Amanda Knox’s ‘gripping’ true crime drama has sparked important debate about victim Meredith Kercher
The new crime drama about Amanda Knox's wrongful conviction following the murder of Meredith Kercher has sparked an important debate online.
The eight-part Hulu and Disney+ biographical drama, The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, hit the small screen on 20 August, with Grace Van Patten starring as Knox.
Executive-produced by 38-year-old Knox, the TV show dramatises her fight for justice following her wrongful conviction for the tragic death of her roommate Kercher in 2007.
But first, for those unfamiliar with the tragic story, Meredith, 21, was a British student on exchange from the University of Leeds in Perugia, Italy.
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She was found dead on the floor of the room in the house she shared with the American student, then 20, and two other Italian women. Knox and her boyfriend at the time, Raffaele Sollecito, were initially convicted of her murder, as well as Italian native Ruby Guede.
However, after Knox spent almost four years behind bars for a crime she claimed she didn't commit, she and her boyfriend had their convictions squashed and were released in 2001.
But it didn't stop there as the pair were convicted again in a retrial in 2014, before finally being acquitted by Italy's Supreme Court in 2015 based on the 'stunning flaws' in the investigation and a lack of evidence (via People).
Meanwhile, Guede served 13 years of a 16-year sentence for the murder and was released in 2021.
Knox has been vocal about her experience with imprisonment and legal battle for her freedom and has previously written multiple books on the topic.
And, in 2016, a Netflix documentary called Amanda Knox was released, featuring interviews where Knox further talked about her story. But now, the new drama series has divided opinion and left a sour taste in some people's mouths, who think it focuses too much on Knox rather than the murder victim, Meredith.
One Reddit user wrote: "The problem is once again it directs focus away from Meredith, the true victim," while a second added: "I know they are not making another Amanda Knox movie/show..."
However, others have hit back and defended Knox, pointing out that she is also a 'victim', so she should be able to share her experience.
One Redditor wrote: "Amanda was a victim of wrongful imprisonment, and the story is painted as such. It does no one any justice sensationalising & arresting someone as a murderer who didn't do it."
A second added: "Amanda is also a victim. You don’t get to dismiss her experience," while a third agreed: "The point of this telling is Amandas story. It doesn’t take from Meredith."
Meredith Kercher's family have also made their thoughts clear on the matter, and their lawyer recently released a statement against the show for dramatising the tragedy, as reported by The Mirror.
Attorney Francesco Maresca told the publication: "The important thing is that Amanda Knox clearly wants this case to continue. It would be nice and dignified to watch a program or TV show where everything is reconstructed, remembering the life and smile of poor Meredith."
He added: "Instead, once again, we have to witness an attempt to reshuffle the cards, and where the trailer states, ‘Amanda fights tirelessly to prove her innocence and regain her freedom’. Once again, the focus is on Knox.”
And when the filming first began for the show in November last year, Meredith's sister Stephanie Kercher told The Guardian: “Meredith will always be remembered for her own fight for life, and yet in her absence, her love and personality continues to shine.
"We will forever feel this indescribable void, but we live by Meredith’s standards with dignity.”
She added: "Our family has been through so much and it is difficult to understand how this serves any purpose."
Meanwhile, Knox told Newsweek that she hoped Kercher's family could find the series and her recent second autobiography, titled Free: My Search for Meaning, 'healing'.
She said: "I hope that they will recognise the value in my attempt at revealing the truth of what happened to Meredith in my revealing of the truth of what happened to me."
Topics: True Crime, Disney, TV And Film, News, Social Media, Reddit
Madison Burgess