A Christmas Family Tragedy

A Christmas Family Tragedy (2006)

*** (out of 4)

Very low-budget but entertaining look at the 1929 tragedy in North Carolina where farmer Charlie Lawson snapped on Christmas Day murdering his wife, their six children and then himself. Decades later the town people look back on that tragic day as they talk about the myths and rumors and we also get to hear from his family members as well as those who were on the scene and attended the funerals. I had never heard of this case but apparently it has a rather big following from crime buffs. The documentary was made on an obvious very small budget and this is easily seen through some of the poor visuals and audio. I'd also say that it's clear that the director wasn't overly familiar with telling a story but I'm not going to bash him because for the most part he's done a decent enough of a job telling the story. At 75-minutes the documentary kept me interested throughout and there are also some rather creepy moments when people talk about running into the children's ghosts. The entire story is just tragic and especially the final days leading to the murders. There are several theories given on why it happened but as with so many crimes, the truth will never be known. If you're looking for a professional documentary then this here isn't that. However, the film is good enough in giving you the story and it's certainly fascinating hearing from those connected to the events.