“Garbage” Netflix True Crime Documentary “What Jennifer Did” Criticized By Viewers

From Tiger King to American Nightmare, Netflix has become known for its compelling documentaries. For some viewers, however, the platform’s latest true crime doc, What Jennifer Did, falls short.

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What Jennifer Did investigates an unusual homicide case that occurred in Markham, Ontario in 2010. Jennifer Pan, the daughter of ethnic Chinese refugees from Vietnam, was at the center of the case. Jennifer initially led authorities to believe that the murder of her mother and the attempted murder of her father were committed by three money-motivated strangers who broke into their family home. It was, in fact, a kill-for-hire crime. Jennifer was found guilty on multiple charges and sentenced to life in prison, along with her co-conspirators.

According to viewers, Netflix omitted key details about the case, such as the fact that Jennifer has an older brother. Due to his absence in the documentary, viewers were led to believe that Jennifer was an only child, which changed the Pan family dynamics.

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Other viewers felt that some aspects of the case were given too much screen time, while other more significant aspects were glossed over or unmentioned. The divisive and nuanced “tiger parenting” style that Jennifer was subjected to, for instance, was not thoroughly explained in the documentary.

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Additionally, the documentary’s editing, storytelling, and accuracy are receiving criticism.

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What are your thoughts?