I believe the earlier reviews here are trying to make this documentary into something it's not, and judge it for something it's not trying to do. This is not yet another whodunit, and we're not asked to reexamine the evidence or create new theories. I certainly did not see it as another exploitative money grab that this tragedy seems to attract. This was a look beyond the crime itself; it was a fascinating exposé on how the general public interacts with true crime by exploring -on set- the thoughts and feelings of unknown (and CO local) actors and actresses on one of America's most notorious murders in modern history. What makes this documentary so great is not the casting or acting by any means - it's the film's ability to grasp onto these people's stories and perspectives and allow us to see ourselves in them. There's a thousand theories about what happened that night, but rather than drag the viewer through another dozen of them, the viewer is allowed to see just how deep society's fascination with mysteries and tragedies goes. Rather than mocking or exploiting the death of this little girl, it encourages us to ask ourselves why we form such personal attachments to the losses of others and why we are so curious about the darkest, most deviant human behaviors.
Review of Casting JonBenet
