American Murder: The Family Next Door

The documentary details the chilling story of the Watts family murders, exploring the escalating abuse and ultimately, the meticulously planned domestic homicide that occurred in 2018. It focuses on the tragic events leading up to the murders of Shanann Watts and her children by her husband.

The Netflix documentary is uniquely presented entirely through raw, unfiltered archival footage without any traditional narration or talking heads. It relies heavily on police bodycam recordings, text messages, social media posts, and home videos to tell the tragic story.

Yes, this feature-length film is part of the broader 'American Murder' anthology series on Netflix. The franchise focuses on different high-profile, true-crime cases using raw footage and real-time documentation of the investigations.

The tragic murders took place in the family's home located in Frederick, Colorado, rather than Michigan. The documentary showcases actual footage from the local Colorado police department's investigation and the husband's eventual interrogation.