Amanda Knox

The 2007 murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy has become a case study in the vagaries of crime and punishment. Seattle native Amanda Knox and her boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted and — after four years in prison — acquitted for Kercher's murder, though just what happened on that November night remains shrouded in mystery. This gripping, atmospheric documentary from directors Rod Blackhurst and Brian McGinn revisits the story with unprecedented access to its key players and poses troubling questions as to why both the legal system and outside observers got so much wrong about the case.

Knox arrived in Perugia to start university that September. She was 20. Kercher was her roommate. Nothing about Knox's behaviour or girl-next-door charisma suggested she was capable of a vicious killing. This was what made her an enticing suspect: the notion that a femme fatale could appear so innocent. "Either I'm a psychopath in sheep's clothing," declares Knox, "or I'm you."

Perugia prosecutor Giuliano Mignini, one of the film's most fascinating subjects, regards Knox as "a little bit of an anarchist." Journalist Nick Pisa, who speaks candidly about the media's hunger for sensationalism, attests to the allure of painting Knox as a depraved sex maniac. As the trial progresses, the real Knox and her possible motives recede into the background.

Amanda Knox is true crime at its very best, digging deep into the details of a case we only think we know. It provides all the facts, brings us closer to understanding the biases of those involved, and leaves us to trouble over the many lingering ambiguities.

THOM POWERS