Summary
Worst Neighbor Ever is the heartbreaking third installment in Netflix’s true-crime anthology series, exploring how a pervasive mental health crisis and a failing justice system intersect to create a cruel human experience. And episode 4 will leave you on the floor in disbelief at the capabilities of the human race.
Going into Netflix’s true-crime offering, I foolishly asked myself, “Neighbors fighting with each other, how bad can that be?” The answer, it turns out, is utterly heartbreaking. Worst Neighbor Ever is the third installment in Netflix’s true-crime anthology and contains four mini-episodes exploring some of America’s most heartbreaking stories of evil neighbors. The predecessors of this collection were Worst Roommate Ever and Worst Ex Ever.
I have to admit, I had preconceptions about this Netflix series. I honestly thought it was going to be boring and stale. I didn’t anticipate that by the endings of episodes 1 and 3, I would be crying and feeling so deeply pained for the families affected in these stories. So, if I’m being honest with myself, I would recommend this series to other people. I already know which friend of mine I’m recommending it to first.
I want to kickstart this review by mentioning how immensely wild the final episode, “The Executor,” is. By the end of the episode, not only was my jaw on the floor because of the sheer insanity, but my whole body was in complete shock. What is even more upsetting is that this case is living proof of how media can inspire us – sometimes for good, and other times in the most evil ways imaginable. The perpetrators in this case took diabolical inspiration from the hydrofluoric acid bathtub scene in Breaking Bad. To me, this is one of the most f***ed-up cases I have ever heard about.
After having watched Maternal Instinct on Netflix, I didn’t think humanity could get much worse – but Caroline Herrling unfortunately has proven me wrong. And since we’re onto the negativities, here is my biggest criticism.
The documentary style. And you may laugh at me for this; however, what disrupts the visual cohesion for me is the two different styles used to flip between the dates. It is such a small-picture point, but I appreciate consistency throughout a series. So next time, Netflix, pick one style and stick with it. But why does the jumping matter, you may be asking? If Netflix wants to keep our attention, creating little inconsistencies like that will take our focus away. Which is a good thing for us but a bad thing for them. I was almost ready to turn the series off in episode one purely because it disrupted the flow of the episode.
On the other hand, I believe the mixture of interview footage and animation is a good approach and tactic. It keeps the viewer’s attention and dopamine receptors lit up – as is Netflix’s only real intention. I will mention as well that something I appreciate is that by using this style of animation, it prevents sensitive footage from being used that could be triggering or harmful to viewers. So, the documentary does this well.
The most important truth this series demonstrates, though, is how the system failed these families – particularly in episodes one and three. A lack of care and attention paid to these cases unfortunately resulted in innocent lives being lost and families being broken apart. A brief example is in episode 3, when the perpetrator is briefly detained by a police officer who is shouting at and degrading both the perpetrator and the victim. Caught on the police officer’s bodycam footage, the perpetrator says that next time he will kill the victim – which he did.
Therefore, that is the most heartbreaking aspect of this series. To see what is so obviously happening and have it swept under the rug is gut-wrenching and scary. I guess it’s a universal truth that sometimes the justice system lets you down. However, the families in these stories show true courage and strength by not letting this end their lives completely. They put their hope and faith in God. The families and the communities pull together after the monstrosities that have occurred and help each other heal.
I didn’t anticipate that I would watch these episodes one after the other, but I did because I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t turn it off. And in the same breath, I find myself praying for these families and these communities. I pray they find peace and strength together and continue to create a legacy for the innocent lives that were sadly taken from this earth.
