning we never learn the truth behind the brutal murder?
As much of this documentary shows archive footage from the time of the murder, it has a nice 90s feel to it. And this alone is one of the many reasons that’ll help the audience become easily invested in the crime. In The Photographer: Murder in Pinamar, and as you would expect from a true-crime documentary, it has intense narration detailing the shocking events that led/follow the crime. It also has several one-to-one interviews that highlight just how horrifying this crime was for those close to Jose.
On a streaming site that is full of true crime documentaries, The Photographer: Murder in Pinamar definitely stands out. It’s a startling case that will horrify audiences just because of the obvious corruption that was at hand. And whilst it, to be honest, could have done with twenty minutes less runtime, it’s well worth a watch.
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