A horrible murder of Nancy and Derek, an ordinary two citizens, has made a great sensation that Elizabeth, a scholarship student, whose family are respected members of Virginia society, and a smart son of a diplomat, are accused of committing it. The movie shows sacrifice for love.
Probably dives into the weeds too quickly and could have used a tighter edit. Still, drawing on a wealth of courtroom video, the film lays out a persuasive argument for reasonable doubt.
Featuring compelling real-life figures who practically invite casting guesses for the inevitable Hollywood dramatization, Killing for Love should easily satisfy viewers who can't get enough of this stuff.
Steinberger and Vetter create a haunting atmosphere of mania and madness, as when they transition to photos of Derek and Nancy during Elizabeth's cold, eerie testimony.
A bloody 1985 double homicide and the media hysteria that encircled it are revisited in this deeply sourced but frustrating investigation of whether justice was truly served.
A gripping murder mystery about the fated coupling of a pair of calculating romantics too smart for their own good, and the limits of the American justice system.
