Read our editors' picks for the movies and shows we're watching in March, including "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," Boss Level, and Zack Snyder's Justice League.
Here are four documentaries from 2020 with powerful and unique takes on unraveling true crimes.
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Title: True Story (2015)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Jonah Hill | ... | Michael Finkel | |
| James Franco | ... | Christian Longo | |
| Felicity Jones | ... | Jill Barker | |
| Maria Dizzia | ... | MaryJane Longo | |
| Ethan Suplee | ... | Pat Frato | |
 |
Conor Kikot | ... | Zach Longo |
|
|
Charlotte Driscoll | ... | Sadie Longo |
|
|
Stella Rae Payne | ... | Madison Longo |
| Robert John Burke | ... | Greg Ganley | |
| Byron Jennings | ... | Judge Odenkirk | |
| Gretchen Mol | ... | Karen Hannen | |
| Betty Gilpin | ... | Cheryl Frank | |
| Seth Barrish | ... | Blaise | |
| Robert Stanton | ... | Jeffrey Gregg | |
| Michael Countryman | ... | Coroner | |
Jonah Hill plays Michael Finkel, a recently terminated New York Times journalist who's struggling for work after a story gone wrong. One day, he receives a phone call from a man regarding an FBI Most Wanted individual named Christian Longo, who's been captured and claimed to be living as Finkel. Longo and Finkel meet and form a potentially marriage shattering bond while Longo is in prison awaiting his trial. Finkel exchanges journalism tips for the real events behind Longo's alleged heinous acts of murdering his family. Through the twists and turns in the movie, only at the end will Finkel uncover the True Story. Written by Mayor_G
True Story is based on the novel by Mike Finkel recounting his relationship with Christian Longo(James Franco), a man accused of murdering his wife and three children. Finkel(Jonah Hill)is a young up and coming journalist writing for the New York Times when his career is derailed after he plays a little fast and loose with some facts of a recently published article. While trying to plan the next chapter in his professional life he receives a call from a reporter looking to get an angle on the story about Longo. It seems that he was using Finkel's identity when he was captured in Mexico. Finkel is naturally curious but also smells a story that could put his career back on track.
Finkel and Longo arrange to meet and what follows are a series of meetings where both men engage in a dialogue meant to extract as much information as possible from the other. But how much of what Longo shares is the truth? How does Finkel use the information he gets?
The main problem with this movie is the pay-off, or the lack thereof. The story is simply not as interesting as it sounds. Honestly, it's no ones fault. The direction by first timer Rupert Goold is solid, well paced, and true to the story. The acting is good even if it is a little weird to see Hill and Franco together in serious roles. The best way to describe it might be we all know someone(friend or family member) who is excited to tell a story of something that happened to them or something they witnessed and when they are done, looking to you for a reaction, all you can say is "Is that it?"
The most compelling aspect of the film is Finkel coming to grips with the fact that he has to determining what is the truth and what is a lie. Not unlike his readers had to do after reading his last story for the Times. One liar interrogating another.
In the end, the build up leads to very little. The ride was interesting but the destination was a big disappointment.