TV Archives – CULTURE MIX

The following content is generally available worldwide, except where otherwise noted. All TV shows listed are for networks and streaming services based in the United States. All movies listed are those released in U.S. cinemas. This schedule is for content and events premiering this week and does not include content that has already been made available.

March 10 – March 16, 2025

TV/Streaming Services

All times listed are Eastern Time/Pacific Time, unless otherwise noted.

Hulu’s documentary film “Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna” premieres on Tuesday, March 11 at 12 a.m. ET

Monday, March 10

“Death by Fame”
“The Show Must Go On” (Episode 308) **Season Finale**
Monday, March 10, 9 p.m., Investigation Discovery

“Contraband: Seized at the Border”
“Joint Failure” (Episode 602)
Monday, March 10, 9 p.m., Discovery

“Fatal Attraction”
“From Hope to Horror” (Episode 1611)
Monday, March 10, 9 p.m., TV One

“Grave Misfortune” (One-hour special)
Monday, March 10, 10 p.m., Investigation Discovery

Tuesday, March 11

“Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna” (Documentary Film)
Tuesday, March 11, 12 a.m. ET, Hulu

“Body Cam: On the Scene”
“Dangerous Getaways” (Episode 502)
Tuesday, March 11, 9 p.m., Investigation Discovery

“Constables on Patrol: The People’s Cops” (TV Special)”
Tuesday, March 11, 9 p.m., Discovery

Wednesday, March 12

“Dateline: Secrets Uncovered”
“Horror at the Lake”
Wednesday, March 12, 8 p.m., Oxygen

“For My Man”
“Shatterered Loyalties” (Episode 823)
Wednesday, March 12, 9 p.m., TV One

“Live PD Presents: PD Cam”
Episode 83
Wednesday, March 12, 9 p.m., A&E

“Live PD Presents: PD Cam”
Episode 84
Wednesday, March 12, 9:30 p.m., A&E

“Murder Under the Friday Night Lights”
“Caught in a Trap” (Episode 409) **Season Finale**
Wednesday, March 12, 9 p.m., Investigation Discovery

“Ozark Law”
“End of Watch” (Episode 110) **Season Finale**
Wednesday, March 12, 10 p.m., A&E

Thursday, March 13

“Police 24/7”
“Frisky Business” (Episode 208)
Thursday, March 13, 8 p.m., The CW

“After the First 48”
“Meet Up for Murder”
Thursday, March 6, 8 p.m., A&E

“Crime Nation”
“My Deadly Ex” (Episode 207)
Thursday, March 13, 8 p.m., The CW

“Fugitive Hunters Mexico”
“Caught at the Border” (Episode 111)
Thursday, March 13, 9 p.m., A&E

“How I Escaped My Cult”
“The Pilgrims” (Episode 106)
Thursday, March 13, 9 p.m., Freeform

Friday, March 14

“On Patrol: First Shift”
TBA
Friday, March 14, 8 p.m., Reelz

“On Patrol: Live”
TBA
Friday, March 14, 9 p.m., Reelz

“Dateline”
TBA
Friday, March 14, 9 p.m., NBC

“20/20”
TBA
Friday, March 14, 9 p.m., ABC

“Cold Case Files: Dead West”
“Lovers, Lies and Canyon Murder” (Episode 104)
Friday, March 14, 10 p.m., A&E

Saturday, March 15

“On Patrol: First Shift”
TBA
Saturday, March 15, 8 p.m., Reelz

“Prosecuting Evil With Kelly Siegler”
“Evil at Large” (Episode 208)
Saturday, March 15, 8 p.m. ET/PT, Oxygen

“New York Homicide”
“Royal Bloodshed” (Episode 307)
Saturday, March 15, 9 p.m. ET/PT, Oxygen

“On Patrol: Live”
TBA
Saturday, March 15, 9 p.m., Reelz

Sunday, March 16

“Snapped: Killer Couples”
“Alison Martin and Jusin Terpstra” (Episode 1803)
Sunday, March 16, 6 p.m., Oxygen

“Fatal Family Feuds”
“Last Seen in Nashville” (Episode 205)
Sunday, March 16, 7 p.m., Oxygen

“Trial & Error: Why Did O.J. Win?”
“Attack the Timeline” (Episode 105)
Sunday, March 16, 8 p.m., Court TV

“United States of Scandal With Jake Tapper”
“Enron” (Episode 201)
Sunday, March 16, 9 p.m., CNN

“Evil Lives Here”
“I Died for a Moment” (Episode 1705)
Sunday, March 16, 9 p.m., Investigation Discovery

“Signs of a Psychopath”
“Make Sure You Get My Good Side” (Episode 1008)
Sunday, March 16, 10 p.m., Investigation Discovery

“Signs of a Psychopath”
“A Little Emotionally Unwound” (Episode 1009)
Sunday, March 16, 10:30 p.m., Investigation Discovery

Movies in Theaters or on Home Video

No new true crime movies premiering this week in theaters or on home video.

Radio/Podcasts

No new true crime podcast series premiering this week.

Events

Events listed here are not considered endorsements by this website. All ticket buyers with questions or concerns about the event should contact the event promoter or ticket seller directly.

All start times listed are local time, unless otherwise noted.

No new true crime events this week.

Review: ‘Scamanda’ (2025), starring Nancy Moscatiello, Charlie Webster, Aletta Bernal, Jaymie Bailey, Lisa Berry, Jose Martinez and Arlette Lee

February 9, 2025

by Carla Hay

Amanda Riley in “Scamanda” (Photo courtesy of ABC)

“Scamanda” (2025)

Culture Representation: The four-episode documentary series “Scamanda” (based on the 2023 podcast of the same name) features a predominantly white group of people (with a few Asians and Latin people) talking about the case of Amanda Riley, a former children’s educator from San Jose, California, who was convicted in 2022 of wire fraud for soliciting more than $100,000 in online donations, based on her lie that she had cancer.

Culture Clash: Beginning in 2010, Riley pretended she had cancer and duped hundreds of people into donating money to her, often through Christian charity efforts, and she tried to silence a TV journalist who was investigating her for this fraud.

Culture Audience: “Scamanda” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of the “Scamanda” podcast and anyone interested in high-profile fraud cases.

Nancy Moscatiello in “Scamanda” (Photo courtesy of ABC)

Based on the 2023 podcast “Scamanda,” the four-episode documentary series “Scamanda” offers more insight into the notorious case of a children’s educator in California who received donations totaling six figures by pretending that she had Hodgkins lymphoma (which affects the lymphatic system) and lung cancer. This docuseries is better than the “Scamanda” podcast because it has interviews with members of convicted scammer Amanda Riley’s blended family, including one of her stepdaughters. More investigation was needed for enablers’ involvement in the cancer fraud.

There is no director credited for the “Scamanda” documentary series, which is produced by Pilgrim Media Group, a division of Lionsgate Alternative Television, for ABC News Studios. Elizabeth Waller and Craig Pilligian serve as executive producers for Pilgrim Media Group. David Sloan is the senior executive producer and Victoria Thompson is the executive producer for ABC News Studios.

The four episodes of this documentary series tell the story in mostly chronological order:

The first episode, titled “Stage 1: Perfect Wife, Perfect Life,” details how Riley crafted an image of being the ideal wife and mother whose life was tragically changed when she was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkins lymphoma, but a former friend gave valuable information to an investigation that would lead to Riley’s downfall.
The second episode, titled “Stage 2: All About Amanda,” takes a closer look at the custody battle that Amanda Riley’s then-husband Cory Riley was having with his ex-wife, to explain what else was going on in Amanda’s life during the time that Amanda pretended to have cancer.
The third episode, titled “The Wheels of Justice,” chronicles the year leading up to police raiding Amanda and Cory’s house in 2016.
The fourth episode, titled “Catch Me If You Cancer,” shows what happened when Amanda was arrested and indicted in 2020, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in 2021, and was sentenced in 2022 to five years in prison and ordered to pay back the approximately $106,000 she got from online donations.

It’s pointed out in the documentary that Amanda could only be charged with wire fraud because that was the only way to prove an amount of money that she scammed through online donations. Amanda pled guilty to a fraud total of $106,272. She was not charged for the untold amounts that she got from cash donations or non-online gifts, because those monetary amounts were difficult to prove.

Born on June 24, 1985, Amanda Riley’s birth name was Amanda Maneri. She and her three brothers (who are not named in the documentary) were raised by their parents Peggy and Tom in San Jose, California. Amanda continued to live in the San Jose area through the time that she became an adult and committed her cancer fraud.

In 2002, Amanda was 17 years old and a school cheerleader when she was hired as a babysitter for the two daughters being raised by Cory Riley and his wife at the time: Aletta, whose has had multiple last names. Aletta has also been known as Aletta Souza and Aletta Bernal. At the time this documentary premiered, her name was Aletta Bernal.

When Cory and Aletta were married, they were raising Aletta’s daughter Jaymie (born in 1995) from Aletta’s previous marriage, as well as Cory and Aletta’s biological daughter Jessa, who was born in 2001. Jaymie was in recovery from leukemia when Amanda entered their lives. Amanda, who was later a student at San Jose State University, was eventually hired to give dance lessons to Jaymie and later Jessa when Jessa was old enough.

Amanda became a friend of the family. And she definitely got very close to Cory, who is 12 years older than Amanda. It’s unclear when Cory and Amanda started their romance, but Cory and Amanda began publicly dating a few years after his 2007 divorce from Aletta. Cory and Amanda got married in 2011.

During their marriage, Amanda worked as an educator for children in elementary school. Most of her jobs were as a teacher. But her last job before she went to prison was her highest job position: From 2017 to 2020, Amanda was the principal of Pacific Point Christian School in Gilroy, California. She resigned from the job before she was arrested. The “Scamanda” documentary series doesn’t mention what types of jobs that Cory has had.

Amanda and Cory became prominent members of the Family Community Church, a San Jose non-denominational Christian mega-church with about 5,000 congregants. Amanda became semi-famous in her community for being a public speaker about cancer. Most of the donations that Amanda received were directly or indirectly through the church’s fundraisers for her. Most of the supporters whom Amanda met in person were people who met her through Family Community Church or through Amanda’s mother Peggy, who was one of Amanda’s biggest advocates in having people donate money to Amanda.

Cory and Amanda had two children together during their marriage: son Carter was born in 2012, and son Connor was born in 2014. In October 2012, Amanda started a blog called “My Story … Our Journey,” where she claimed that she had been diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkins lymphoma while pregnant with Carter. She continued to publicly lie about having cancer until she pled guilty in October 2021, and admitted that everything about her having cancer was a lie.

Cory and his ex-wife Aletta had a custody battle over Jessa that got very nasty in the late 2000s to mid-2010s. Cory and Amanda wanted full custody of Jessa, but so did Aletta. According to Aletta, who is interviewed the documentary, Aletta was the victim of a smear campaign where Cory and Amanda told lies and claimed that Aletta was a neglectful and mentally unstable parent.

Aletta comments on Amanda and Cory: “She ripped apart my family. And then, they took my reputation and squashed it.” Aletta’s sister Amie Bernal and Aletta’s daughter Jaymie Bailey are also interviewed in the documentary, and they confirm what Aletta says. (In the “Scamanda” podcast, Aletta and Jessa are interviewed from Aletta’s side of the family.) Amie was the one who actually recommended that Amanda be Jaymie’s dance teacher. Amie says if she had known then what would happen, she never would’ve made that recommendation.

According to people interviewed in the documentary, Cory and Amanda told conflicting stories about Aletta. Cory and Amanda told some people that Aletta was a bad mother who continued to make their lives miserable after Aletta’s divorce from Cory. Mahasti Ameli, the couple’s babysitter at the time, says that Cory lied by telling Ameli that Jessa was born from a one-night stand with Aletta. Ameli says that she later found out that Aletta was Cory’s ex-wife, not a one-night stand. And to some of his friends, Cory didn’t mention Aletta at all and almost pretended like Aletta didn’t exist.

Aletta says that the judge in the custody case believed the lies told by Cory and Amanda in court, which resulted in Cory and Amanda getting full custody of Jessa sometime in 2009, when Jessa was about 8 years old. The couple’s former babysitter Ameli says that Amanda was the “more pushy” than Cory in the custody battle. Aletta had visitation rights but didn’t give up her fight for full custody of Jessa. The documentary doesn’t make it clear when Aletta regained full custody of Jessa, but by the time Cory and Amanda were being investigated for Amanda’s cancer stories in the mid-to-late-2010s, Jessa was a teenager and in the full custody of Aletta.

Other people interviewed in the documentary include Lisa Berry and Steve Berry, a married couple who befriended and then distanced themselves from Cory and Amanda; Rebecca Cafiero, a former friend of Amanda’s; Mahasti Ameli, a babysitter who used to work for Amanda and Cory; Jack York, who knew Cory as a kid through the Big Brother program; Josh Kierstead, a Family Community Church congregant whose father-in-law was pastor of the church; church member Vanna Ruiz and Lindsey Wilder; and other former supporters of Amanda, such as Angie Smailey, Stephanie Davis and Penny Fraley.

Also interviewed in this documentary are several people who were involved in investgations about Amanda: investigative TV producer Nancy Moscatiello, who is a producer for this “Scamanda” docuseries; “Scamanda” podcast host Charlie Webster, who is also a producer for this “Scamanda” docuseries; Jose Martinez, a detective who used to work for the San Jose Police Department; and Arlette Lee, the former IRS criminal division official who was a leader in the federal investigation of Amanda.

Other interviewees in the “Scamanda” docuseries are people who either don’t know Amanda or haven’t seen her in years: clinical and forensic neuropsychologist Dr. Judy Ho, who says she’s never met Amanda and can only speculate about her mental health; a woman named Trisha (no last name given), who says she knew Amanda since they were in sixth grade together; and Natale Tognetti and Rebecca Spencer-Wright, two parents whose children were students at Pacific Point Christian School when Amanda was the school’s principal.

Amanda faked her cancer treatments by going to hospital emergency rooms for various reasons (not for cancer), and then photographed herself in hospital beds, often showing herself hooked up to tubes or IV ports. Over the years, Amanda claimed that her cancer (which she said advanced to Stage 4) would be in remission and then come back again. She fabricated many “medical updates” for herself.

Because of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) privacy laws that forbid disclosing a patient’s medical information, Amanda’s stories that she posted on social media could never be verified by the hospitals where she went. If any medical professionals knew she was lying about having cancer, they couldn’t expose her because of HIPPA privacy laws. It’s one of the reasons why it took so long for her to be arrested and charged with this cancer fraud.

Just like many con artists who fool people over several years, Amanda is described as very charismatic and someone who is skilled at gaining people’s trust. She had never been arrested before she got into trouble for this cancer fraud. And, according to people interviewed in the documentary, any other lies she told in the past weren’t not serious enough to be considered a major crime.

The only personality flaw that people noticed about Amanda before she was exposed for this fraud was that she was extremely competitive and didn’t like to lose. As an example of her competitiveness, the documentary shows archival footage of Amanda leading a group of three pre-teen girls (including Jaymie and Jaymie’s unidentifed cousin, who is Amie Bernal’s daughter) for an uncoordinated dance routine in a talent competition at San Jose State University. The judges gave the group a mediocre score of 6.6 out of 10. Amanda wouldn’t accept the score, so she had Jayme and her cousin go over to the judges to try to convince the judges to give this dance group a higher score. This tactic didn’t work. Amanda and her group of dancers didn’t win in the talent contest.

Many of her victims say that they believed Amanda’s cancer stories because of what Amanda put on social media. They ignored obvious signs that she was lying, such as the fact that Amanda never had scar tissue in places where she supposedly had surgery or chemotherapy treatments. Amanda also never lost a lot of weight or had other known outward physical side effects of having Stage 3 or Stage 4 cancer. She sometimes shaved her head, but that’s an easy and superficial way to fake having chemotherapy.

Some of her closest supporters also thought it was strange that during the worst of Amanda’s so-called cancer treatments, they would never see her parents. Amanda explained this absence by saying that her parents were very busy. Amanda’s mother Peggy changed her stories about how much Peggy was there in person to support Amanda for the cancer treatments. At first, Peggy told people that she was by Amanda’s side for many of these medical appointments at hospitals. But then after Amanda’s lies were exposed, Peggy said that she really wasn’t with Amanda at the hospitals and was deceived by Amanda.

The “Scamanda” docuseries has archival footage of videorecorded interviews that Amanda did during the time she faked having cancer. In these interviews, she appears to be bubbly and healthy, which her supporters attributed to Amanda have a constantly positive attitude. No one likes to be scammed, so it’s understandable that her victims found it easier to believe that she was telling the truth rather than take a closer look at the illogical holes in her stories.

The documentary could have done a better job at getting more information about the family backgrounds of Amanda and Cory. Very little is told about Amanda’s and Cory’s parents. Amanda’s mother Peggy is described as someone who hated being called a grandmother and insisted that people call her “goddess.”

All that’s mentioned about Cory’s parents is that his father committed suicide when Cory was a child. Cory’s former Big Brother mentor York remembers boyhood Cory this way: “Cory was super-fun. He always had a smile on his face.” Many years later, when York knew Cory and Amanda as a couple, York says Cory treated Amanda like a trophy wife: “It was almost like how you would treat a sculpture.”

Because Amanda’s case was widely reported by the media, and because Amanda pled guilty, there’s no mystery over who is the main villain in this fraud. However, what “Scamanda” doesn’t really uncover is how much Cory knew about the scam when this scam was happening. Was he an innocent bystander or was he a willing participant in the fraud? Cory was never charged with any crimes related to this fraud. Some former supporters of Amanda also suspect Amanda’s mother Peggy of being an accomplice, but Peggy has also not been charged with any crimes related to this scam.

A caption at the end of the documentary says that Amanda declined to be interviewed for the documentary. Also not interviewed: Cory, his biological children, and any of Amanda’s biological relatives, who did not respond to requests for comment in this documentary. Amanda has not publicly stated that anyone was her accomplice in the fraud. According to an epilogue in the documentay, Amanda has issued a public denial that her parents and her brothers were involved in the cancer scam. She has taken full responsibility for the fraud, although there have been several reports that she continues to claim to have illnesses (not cancer) while she’s been in prison.

Amanda has hinted at the possible motive for this financial fraud: She told “Scamanda” podcast host Webster that most of the money that was scammed went to pay for legal fees for Cory’s divorce and the custody battle over Jessa. And considering that Cory’s employment history has been sketchy, and being a children’s educator is not a high-paying profession, that appears to be a huge motive for why Amanda went to those extreme lengths to commit financial fraud.

Amanda’s former friend Lisa Berry says in the documentary that Cory and Amanda equally lied about Amanda having cancer. According to Lisa, Amanda and Corey got to know Lisa and her husband Steve because Amanda was a friend to Lisa and Steve’s daughters. Amanda repeatedly told Lisa that Lisa physically resembled Amanda’s mother Peggy, so Amanda often described Lisa as being like a second mother to Amanda.

Lisa says Amanda and Cory first told Lisa and her husband Steve that Amanda had cancer in 2010—two years before Amanda claimed on her blog that her cancer diagnosis was in 2012. Lisa and Steve gave Amanda and Cory money to help pay for Amanda’s so-called cancer treatments. Other people in the community also gave money to Amanda and Cory for the same reasons.

Lisa also believes that Amanda got the idea for the cancer scam after Lisa had mentioned to Amanda that a community member who had cancer recently received $100,000 from a community fundraiser to help this cancer patient and his family. Lisa says that Amanda called her the next day to tell Lisa that Amanda had cancer. And then, the fundraising for Amanda began.

Lisa and Steve Berry ended their friendship with Cory and Amanda when Lisa figured out that Amanda was lying about having cancer. This moment of clarity happened when Lisa saw Amanda nimbly swimming in the Berrys’ swimming pool, right after Amanda said that Amanda came from a medical appointment where fluid was supposedly drained from Amanda’s brain. Lisa says in the documentary that’s when she knew “I wanted Cory and Amanda out of our lives.”

In 2015, Lisa saw a social media post that investigative producer Moscatiello was looking for information on people lying about having terminal illnesses. Lisa was the first person who tipped off Moscatiello about Amanda’s suspected fraud when Moscatiello began her investigation in 2015. At the time, Lisa told Moscatiello that she wanted to remain an anonymous source. But in the documentary, Lisa says she’s no longer afraid to publicly admit that she was the tipster.

Moscatiello is the true MVP in this story because it was her persistent and meticulous investigation over the years that was used as crucial evidence when law enforcement took action. The first law-enforcement agency that Moscatiello went to was the San Jose Police Department, which then referred the case to the IRS. Once it became a federal case, Amanda was on her way to getting arrested and charged with fraud.

Before that happened, Moscatiello went through a legal ordeal when Amanda and Cory tried but failed to stop Moscatiello, by suing her for harassment. Moscatiello won in that lawsuit. Moscatiello is one of the main people who was interviewed in the “Scamanda” podcast, which has more details about Amanda and Cory’s failed attempts to silence this heroic investigator.

Webster doesn’t have much to add to the “Scamanda” docuseries that she didn’t already discuss in her “Scamanda” podcast. The documentary includes archival footage of Webster meeting Amanda briefly for the first time when Webster gave her business card to Amanda after Amanda left a courthouse. Webster and Amanda began having conversations with each other shortly afterward. There’s a scene in the documentary (that’s not in the podcast) where an imprisoned Amanda calls Webster on the phone for a nearly half-hour conversation, but on the condition that Webster not record the phone call in any way.

After getting that phone call, Webster says in the documentary that Amanda told Webster that Amanda and Cory were getting divorced. Cory (who currently lives in Austin, Texas, with sons Carter and Connor) filed for divorce from Amanda in January 2024. It seems as if Jaymie doesn’t really want anything to do with Amanda or Cory because, as a cancer survivor, she feels deeply offended by this cancer scam.

It’s a sentiment of many other people interviewed in this documentary. Several of them have also been personally touched by real cancer diagnoses. Moscatiello had a sister who died from cancer. Former IRS agent Lee had a twin sister who died of cancer. Former Amanda supporters Smailey and Fraley are cancer survivors. Amanda’s former friend Cafiero had a boyfriend who died of cancer.

Family Community Church member Wilder says she felt betrayed by Amanda on a religious level. Wilder comments that before she joined the church, she was an atheist. Amanda was the first person whom Wilder seriously prayed for, according to Wilder, who adds that she still believes in Christianity, but her faith was shaken because of Amanda’s cruel deception.

The “Scamanda” documentary falters when it repeats too much of the same archival footage of Amanda, or when it uses melodramatic re-enactments with actors. It’s an overall adequate documentary that has very good interviews. However, the documentary filmmakers didn’t do much more investigating to give details of how much Amanda’s closest adult family members really knew about her fraud before she was caught. “Scamanda” is ultimately yet another cautionary tale about how people should not believe everything they see on the Internet.

ABC premiered “Scamanda” on January 30, 2025.

2025 Academy Awards: ‘Anora’ is the top winner

March 2, 2025

by Carla Hay

“Anora” writer/director/producer/editor Sean Baker (pictured in front) at the 97th annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 2, 2025. (Photo by Stewart Cook/Disney)

With five prizes, including Best Picture, Neon’s comedy/drama “Anora” was the top winner for the 97th annual Academy Awards, which took place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 2, 2025. ABC had the U.S. telecast of the show, which was hosted by Conan O’Brien and livestreamed on Hulu. The nominations and awards are voted for by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

“Anora” (about an American sex worker who marries a wealthy Russian heir) won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing for producer/director/writer/editor Sean Baker. With these victories, Baker became the first person in Academy Awards history to win four Oscars for the same movie and for these four categories in the same year. (In 1954, Walt Disney was the first person to win four Oscars in the same year, when he won for “The Living Desert,” “Bear Country,” “The Alaskan Eskimo” and “Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom.”) Mikey Madison, who plays the movie’s title character, won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

A24’s drama “The Brutalist” (about a Hungarian immigrant architect) won three Oscars: Best Actor (for Adrien Brody), Best Cinematography and Best Original Score. Netflix’s “Emilia Pérez” (a Spanish-language musical about a transgender woman who becomes a former drug-trafficking crime boss) had the most Oscar nominations (13) going into the ceremony, and ultimately ended up winning two Oscars: Best Actress in a Supporting Role (for Zoe Saldaña) and Best Original Song (for “El Mal”).

Other winners included Kieran Culkin of Searchlight Pictures’ comedy/drama “A Real Pain” (Best Actor in a Supporting Role); Focus Features’ drama “Conclave” (Best Adapted Screenplay); Sideshow/Janus Films’ “Flow” (Best Animated Feature Film); and Sony Pictures Classics’ drama “I’m Still Here” (Best International Feature Film), the first movie from Brazil to win in this category. “Flow,” which was also nominated for Best International Feature Film, is the first movie from Latvia to win an Oscar.

Instead of performances of the Best Original Song nominations, there were other musical performances. “Wicked” co-stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande did a medley of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Here” and “Defying Gravity.” There was a tribute to James Bond movies, with performances of James Bond movie theme songs: Blackpink singer Lisa performed “Live and Let Die”; Doja Cat performed “Diamonds Are Forever”; and Raye performed “Skyfall.” In a tribute to Quincy Jones (who died in November 2024), Queen Latifah performed “Ease on Down the Road” from “The Wiz” musical because Jones was a music supervisor and songwriter for the 1978 movie version of “The Wiz.”

Presenters at the show included Joe Alwyn, Halle Berry, Sterling K. Brown, Billy Crystal, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Ana de Armas, Dave Bautista, Lily-Rose Depp, Robert Downey Jr., Elle Fanning, Morgan Freeman, Gal Gadot, Andrew Garfield, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, Goldie Hawn, Samuel L. Jackson, Mick Jagger, Scarlett Johansson, John Lithgow, Cillian Murphy, Connie Nielsen, Amy Poehler, Margaret Qualley, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Alba Rohrwacher, Meg Ryan, Saldaña, June Squibb, Ben Stiller, Emma Stone, Quentin Tarantino, Oprah Winfrey, Bowen Yang and Rachel Zegler.

Adrien Brody, Mikey Madison, Zoe Saldaña and Kieran Culkin at the 97th annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 2, 2025. (Photo by Scott Kirkland/Disney)

Here is the complete list of nominations and winners for the 2025 Academy Awards:

*=winner

Best Picture

“Anora”*
“The Brutalist”
“A Complete Unknown”
“Conclave”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Emilia Pérez”
“I’m Still Here”
“Nickel Boys”
“The Substance”
“Wicked”

Best Director

Sean Baker (“Anora”)*
Brady Corbet (“The Brutalist”)
James Mangold (“A Complete Unknown”)
Jacques Audiard (“Emilia Pérez”)
Coralie Fargeat (“The Substance”

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Adrien Brody (“The Brutalist”)*
Timothée Chalamet (“A Complete Unknown”)
Colman Domingo (“Sing Sing”)
Ralph Fiennes (“Conclave”)
Sebastian Stan (“The Apprentice”)

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked”)
Karla Sofía Gascón (“Emilia Pérez”)
Mikey Madison (“Anora”)*
Demi Moore (“The Substance”)
Fernanda Torres (“I’m Still Here”)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Yura Borisov (“Anora”)
Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”)*
Edward Norton (“A Complete Unknown”)
Guy Pearce (“The Brutalist”)
Jeremy Strong (“The Apprentice”)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Monica Barbaro (“A Complete Unknown”)
Ariana Grande (“Wicked”)
Felicity Jones (“The Brutalist”)
Isabella Rossellini (“Conclave”)
Zoe Saldaña (“Emilia Pérez”)*

Best Adapted Screenplay

“A Complete Unknown,” screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks
“Conclave,” screenplay by Peter Straughan*
“Emilia Pérez,” screenplay by Jacques Audiard, in collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi
“Nickel Boys,” screenplay by RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes
“Sing Sing,” screenplay by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar; story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin and John “Divine G” Whitfield

Best Original Screenplay

“Anora,” written by Sean Baker*
“The Brutalist,” written by Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
“A Real Pain,” written by Jesse Eisenberg
“September 5,” written by Moritz Binder and Tim Fehlbaum; co-written by Alex David
“The Substance,” written by Coralie Fargeat

Best Cinematography

“The Brutalist”*
“Dune: Part Two”
“Emilia Pérez”
“Maria”
“Nosferatu”

Best Film Editing

“Anora,” Sean Baker*
“The Brutalist,” David Jancso
“Conclave,” Nick Emerson
“Emilia Pérez,” Juliette Welfling
“Wicked,” Myron Kerstein

Best Sound

“A Complete Unknown”
“Dune: Part Two”*
“Emilia Pérez”
“Wicked”
“The Wild Robot”

Best Original Score

“The Brutalist,” Daniel Blumberg*
“Conclave,” Volker Bertelmann
“Emilia Pérez,” Clément Ducol and Camille
“Wicked,” John Powell and Stephen Schwartz
“The Wild Robot,” Kris Bowers

Best Original Song

“El Mal” from “Emilia Pérez” (Music by Clément Ducol and Camille; lyrics by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard)*
“The Journey” from “The Six Triple Eight” (Music and lyrics by Diane Warren)
“Like a Bird” from “Sing Sing” (Music and lyrics by Abraham Alexander and Adrian Quesada)
“Mi Camino” from “Emilia Pérez” (Music and lyric by Camille and Clément Ducol)
“Never Too Late” from “Elton John: Never Too Late” (Music and lyrics by Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt and Bernie Taupin)

Best Animated Feature Film

“Flow”*
“Inside Out 2”
“Memoir of a Snail”
“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl”
“The Wild Robot”

Best International Feature Film

“I’m Still Here” (Brazil)*
“The Girl With the Needle” (Denmark)
“Emilia Pérez” (France)
“The Seed of the Sacred Fig” (Germany)
“Flow” (Latvia)

Best Documentary Feature

“Black Box Diaries”
“No Other Land”*
“Porcelain War”
“Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat”
“Sugarcane”

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

“A Different Man”
“Emilia Pérez”
“Nosferatu”
“The Substance”*
“Wicked”

Best Costume Design

“A Complete Unknown,” Arianne Phillips
“Conclave,” Lisy Christl
“Gladiator II,” Janty Yates and Dave Crossman
“Nosferatu,” Linda Muir
“Wicked,” Paul Tazewell*

Best Production Design

“The Brutalist”
“Conclave”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Nosferatu”
“Wicked”*

Best Visual Effects

“Alien: Romulus”
“Better Man”
“Dune: Part Two”*
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”
“Wicked”

Best Documentary Short Subject

“Death by Numbers”
“I Am Ready, Warden”
“Incident”
“Instruments of a Beating Heart”
“The Only Girl in the Orchestra”*

Best Animated Short Film

“Beautiful Men”
“In the Shadow of the Cypress”*
“Magic Candies”
“Wander to Wonder”
“Yuck!”

Best Live-Action Short Film

“A Lien”
“Anuja”
“I’m Not a Robot”*
“The Last Ranger”
“The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent”

Four Seasons launches private jet tour inspired by the HBO award-winning series ‘White Lotus’

February 25, 2025

The following is a press release from Four Seasons:

Get ready to board the Four Seasons Private Jet Experience for an exclusive opportunity to explore some of the iconic settings of the HBO® Original Series The White Lotus with a new World of Wellness journey. Building on the recently announced global partnership between Four Seasons and HBO, the unforgettable 20-day itinerary will be offered for one exclusive journey, touching down in Maui, Taormina and Koh Samui— filming locations of the first three seasons of acclaimed series—along with five additional intriguing destinations that will allow guests to create their very own memorable storylines.

“We’ve experienced firsthand how The White Lotus has fuelled the set-jetting trend, inspiring travellers to explore the breathtaking Four Seasons properties that served as backdrops for this beloved series,” says Marc Speichert, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Four Seasons. “Now, with the third season captivating audiences, we are thrilled to provide guests with the opportunity to experience their own version of The White Lotus aboard the Four Seasons Private Jet Experience, blending their love of the series with the bucket-list journeys we offer in the sky.”

The World of Wellness itinerary will take flight for one journey and is designed to celebrate the cultural phenomenon of The White Lotus and some of the iconic settings of its storylines, along with other compelling global destinations. With wellbeing playing its own role in the third series, guests aboard the Four Seasons Private Jet Experience can explore wellness their way, with fully personalized itineraries to enrich mind, body and soul as they travel from one captivating destination to the next. Whether indulging in a spa treatment, looking for an adrenaline rush, or simply lounging with a cocktail in hand, guests can dream up their own wellness itinerary suited to their wishes.

“The World of Wellness itinerary was crafted to meet the desire of guests, knowing that more and more, travellers are influenced by the locations they enjoy on their screens,” continues Speichert. “This new journey is perfectly curated to meet this demand, while personalizing offerings for each guest at every step of the way. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we can’t wait to take flight in 2026.”

Let Your Story Unfold: The White Lotus x The World of Wellness

The Four Seasons Private Jet Experience offers a seamless end-to-end journey aboard a custom-designed Airbus A321 with stops in some of the world’s most fascinating destinations, this time with a focus on personalized wellness. On the ground and in the air, guests will enjoy Four Seasons legendary service, access to local adventures and experiences, and personalized care from a dedicated team.

World of Wellness will take 48 guests to eight iconic destinations from May 7 to 26, 2026. Travelling aboard the custom-designed Four Seasons Private Jet, guests will take off from Singapore, before journeying onwards to Koh Samui, the Maldives, Taormina, Marrakech, Nevis, Mexico City, and completing the journey in Maui—all with stays exclusively at Four Seasons hotels and resorts.

Highlights include three nights at Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui in Thailand, a backdrop in the recently premiered third season of The White Lotus. Guests will have the opportunity to snorkel with guidance from an expert marine biologist, take part in Muay Thai training at the property’s iconic boxing ring set in the hills with 240-degree views of the ocean and jungle, and enjoy spa treatments inspired by the Resort’s tropical surroundings and rooted in Thai traditions.

In Taormina, Sicily, which served as a setting in season two, guests will enjoy three nights at San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel, cycling to picturesque wineries around Mount Etna, morning yoga in the Belvedere Gardens, and creating one’s own TV-worthy scenes strolling through the pebble stone streets and back alleys of the historic town, enjoying the many culinary delights at every corner.

Along the way, each destination is ripe for discovery to suit each guest’s own needs, starting with a welcome dinner in Singapore, where guests will taste firsthand why the country is known as a culinary paradise. In the Maldives, discover the magic of a Night Spa ritual performed under the stars, snorkel the coral reef, and embark on a turtle safari, or spend the day lounging amid the turquoise waters surrounding the Resort. Spend a day discovering the cultural secrets of Marrakech amid the ancient medinas, followed by a relaxing private hammam bath experience with a clay scrub from the Atlas Mountains for full-body exfoliation and soothing. In Nevis, rejuvenate at the island’s natural hot springs, and in Mexico City, take part in a traditional temazcal (house of heat) ceremony, take in sunrise views from a hot-air balloon or enjoy a cocktail in the hotel’s world-renowned bar, Fifty Mils.

The trip will conclude where the The White Lotus began, with two nights at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, offering guests the opportunity to explore the coast on an outrigger canoe and unwind at the end of a memorable journey through the traditions of deep-rooted Hawaiian culture in a lomi lomi massage.

Beyond enjoying the wonders of the journey on the ground, travellers will jet-set between each location aboard the custom-designed Four Seasons Jet, featuring 48 handcrafted seats constructed of Italian leather and 6.5 feet (2 metres) of personal space including extended legroom and a plush ottoman. The Jet also features an interactive social space – the “lounge in the sky” – where guests can relax and connect with each other and learn from Four Seasons craftspeople on the brand’s exceptional artistic, wellness and culinary offerings.

The World of Wellness Jet Experience is one of many ways Four Seasons and Max have partnered to create immersive experiences and activations to celebrate The White Lotus around the globe. To learn more, please see here.

About Four Seasons
Four Seasons opened its first hotel in 1961 and since that time has become a global leader in luxury hospitality and branded residential, with a focus on genuine and unparalleled service experiences. Four Seasons currently operates 133 hotels and resorts and 55 residential properties in major city centres and resort destinations in 47 countries. The company continues to grow with a guest-centric mindset, including a global pipeline of more than 60 projects under planning or in development. In addition to its hotels and resorts, Four Seasons experiential offerings include more than 600 restaurants and bars globally, the Four Seasons Private Jet Experience, Four Seasons Drive Experience, and the upcoming Four Seasons Yachts. Four Seasons consistently ranks among the world’s best hotels, resorts, restaurants and bars, and most prestigious luxury hospitality brand in reader polls, traveller reviews and industry awards. For more information and reservations, visit fourseasons.com. For the latest news, visit press.fourseasons.com.

About the Four Seasons Private Jet Experience
All Four Seasons Private Jet itineraries travel aboard the custom-configured Four Seasons Private Jet. Designed by the same team that conceives the style and character of our hotels and resorts, the reimagined Airbus A321neo-LR offers exceptional, multi-destination journeys for 48 globetrotting travellers. All Four Seasons Private Jet itineraries include accommodations in Four Seasons hotels and resorts or, in remote locations, in accommodations carefully selected by Four Seasons. Additionally, guests travel with an expert Four Seasons journey team and onboard concierge who handle all trip logistics. To learn more about the Four Seasons Private Jet Experience and to continue exploring the custom-designed Four Seasons Private Jet, click here. For those looking to travel in 2025 and earlier in 2026, more upcoming itineraries can be found here.

The Four Seasons Private Jet Experience is operated by TCS World Travel, dedicated to delivering immersive, worry-free travel experiences for the globally curious luxury traveller. The aircraft is operated by Titan Airways Limited. For more information from the industry leader in Private Jet Journeys, click here.

About Max
Max is the premiere global streaming platform from Warner Bros. Discovery that delivers the most unique and captivating stories, ranging from the highest quality in scripted programming, movies, documentaries, true crime, adult animation, and live sports and news (where available). Max is the destination for prestigious entertainment brands such as HBO, Warner Bros., Max Originals, DC, Harry Potter, as well as iconic shows like Friends and The Big Bang Theory, all in one place.

About The White Lotus
New episodes of HBO’s Emmy®-winning series The White Lotus, from Mike White, debuts new episodes every Sunday on HBO and Max and follows a new group of guests at another White Lotus property. The series is created, written and directed by Mike White and executive produced by White, David Bernad and Mark Kamine.

2025 Screen Actors Guild Awards: ‘Shōgun’ is the top winner

February 23, 2025

Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai in “Shōgun” (Photo by Katie Yu/FX)

EDITOR’S NOTE: The 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles on February 23, 2025. Netflix livestreamed the ceremony which was hosted by Kristin Bell. With four awards, FX’s drama series “Shōgun” was the top winner of this ceremony. The only other movie or TV show to win more than one award at the ceremony was the Hulu comedy series “Only Murders in the Building,” which won two awards. Jane Fonda received the Life Achievement Award.

Presenters at the show were Ariana Grande, Ayo Edebiri, Bowen Yang, Colin Farrell, Colman Domingo, Cynthia Erivo, David Duchovny, Drew Starkey, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning, Fran Drescher, Gillian Anderson, Harrison Ford, Isabella Rossellini, Jack Quaid, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jessica Williams, Jodie Foster, Joey King, John Lithgow, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Keke Palmer, Keri Russell, Kerry Washington, Kumail Nanjiani, Lily Gladstone, Lisa Kudrow, Marissa Bode, Mark Eydelshteyn, Max Greenfield, Michelle Yeoh, Mikey Madison, Millie Bobby Brown, Molly Shannon, Monica Barbaro, Pamela Anderson, Quinta Brunson, Ralph Fiennes, Selena Gomez, Sergio Castellitto, Timothée Chalamet, Yura Borisov, Zoe Saldaña and Zooey Deschanel.

The following is a complete list of nominees and winners for the 2025 Screen Actors Guild Awards:

*=winner

Motion Pictures

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
ADRIEN BRODY / László Tóth – “THE BRUTALIST”
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET / Bob Dylan – “A COMPLETE UNKNOWN”*
DANIEL CRAIG / William Lee – “QUEER”
COLMAN DOMINGO / Divine G – “SING SING”
RALPH FIENNES / Lawrence – “CONCLAVE”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
PAMELA ANDERSON / Shelly – “THE LAST SHOWGIRL”
CYNTHIA ERIVO / Elphaba – “WICKED”
KARLA SOFÍA GASCÓN / Emilia/Manitas – “EMILIA PÉREZ”
MIKEY MADISON / Ani – “ANORA”
DEMI MOORE / Elisabeth – “THE SUBSTANCE”*

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
JONATHAN BAILEY / Fiyero – “WICKED”
YURA BORISOV / Igor – “ANORA”
KIERAN CULKIN / Benji Kaplan – “A REAL PAIN”*
EDWARD NORTON / Pete Seeger – “A COMPLETE UNKNOWN”
JEREMY STRONG / Roy Cohn – “THE APPRENTICE”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
MONICA BARBARO / Joan Baez – “A COMPLETE UNKNOWN”
JAMIE LEE CURTIS / Annette – “THE LAST SHOWGIRL”
DANIELLE DEADWYLER / Berniece – “THE PIANO LESSON”
ARIANA GRANDE / Galinda/Glinda – “WICKED”
ZOE SALDAÑA / Rita – “EMILIA PÉREZ”*

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
MONICA BARBARO / Joan Baez
NORBERT LEO BUTZ / Alan Lomax
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET / Bob Dylan
ELLE FANNING / Sylvie Russo
DAN FOGLER / Albert Grossman
WILL HARRISON / Bobby Neuwirth
ERIKO HATSUNE / Toshi Seeger
BOYD HOLBROOK / Johnny Cash
SCOOT MCNAIRY / Woody Guthrie
BIG BILL MORGANFIELD / Jesse Moffette
EDWARD NORTON / Pete Seeger

ANORA
YURA BORISOV / Igor
MARK EYDELSHTEYN / Ivan
KARREN KARAGULIAN / Toros
MIKEY MADISON / Ani
ALEKSEY SEREBRYAKOV / Nikolai Zakharov
VACHE TOVMASYAN / Garnick

CONCLAVE*
SERGIO CASTELLITTO / Tedesco*
RALPH FIENNES / Lawrence*
JOHN LITHGOW / Tremblay*
LUCIAN MSAMATI / Adeyemi*
ISABELLA ROSSELLINI / Sister Agnes*
STANLEY TUCCI / Bellini*

EMILIA PÉREZ
KARLA SOFÍA GASCÓN / Emilia/Manitas
SELENA GOMEZ / Jessi
ADRIANA PAZ / Epifania
ZOE SALDAÑA / Rita

WICKED
JONATHAN BAILEY / Fiyero
MARISSA BODE / Nessarose
PETER DINKLAGE / Dr. Dillamond
CYNTHIA ERIVO / Elphaba
JEFF GOLDBLUM / The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
ARIANA GRANDE / Galinda/Glinda
ETHAN SLATER / Boq
BOWEN YANG / Pfannee
MICHELLE YEOH / Madame Morrible

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
DUNE: PART TWO
THE FALL GUY*
GLADIATOR II
WICKED

Television:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
JAVIER BARDEM / Jose Menendez – “MONSTERS: THE LYLE AND ERIK MENENDEZ STORY”
COLIN FARRELL / Oz Cobb – “THE PENGUIN”*
RICHARD GADD / Donny – “BABY REINDEER”
KEVIN KLINE / Stephen Brigstocke – “DISCLAIMER”
ANDREW SCOTT / Tom Ripley – “RIPLEY”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
KATHY BATES / Edith Wilson – “THE GREAT LILLIAN HALL”
CATE BLANCHETT / Catherine Ravenscroft – “DISCLAIMER”
JODIE FOSTER / Det. Elizabeth Danvers – “TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY”
LILY GLADSTONE / Cam Bentland – “UNDER THE BRIDGE”
JESSICA GUNNING / Martha – “BABY REINDEER”*
CRISTIN MILIOTI / Sofia Falcone – “THE PENGUIN”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
TADANOBU ASANO / Kashigi Yabushige – “SHŌGUN”
JEFF BRIDGES / Dan Chase – “THE OLD MAN”
GARY OLDMAN / Jackson Lamb – “SLOW HORSES”
EDDIE REDMAYNE / The Jackal – “THE DAY OF THE JACKAL”
HIROYUKI SANADA / Yoshii Toranaga – “SHŌGUN”*

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
KATHY BATES / Madeline Matlock – “MATLOCK”
NICOLA COUGHLAN / Penelope Featherington – “BRIDGERTON”
ALLISON JANNEY / Vice President Grace Penn – “THE DIPLOMAT”
KERI RUSSELL / Kate Wyler – “THE DIPLOMAT”
ANNA SAWAI / Toda Mariko – “SHŌGUN”*

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ADAM BRODY / Noah Roklov – “NOBODY WANTS THIS”
TED DANSON / Charles Nieuwendyk – “A MAN ON THE INSIDE”
HARRISON FORD / Paul – “SHRINKING”
MARTIN SHORT / Oliver Putnam – “ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING”*
JEREMY ALLEN WHITE / Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto – “THE BEAR”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
KRISTEN BELL / Joanne – “NOBODY WANTS THIS”
QUINTA BRUNSON / Janine Teagues – “ABBOTT ELEMENTARY”
LIZA COLÓN-ZAYAS / Tina – “THE BEAR”
AYO EDEBIRI / Sydney Adamu – “THE BEAR”
JEAN SMART / Deborah Vance – “HACKS”*

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
BRIDGERTON
GERALDINE ALEXANDER / Mrs. Wilson
VICTOR ALLI / John Stirling
ADJOA ANDOH / Lady Danbury
JULIE ANDREWS / Lady Whistledown
LORRAINE ASHBOURNE / Mrs. Varley
SIMONE ASHLEY / Kate Bridgerton
JONATHAN BAILEY / Anthony Bridgerton
JOE BARNES / Lord Wilding
JOANNA BOBIN / Lady Cowper
JAMES BRYAN / Nicky Mondrich
HARRIET CAINS / Philipa Featherington
BESSIE CARTER / Prudence Featherington
GENEVIEVE CHENNEOUR / Miss Livingston
DOMINIC COLEMAN / Lord Cowper
NICOLA COUGHLAN / Penelope Featherington
KITTY DEVLIN / Miss Stowell
HANNAH DODD / Francesca Bridgerton
DANIEL FRANCIS / Lord Marcus Anderson
RUTH GEMMELL / Violet Bridgerton
ROSA HESMONDHALGH / Rae
SESLEY HOPE / Miss Kenworthy
FLORENCE HUNT / Hyacinth Bridgerton
MARTINS IMHANGBE / Will Mondrich
MOLLY JACKSON-SHAW / Miss Hartigan
CLAUDIA JESSIE / Eloise Bridgerton
LORN MACDONALD / Albion Finch
JESSICA MADSEN / Cressida Cowper
EMMA NAOMI / Alice Mondrich
HANNAH NEW / Lady Tilley Arnold
LUKE NEWTON / Colin Bridgerton
CALEB OBEDIAH / Lord Cho
JAMES PHOON / Harry Dankworth
VINEETA RISHI / Lady Malhotra
GOLDA ROSHEUVEL / Queen Charlotte
HUGH SACHS / Brimsley
BANITA SANDHU / Miss Malhotra
LUKE THOMPSON / Benedict Bridgerton
WILL TILSTON / Gregory Bridgerton
POLLY WALKER / Lady Featherington
ANNA WILSON-JONES / Lady Livingston
SOPHIE WOOLLEY / Lady Stowell

THE DAY OF THE JACKAL
KHALID ABDALLA / Ulle Dag Charles
JON ARIAS / Álvaro
NICK BLOOD / Vince Pyne
ÚRSULA CORBERÓ / Nuria
CHARLES DANCE / Timothy Winthrop
BEN HALL / Damian Richardson
CHUKWUDI IWUJI / Osita Halcrow
PATRICK KENNEDY / Teddy
PUCHI LAGARDE / Marisa
LASHANA LYNCH / Bianca Pullman
ELEANOR MATSUURA / Zina Jansone
JONJO O’NEILL / Edward Carver
EDDIE REDMAYNE / The Jackal
SULE RIMI / Paul Pullman
LIA WILLIAMS / Isabel Kirby

THE DIPLOMAT
ALI AHN / Eidra Park
SANDY AMON-SCHWARTZ / Sandy
TIM DELAP / Byron
PENNY DOWNIE / Frances Munning
ATO ESSANDOH / Stuart Hayford
DAVID GYASI / Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison
CELIA IMRIE / Margaret Roylin
RORY KINNEAR / Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge
PEARL MACKIE / Alysse
NANA MENSAH / Billie Appiah
GRAHAM MILLER / Neil Barrow
KERI RUSSELL / Kate Wyler
RUFUS SEWELL / Hal Wyler
ADAM SILVER / Howard
KENICHIRO THOMSON / Martin

SHŌGUN*
SHINNOSUKE ABE / Buntaro*
TADANOBU ASANO / Kashigi Yabushige*
TOMMY BASTOW / Father Martin Alvito*
TAKEHIRO HIRA / Ishido Kazunari*
MOEKA HOSHI / Usami Fuji*
HIROMOTO IDA / Lord Kiyama*
COSMO JARVIS / John Blackthorne*
HIROTO KANAI / Kashigi Omi*
YUKI KURA / Yoshii Nagakado*
TAKESHI KUROKAWA / Lord Ohno*
FUMI NIKAIDO / Ochiba No Kata*
TOKUMA NISHIOKA / Toda Hiromatsu*
HIROYUKI SANADA / Yoshii Toranaga*
ANNA SAWAI / Toda Mariko*

SLOW HORSES
RUTH BRADLEY / Emma Flyte
TOM BROOKE / JK Coe
JAMES CALLIS / Claude Whelan
CHRISTOPHER CHUNG / Roddy Ho
AIMEE-FFION EDWARDS / Shirley Dander
ROSALIND ELEAZAR / Louisa Guy
SEAN GILDER / Sam Chapman
KADIFF KIRWAN / Marcus Longridge
JACK LOWDEN / River Cartwright
GARY OLDMAN / Jackson Lamb
JONATHAN PRYCE / David Cartwright
SASKIA REEVES / Catherine Standish
JOANNA SCANLAN / Moira Tregorian
KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS / Diana Taverner
HUGO WEAVING / Frank Harkness
NAOMI WIRTHNER / Molly Doran
TOM WOZNICZKA / Patrice

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY
QUINTA BRUNSON / Janine Teagues
WILLIAM STANFORD DAVIS / Mr. Johnson
JANELLE JAMES / Ava Coleman
CHRIS PERFETTI / Jacob Hill
SHERYL LEE RALPH / Barbara Howard
LISA ANN WALTER / Melissa Schemmenti
TYLER JAMES WILLIAMS / Gregory Eddie

THE BEAR
LIONEL BOYCE / Marcus
LIZA COLÓN-ZAYAS / Tina
AYO EDEBIRI / Sydney Adamu
ABBY ELLIOTT / Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto
EDWIN LEE GIBSON / Ebraheim
COREY HENDRIX / Sweeps
MATTY MATHESON / Neil Fak
EBON MOSS-BACHRACH / Richard “Richie” Jerimovich
RICKY STAFFIERI / Theodore Fak
JEREMY ALLEN WHITE / Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto

HACKS
ROSE ABDOO / Josefina
CARL CLEMONS-HOPKINS / Marcus Vaughan
PAUL W. DOWNS / Jimmy Lusaque, Jr.
HANNAH EINBINDER / Ava Daniels
MARK INDELICATO / Damien
JEAN SMART / Deborah Vance
MEGAN STALTER / Kayla Schaeffer

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING*
MICHAEL CYRIL CREIGHTON / Howard Morris*
ZACH GALIFIANAKIS / Zach Galifianakis*
SELENA GOMEZ / Mabel Mora*
RICHARD KIND / Vince Fish*
EUGENE LEVY / Eugene Levy*
EVA LONGORIA / Eva Longoria*
STEVE MARTIN / Charles-Haden Savage*
KUMAIL NANJIANI / Rudy Thurber*
MOLLY SHANNON / Bev Melon*
MARTIN SHORT / Oliver Putnam*

SHRINKING
HARRISON FORD / Paul
BRETT GOLDSTEIN / Louis
DEVIN KAWAOKA / Charlie
GAVIN LEWIS / Connor
WENDIE MALICK / Dr. Julie Baram
LUKITA MAXWELL / Alice
TED MCGINLEY / Derek
CHRISTA MILLER / Liz
JASON SEGEL / Jimmy
RACHEL STUBINGTON / Summer
LUKE TENNIE / Sean
MICHAEL URIE / Brian
JESSICA WILLIAMS / Gaby

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
THE BOYS
FALLOUT
HOUSE OF THE DRAGON
THE PENGUIN
SHŌGUN*

2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards: ‘Anora,’ ‘Baby Reindeer’ are the top winners

February 22, 2025

Mikey Madison in “Anora” (Photo courtesy of Neon)

Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning in “Baby Reindeer” (Photo by Ed Miller/Netflix)

Film Independent, the nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering independence and inclusivity in visual storytelling, handed out top honors February 22 at the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards. Hosted for the second year in a row by acclaimed comedian Aidy Bryant, the awards ceremony was broadcast live on IMDb’s and Film Independent’s YouTube channels. The Spirit Awards are Film Independent’s largest annual celebration, making year-round programming for filmmakers and film loving audiences possible, while amplifying the voices of independent storytellers and celebrating their diversity, originality and uniqueness of vision.

This year’s ceremony, the 40th in Film Independent’s history, celebrated both the best of the past year in film and television as well as the organization’s storied history of supporting independent artists. This included paying touching tribute to Josh Welsh, the beloved longtime president of Film Independent who passed away recently after a courageous five-year battle with cancer.

For this year’s awards, Anora led the way in the film categories with three wins, including Best Feature, Best Director for Sean Baker, and Best Lead Performance for Mikey Madison. Among the other films and artists honored, A Real Pain won Best Supporting Performance for Kieran Culkin and Best Screenplay for Jesse Eisenberg; Maisy Stella won Best Breakthrough Performance for My Old Ass; Dìdi won Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay for Sean Wang; Flow won Best International Film; No Other Land won Best Documentary; Best Cinematography went to Jomo Fray for Nickel Boys; and Hansjörg Weissbrich won Best Editing for September 5.

For the fifth time in its history, the Spirit Awards also honored exceptional content in television. This year’s major winners in the TV categories were Baby Reindeer, which won three awards including Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted Series for Richard Gadd, Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series for Nava Mau, and Best Breakthrough Performance in a New Scripted Series for Jessica Gunning; Shōgun, which won Best New Scripted Series; Hollywood Black, which won Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series; and How to Die Alone, which won Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series.

The 17th annual Robert Altman Award, which was created in 2008 in honor of legendary film director Robert Altman, who was known for creating extraordinary ensemble casts, was awarded to His Three Daughters director Azazel Jacobs, alongside casting director Nicole Arbusto, as well as ensemble cast members Jovan Adepo, Jasmine Bracey, Carrie Coon, Jose Febus, Rudy Galvan, Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, Randy Ramos Jr. and Jay O. Sanders.

Girls Will Be Girls was honored with the John Cassavetes Award, given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000. Also celebrated were the previously announced honors including Sarah Friedland of Familiar Touch with the Someone to Watch Award, recognizing a filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition; Rachel Elizabeth Seed of A Photographic Memory with the Truer Than Fiction Award, presented to an emerging director of nonfiction features who has yet to receive significant recognition; and Sarah Winshall with the Producers Award, honoring emerging producers who demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality independent films with limited resources.

The winners of the Film Independent Spirit Awards are voted on by Film Independent Members. Membership is open to the public.

Film Independent Spirit Awards are supported by Premier Sponsor Lavazza Coffee, Principal Sponsor IMDbPro and Official Partners Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, FIJI Water and Miraval. Easterseals Disability Services is the accessibility partner. Hotel Casa del Mar and The Georgian are the Official Hotels. Pentagram is the Visual Branding Partner. Getty Images is the Official Photographer. Vision Media is the exclusive screening partner. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Caffeine Post, Cast & Crew, eTech Rentals, Illuminar and Town and Country Event Rentals are Official Providers.

Here is the complete list of nominees and winners for the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards:

*=winner

BEST FEATURE

(Award given to the producer)

Anora*
Producers: Sean Baker, Alex Coco, Samantha Quan*

I Saw the TV Glow
Producers: Ali Herting, Sam Intili, Dave McCary, Emma Stone, Sarah Winshall

Nickel Boys
Producers: Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, David Levine

Sing Sing
Producers: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Monique Walton

The Substance
Producers: Tim Bevan, Coralie Fargeat, Eric Fellner

BEST FIRST FEATURE

(Award given to director and producer)

Dìdi*
Director/Producer: Sean Wang*
Producers: Valerie Bush, Carlos López Estrada, Josh Peters*

In the Summers
Director: Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio
Producers: Janek Ambros, Lynette Coll, Alexander Dinelaris, Cynthia Fernandez De La Cruz, Cristóbal Güell, Sergio Alberto Lira, Rob Quadrino, Jan Suter, Daniel Tantalean, Nando Vila, Slava Vladimirov, Stephanie Yankwitt

Janet Planet
Director/Producer: Annie Baker
Producers: Andrew Goldman, Dan Janvey, Derrick Tseng

The Piano Lesson
Director: Malcolm Washington
Producers: Todd Black, Denzel Washington

Problemista
Director/Producer: Julio Torres
Producers: Ali Herting, Dave McCary, Emma Stone

JOHN CASSAVETES AWARD

Given to the best feature made for under $1,000,000. (Award given to the writer, director, and producer)

Big Boys
Writer/Director/Producer: Corey Sherman
Producer: Allison Tate

Ghostlight
Writer/Director: Kelly O’Sullivan
Director/Producer: Alex Thompson
Producers: Pierce Cravens, Ian Keiser, Chelsea Krant, Eddie Linker, Alex Wilson

Girls Will Be Girls*
Writer/Director/Producer: Shuchi Talati*
Producers: Richa Chadha, Claire Chassagne*

Jazzy
Writer/Director/Producer: Morrisa Maltz
Writer/Producer: Lainey Shangreaux
Writers: Andrew Hajek, Vanara Taing
Producers: Miranda Bailey, Tommy Heitkamp, John Way, Natalie Whalen, Elliott Whitton

The People’s Joker
Writer/Director: Vera Drew
Writer: Bri LeRose
Producer: Joey Lyons

BEST DIRECTOR

Ali Abbasi
The Apprentice

Sean Baker*
Anora*

Brady Corbet
The Brutalist

Alonso Ruizpalacios
La Cocina

Jane Schoenbrun
I Saw the TV Glow

BEST SCREENPLAY

Scott Beck, Bryan Woods
Heretic

Jesse Eisenberg*
A Real Pain*

Megan Park
My Old Ass

Aaron Schimberg
A Different Man

Jane Schoenbrun
I Saw the TV Glow

BEST FIRST SCREENPLAY

Joanna Arnow
The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed

Annie Baker
Janet Planet

India Donaldson
Good One

Julio Torres
Problemista

Sean Wang*
Dìdi*

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE

Amy Adams
Nightbitch

Ryan Destiny
The Fire Inside

Colman Domingo
Sing Sing

Keith Kupferer
Ghostlight

Mikey Madison*
Anora*

Demi Moore
The Substance

Hunter Schafer
Cuckoo

Justice Smith
I Saw the TV Glow

June Squibb
Thelma

Sebastian Stan
The Apprentice

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE

Yura Borisov
Anora

Joan Chen
Dìdi

Kieran Culkin*
A Real Pain*

Danielle Deadwyler
The Piano Lesson

Carol Kane
Between the Temples

Karren Karagulian
Anora

Kani Kusruti
Girls Will Be Girls

Brigette Lundy-Paine
I Saw the TV Glow

Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin
Sing Sing

Adam Pearson
A Different Man

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

Isaac Krasner
Big Boys

Katy O’Brian
Love Lies Bleeding

Mason Alexander Park
National Anthem

René Pérez Joglar
In the Summers

Maisy Stella*
My Old Ass*

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Dinh Duy Hung
Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell

Jomo Fray*
Nickel Boys*

Maria von Hausswolff
Janet Planet

Juan Pablo Ramírez
La Cocina

Rina Yang
The Fire Inside

BEST EDITING

Laura Colwell, Vanara Taing
Jazzy

Olivier Bugge Coutté, Olivia Neergaard-Holm
The Apprentice

Anne McCabe
Nightbitch

Hansjörg Weissbrich*
September 5

Arielle Zakowski
Dìdi

ROBERT ALTMAN AWARD

Given to one film’s director, casting director, and ensemble cast.

His Three Daughters
Director: Azazel Jacobs
Casting Director: Nicole Arbusto
Ensemble Cast: Jovan Adepo, Jasmine Bracey, Carrie Coon, Jose Febus, Rudy Galvan, Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen, Randy Ramos Jr., Jay O. Sanders

BEST DOCUMENTARY

(Award given to the director and producer)

Gaucho Gaucho
Directors/Producers: Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw
Producers: Christos Konstantakopoulos, Cameron O’Reilly, Matthew Perniciaro

Hummingbirds
Directors: Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, Estefanía “Beba” Contreras
Co-Directors/Producers: Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, Diane Ng, Ana Rodriguez-Falco, Jillian Schlesinger
Producers: Leslie Benavides, Rivkah Beth Medow

No Other Land*
Directors/Producers: Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor*
Producers: Fabien Greenberg, Bård Kjøge Rønning*

Patrice: The Movie
Director: Ted Passon
Producers: Kyla Harris, Innbo Shim, Emily Spivack

Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat
Director: Johan Grimonprez
Producers: Rémi Grellety, Daan Milius

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILM

(Award given to the director)

All We Imagine as Light
France, India, Netherlands, Luxembourg
Director: Payal Kapadia

Black Dog
China
Director: Guan Hu

Flow*
Latvia, France, Belgium*
Director: Gints Zilbalodis*

Green Border
Poland, France, Czech Republic, Belgium
Director: Agnieszka Holland

Hard Truths
United Kingdom
Director: Mike Leigh

PRODUCERS AWARD presented by Bulleit Frontier Whiskey

The Producers Award, now in its 28th year, honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources, demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality independent films.

Alex Coco

Sarah Winshall*

Zoë Worth

SOMEONE TO WATCH AWARD

The Someone to Watch Award, now in its 31st year, recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition.

Nicholas Colia
Director of Griffin in Summer

Sarah Friedland*
Director of Familiar Touch*

Pham Thien An
Director of Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell

TRUER THAN FICTION AWARD

The Truer Than Fiction Award, now in its 30th year, is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition.

Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie
Directors of Sugarcane

Carla Gutiérrez
Director of Frida

Rachel Elizabeth Seed*
Director of A Photographic Memory

BEST NEW NON-SCRIPTED OR DOCUMENTARY SERIES

(Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Color
Executive Producers: Idris Elba, Johanna Woolford Gibbon, Jamilla Dumbuya, Jos Cushing, Khaled Gad, Matt Robins, Chris Muckle, Sean David Johnson, Simon Raikes
Co-Executive Producer: Annabel Hobley

Hollywood Black*
Executive Producers: Shayla Harris, Dave Sirulnick, Stacey Reiss, Jon Kamen, Justin Simien, Kyle Laursen, Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi, Jeffrey Schwarz, Amy Goodman Kass, Michael Wright, Jill Burkhart*
Co-Executive Producers: David C. Brown, Laurens Grant*

Photographer
Executive Producers: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Pagan Harleman, Betsy Forhan
Co-Executive Producers: Anna Barnes, Brent Kunkle

Ren Faire
Executive Producers: Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Eli Bush, Dani Bernfeld, Lance Oppenheim, David Gauvey Herbert, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez
Co-Executive Producers: Abigail Rowe, Christian Vasquez, Max Allman

Social Studies
Creator/Executive Producer: Lauren Greenfield
Executive Producers: Wallis Annenberg, Regina K. Scully, Andrea van Beuren, Frank Evers, Caryn Capotosto

BEST NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

(Award given to the Creator, Executive Producer, Co-Executive Producer)

Baby Reindeer
Creator/Executive Producer: Richard Gadd
Executive Producers: Wim De Greef, Petra Fried, Matt Jarvis, Ed Macdonald

Diarra From Detroit
Creator/Executive Producer: Diarra Kilpatrick
Executive Producers: Kenya Barris, Miles Orion Feldsott, Darren Goldberg
Co-Executive Producers: Ester Lou, Mark Ganek

English Teacher
Creator/Executive Producer: Brian Jordan Alvarez
Executive Producers: Paul Simms, Jonathan Krisel, Dave King
Co-Executive Producers: Kathryn Dean, Jake Bender, Zach Dunn

Fantasmas
Creator/Executive Producer: Julio Torres
Executive Producers: Emma Stone, Dave McCary, Olivia Gerke, Alex Bach, Daniel Powell
Co-Executive Producer: Ali Herting

Shōgun*
Creators/Executive Producers: Rachel Kondo, Justin Marks
Executive Producers: Edward L. McDonnell, Michael De Luca, Michaela Clavell
Co-Executive Producers: Shannon Goss, Andrew Macdonald, Allon Reich

BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Brian Jordan Alvarez
English Teacher

Richard Gadd*
Baby Reindeer

Lily Gladstone
Under the Bridge

Kathryn Hahn
Agatha All Along

Cristin Milioti
The Penguin

Julianne Moore
Mary & George

Hiroyuki Sanada
Shōgun

Anna Sawai
Shōgun

Andrew Scott
Ripley

Julio Torres
Fantasmas

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Tadanobu Asano
Shōgun

Enrico Colantoni
English Teacher

Betty Gilpin
Three Women

Chloe Guidry
Under the Bridge

Moeka Hoshi
Shōgun

Stephanie Koenig
English Teacher

Patti LuPone
Agatha All Along

Nava Mau*
Baby Reindeer

Ruth Negga
Presumed Innocent

Brian Tee
Expats

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

Jessica Gunning*
Baby Reindeer

Diarra Kilpatrick
Diarra From Detroit

Joe Locke
Agatha All Along

Megan Stott
Penelope

Hoa Xuande
The Sympathizer

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES

How to Die Alone
Ensemble Cast: Melissa DuPrey, Jaylee Hamidi, KeiLyn Durrel Jones, Arkie Kandola, Elle Lorraine, Michelle McLeod, Chris “CP” Powell, Conrad Ricamora, Natasha Rothwell, Jocko Sims

Review: ‘Who Is Luigi Mangione?,’ starring Dan Abrams, Joseph Kenny, Kelly Wirtz, Giovanna Blatterman, Gurwinder Bhogal and Dorian Wright

February 19, 2025

by Carla Hay

“Who Is Luigi Mangione?”

Directed by Rhonda Schwartz and Brian Ross

Culture Representation: The documentary TV special “Who Is Luigi Mangione?” features a predominantly white group of people (with a few African Americans) talking about the case of Luigi Mangione, the wealthy American engineer who has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other charges related to the gun-shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City on December 2, 2024.

Culture Clash: Mangione, who was 26 when he was arrested in December 2024, has indicated that Thompson was a target because of health insurance companies’ controversial decisions to deny coverage to their customers.

Culture Audience: “Who Is Luigi Mangione?” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in coverage of this high-profile case, but this documentary offers no new information and comes across as sensationalistic and superficial.

“Who Is Luigi Mangione?” can’t even be bothered to comprehensively answer the question in the title. This low-quality documentary is just a rehash of information already told in other quickly made documentaries and news reports about Luigi Mangione. Adding to the tackiness, the documentary has an unidentified actor doing a terrible imitation of Mangione by narrating Mangione’s messages that were posted on social media.

Directed by Rhonda Schwartz and Brian Ross, “Who Is Luigi Mangione?” clocks in at just about 45 minutes, but even that is too long for the scant amount of worthwhile information in the documentary. Mangione was born on May 6, 1998, in Towson, Maryland. He came from a wealthy family and did not have a criminal record before his arrest.

By now, the basic facts of the case are widely known. A man, who law enforcement says is Mangione, was caught on surveillance video pointing a gun at and shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as 50-year-old Thompson was walking in front of the shooter outside the entrance of the New York Hilton Midtown hotel in New York City, on the morning of December 2, 2024. Thompson was in New York City for a conference with investors. The shooter fled on a bicycle.

After surveillance photos of Mangione were publicly revealed and identified him as the prime suspect, he was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 7, 2024. Mangione was brought back to New York City and pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, criminal weapon possession and stalking. An investigation revealed that during the murder, Mangione had been in New York City and had been staying at a hostel under an alias and using a fake photo ID. At the time this documentary premiered on TV, Mangione was in a New York City jail and denied bail as he awaits his trial.

The reactions to his arrest have been very divisive. Many people have condemned Mangione as a cold-blooded killer, while others have praised him because they think he’s a hero for going after corrupt practices of health insurance companies. A disclaimer at the beginning of the documentary says that all persons are innocent until proven guilty. So far, Mangione has not given interviews since he was named as a suspect and arrested for these crimes.

“Who Is Luigi Mangione?” does what all of the other documentaries about him have already done and shows a lot of the same photos and videos of him. These Luigi Mangione documentaries give the same easily available background information on Mangione and talk about how he had a privileged life. With all the media scrutiny about his life, no media outlet so far has been able to extensively say much about his personal life except that he had health issues but he was also athletic and liked to travel and hung out with some people close to his own age during these travels.

Mangione is consistently described as someone who was outgoing, friendly and highly intelligent in his school years. He was valedictorian of the Class of 2016 at Gilman School, a private Baltimore high school for boys. In 2020, he graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a bachelor of science degree in engineering for computer engineering and a master of science degree in engineering for computer and information science. Mangione relocated to Honolulu, Hawaii, after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania.

Mangione had ongoing spinal problems that got worse after he had a surfing accident in 2022 that caused him to have spondylosis, a degenerative condition of the spine. He later had spinal surgery and had other medical treatments for this condition. Because of his family’s wealth, he could afford to get the medical treatment that he needed. But according to his social media posts, Mangione was in a lot of physical pain, had episodes of “brain fog” (feeling confusion or loss of memory), and expressed deep resentment about the way insurance companies refuse to give coverage or make it difficult for people to get the health care that they need.

Mangione was never affiliated with or had UnitedHealthcare insurance, but because UnitedHealthcare is the largest health insurance company in the U.S., he apparently thought that UnitedHealthcare was the biggest villain in America’s health insurance issues. Mangione made comments on social media ranting about capitalism and how insurance companies in the U.S. care more about profits than people.

Mangione also expressed an interest in the manifestos of convicted serial killer Ted Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, who died of rectal cancer in prison in 2023. Kaczynski was a highly educated recluse who had anti-capitalist political views that motivated Kaczynski’s murders when he targeted people to get bombs that he mailed to them. Mangione’s social media posts will no doubt be used as evidence in the prosecution’s case against Mangione.

Just like the other documentaries so far about Mangione, “Who Is Luigi Mangione?” has mostly interviews with people who’ve never met Mangione and just repeat public information about him. The few people interviewed in these documentaries who did know Mangione all make generic statements about how shocked they are about him being arrested for these crimes. By all accounts, Mangione “went off the grid” and isolated himself from June 2024 until he surfaced in New York City in December 2024. His mother reported him as a missing person in April 2024.

People interviewed in this documentary who knew Mangione are his friend R.J. Martin, who reveals nothing new; Mangione family friends Giovanna Blatterman and Joe Di Pascuale; author/social media influencer Gurwinder Bhogal, who says that he met Mangione in person because Mangione said he was a fan of Bhogal’s work; and Dorian Wright, who was Mangione’s yoga instructor in Hawaii. Bhogal comments on Mangione: “He believed that people were increasingly living automated lives.” Bhogal says he last heard from Mangione in June 2024. Blatterman comments on how Mangione has apparently changed drastically since she knew him as a kid: “It just doesn’t make sense … Something happened to his mind.”

Wright repeats the same descriptions of Mangione that others have already had. Wright also mentions that Mangione always caught the attention of women in Wright’s yoga class. The documentary has widely known information that the notoriety of this case has resulted in Mangione having numerous female admirers who seem infatuated with him because of his good looks, his wealth and now his “bad boy rebel” image. Considering all the tabloid coverage of Mangione, it’s somewhat surprising that people who dated Mangione in the past aren’t speaking out to get their moment in the spotlight.

By all accounts, Mangione did not personally know Thompson. Thompson grew up in Jewell, Iowa, and he spent most of his life living in the Midwest. Thompson, who graduated from South Hamilton High School in Jewell, was valedictorian of the graduating Class of 1993. He was also valedictorian of his graduating Class of 1997 at the University of Iowa, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. In 2004, he joined UnitedHealthcare, which is headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. He became CEO of UnitedHealthcare in 2021.

TV journalist Dan Abrams from Law & Crime Network is an executive producer of this documentary. Abrams openly expresses disgust by the notion that Mangione deserves praise. Abrams then complains in the documentary that when he talked about this opinion on his live SiriusXM radio show, he got backlash from listeners. The documentary becomes less about answering, “Who is Luigi Mangione?,” and becomes more about what random people who don’t know him think about Mangione and the U.S. health care system.

In the documentary, Abrams sanctimoniously says that people tend to forget the murder victim in this case, but the documentary interviews only two people who say they knew Thompson. Philip Klein, a former bodyguard of Thompson, doesn’t have anything memorable to say in the documentary except that it was “the biggest mistake in the world” for Thompson not to have any security personnel with him during that fateful walk outside the New York Hilton Midtown hotel.

Kelly Wirth, who describes herself as a Thompson family friend, says she knew Thompson when he was a boy. Wirth gives the expected praise of Thompson and his family. And apparently, she hadn’t been in contact with him in decades, because she still talks about him as if her most recent memories of him are when he was a kid.

Jamie Peck, who founded the December 4th Legal Committee to raise funds for Mangione’s legal defense, says in her interview for this documentary: “I don’t think it’s possible to be the CEO of a for-profit health insurance company and not have blood on your hands.” Another interviewee who expresses contempt for UnitedHealthcare is Yolanda Wilson, a bioethics professor who says that UnitedHealthcare nearly denied her coverage for a hysterectomy and would have denied her the coverage if her doctor hadn’t advocated for her.

Wendell Potter, a former health insurance company executive (the documentary never says where he used to work) states that he was in the health insurance industry for about 20 years and has now become an outspoken critic of the industry. Dr. David Hascom, an orthopedic spine surgeon, comments on what he thinks Mangione experienced for any spine surgery, even though Hascom has never met Mangione. Another person interviewed in the documentary is criminologist Casey Jordan, who gives dramatic commentary as if she’s doing a recap for a soap opera.

The only two New York City public officials interviewed in the documentary are New York Police Department chief of detectives Joseph Kenny and New York City mayor Eric Adams. Kenny sticks to the facts and repeats information that the NYPD already released to the public and the media. He’s really the only person interviewed in the documentary who has close personal knowledge about the charges and evidence against Mangione.

Adams gets preachy and comments on all the young people who support Mangione: “We’re seeing a radicalization of our young people. We’re seeing our young people believing that the answer to a problem is by using violence. And I think it’s the wrong way to go.” Considering that Adams is dealing with his own controversies that include accusations of corruption, he might not be the best person to give lectures about ethics.

And speaking of investigations over ethics, it’s briefly mentioned in the documentary that Thompson was under investigation for illegal insider trading at the time of his death. It’s unknown if Mangione knew this information when he wrote angry rants about UnitedHealthcare because this documentary is so shoddy and ineffectual in investigative journalism. In fact, “Who Is Luigi Mangione?” is incompetent at delivering any meanfingful insight except to show viewers what it looks like for a documentary to jump on a tabloid bandwagon and have nothing interesting to add.

Investigation Discovery premiered “Who Is Luigi Mangione?” on February 17, 2025.

Review: ‘Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert,’ starring Matt Murphy, Heather Brown, Ryan Peters, Salvatore Ciulla, Martina Teinert and Matt Gutman

February 19, 2024

by Carla Hay

“Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert”

Culture Representation: The three-episode documentary series “Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert” features a predominantly white group of people (with a few Asians and Latin people) talking about the case of the 2012 kidnapping and brutal assault of Mary Barnes and her male roommate from their home in Newport Beach, California.

Culture Clash: The three kidnappers (led by Hossein Nayeri) beat, tortured and cut off the penis of the male roommate (whose identity is not revealed in the documentary) because the kidnappers mistakenly thought that he had about $1 million in cash hidden in California’s Mohave Desert.

Culture Audience: “Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in true crime documentaries about well-known criminal cases, but this docuseries just re-uses a lot of footage that was previously filmed for a March 2020 episode of the ABC newsmagazine series “20/20.”

A 2013 photo of Hossein Nayeri (center) in “Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert” (Photo courtesy of ABC News Studios/Hulu)

“Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert” is just a repackaged “20/20” episode that originally aired in March 2020, with expanded and updated commentary from law enforcement officials and attorneys. This is a very lazy documentary. ABC News Studios produces “20/20” and several other news programs and documentaries. Many of the documentaries from ABC News Studios are labeled as original Hulu documentaries because they premiere first on Hulu in the United States. (Outside the U.S., many Hulu programs premiere first on the Disney+ streaming service.) ABC, Hulu and Disney+ are all owned by Disney.

There is no credited director for “Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert,” but David Sloan is listed as the documentary’s senior executive producer. On the surface, “Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert” might seem to be a Hulu original documentary, but the majority of the documentary’s content actually isn’t original because so much it previously aired on or was originally filmed for “20/20” in the show’s Season 42, Episode 21, titled “Catch Me If You Can,” which premiered on March 13, 2020. The previously filmed interviews were conducted in 2019, and are labeled as such in this repackaged documentary that was released in 2025.

The only “new” content includes interviews with two former district attorneys who were involved with the case; the former police detective who was the lead investigator of the case; two defense attorneys; and the “20/20” correspondent who originally reported on the case. All of them give hindsight comments that don’t add anything noteworthy. It’s not a complete “bait and switch” documentary, but there needed to be more transparency that “Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert” is really an expanded version of a previously aired “20/20” episode. For example, there could have been caption for the 2019 footage that says, “Previously filmed for ’20/20,’ in 2019,” instead of just putting the year that the footage was filmed.

“Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert” has three episodes that tell the story in mostly chronological order. Episode 1, titled “Treasure Hunt,” describes the home invasion and kidnapping. Episode 2, titled “Cat-and-Mouse Trap,” is about the police investigation that included a sting operation where the wife of the kidnapping ringleader cooperated with law enforcement to gather evidence and get him arrested. Episode 3, titled “Weed and Bananas,” has details of the arrest, escape from jail and eventual trial of the mastermind kidnapper.

“Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert” begins by showing Matt Murphy surfing in Orange County, California. Murphy is a former senior district attorney for Orange County and is a familiar face to people who watch a lot of true crime TV shows because he’s been interviewed on many of these shows. Murphy says in a voiceover that the Orange County city of Newport Beach is “like a Beverly Hills by the sea. But it’s also the type of place where people go to steal and sometimes hurt people to get money.” Murphy adds, “When it comes to wanton cruelty, I’ve seen some really bad things, but I’ve never seen anything like this.”

The cruelty that Murphy is talking about is a home invasion/brutal kidnapping that took place on the night of October 2, 2012. Mary Barnes, originally from New York, had moved to Newport Beach from Florida just a few days earlier to live with William “Bill” Bannon, who was her boyfriend at the time. Bannon shared the four-bedroom Newport Beach house with a roommate, who is only identified in the documentary as Michael S., who worked as a legal marijuana dispensary owner. In 2012, marijuana in California was only legal for medicinal purposes.

Bannon was away on a business trip when the home invasion happened, but Barnes and Michael were at the house. Michael, who was 28 years old at the time and described as a friendly guy, was the real target of the masked kidnappers. Michael and Barnes were tied up with zip ties, blindfolded, and held by gunpoint by three male kidnappers, who hauled them in a white truck and drove about 140 miles east to the Mohave Desert. The documentary has a brief audio interview with Michael S., but he doesn’t reveal anything new, and it’s not clear when this interview took place.

In a 2019 interview originally filmed for “20/20,” Barnes says that the kidnappers kept demanding that Michael give kidnappers the $1 million in cash that the kidnappers said he was hiding. She said one of the kidnappers tried to disguise his identity by pretending to be a Mexican gangster. Cash and jewelry were in the house, but the kidnappers left some of it behind because they were sure that Michael had even more money stashed away in the Mohave Desert.

Michael repeatedly told the kidnappers that he didn’t have $1 million but he had about $100,000 that he could give to them in cash by the next day. He was telling the truth, but the kidnappers didn’t believe him. The kidnappers beat up Michael, kicked him, and used a blowtorch to burn him to try to force him to tell them where the money was buried. Barnes was tied up nearby, and although she couldn’t see what was happening, she could hear this vicious assault.

In the 2019 interview, Barnes remembers hearing the sound of something being cut in a back-and-forth saw direction, while a bound-and-gagged Michael yelled in pain. Barnes found out from the kidnappers had cut off Michael’s penis and had taken the penis with them. The kidnappers also covered Michael with bleach and left him bloodied and unconscious.

It’s unknown if the kidnappers thought that Michael was going to die, but they didn’t inflict this type of violence on Barnes. One of the kidnappers threw the knife and told Barnes that it was her lucky day because they weren’t going to kill her, and if she could find the knife, she could probably cut the zip ties and free herself. The kidnappers then drove off without Barnes being able to see anything about the vehicle except knowing it was a white truck.

Barnes was able to find the knife and cut the zip ties around her leg. And when she ran for help, the first person she saw in this remote area happened to be a Kern County sheriff senior deputy on patrol named Steve Williams, who is interviewed in the documentary. Michael was found bound and gagged and severely injured but still alive when other law enforcement officers and medical help arrived. Michael had no known enemies. And without a good description of the kidnappers or their vehicle, the case was at a standstill.

But then, an observant neighbor who lived near the house where the home invasion took place reported to police that she saw suspicious activity at the house on the day that the home invasion took place. The neighbor, whose name is not revealed in the documentary, said that she saw three men, wearing construction gear in a white truck, go behind the house. The men took a ladder to go into the house, but she didn’t see the men come out of the house, and she didn’t see any construction work being done. The neighbor wrote down the truck’s license plate number and gave it to police.

This clue was an extremely lucky break that investgators needed. The license plate was for a truck registered to Kyle Handley, a marijuana dealer who casually knew Michael. Handley and Michael had gone on a high-roller trip to Las Vegas in the past but had lost touch with each other. Handley saw the large amounts of cash that Michael was spending on this Las Vegas trip and assumed that Michael was a millionaire.

Handley told his longtime friend Hossein Nayeri, another low-level marijuana dealer, about Michael’s supposed wealth. Handler, Nayeri and another friend named Ryan Kevorkian then plotted to kidnap Michael to rob him of at least $1 million in cash. Keep in mind that these criminals never actually had proof that Michael had that amount of cash. They just made that assumption.

Unbeknownst to Michael, these kidnappers had Michael under secret surveillance for several weeks, by using GPS tracking on Michael’s car and by installing hidden cameras on the street outside Michael’s house. The GPS tracked Michael driving to the Mohave Desert on multiple occasions, but these trips to the desert were actually to look at land for a potential real-estate deal—not to bury cash, like the kidnappers wrongly assumed. After Handley’s house was searched with a warrant, investigators found out about this surveillance and so much more, including the fact that Nayeri was the mastermind and chief planner for this home invasion, kidnapping and botched robbery.

This review won’t rehash all the details of this case, but it’s enough to say that there were plenty of twists and turns. Nayeri fled to his native Iran after he found out there was a warrant for his arrest. Iran does not extradite people who are wanted for U.S. criminal charges. With the help of Nayeri’s then-wife Cortney Shegerian, police lured him to the Czech Republic, where he was extradited back to the United States on charges of kidnapping, torture and aggravated mayhem. Nayeri was arrested on November 7, 2013.

Shegerian admitted that she knew about the robbery plans in advance but she claims that she didn’t know that anyone was going to be harmed. In exchange for not being arrested as an accomplice, Shegerian agreed to cooperate with investigators in providing evidence and getting Nayeri arrested. At the time all of this was going on, Shegerian had graduated from law school and had plans to be an attorney.

In a 2019 interview with “20/20” that is shown in this documentary, Shegerian claims that she was an abused wife who was brainwashed, manipulated and threatened by Nayeri, who is seven years older than she is. The former couple began dating when she was 16, and they got married in 2010, when she was 24. Her parents did not approve of Nayeri. Shegerian says that Nayeri kept her estranged and isolated from her family.

“I thought I loved him,” Shegerian says in the interview about Nayeri, whom she describes as cruel and sadistic but also very charismatic and persuasive. She currently works as an employment attorney and is a partner in a law firm in Los Angeles County. After her divorce from Nayeri, she married another man in 2018.

Even while in jail awaiting his trial, Nayeri wanted to evade the charges. On January 22, 2016, 37-year-old Nayeri and two other inmates—20-year-old Jonathan Tieu and 43-year-old Bac Duong—escaped from Orange County Men’s Central Jail in Santa Ana, California. The jailbreak inmates filmed themselves escaping. Some of this footage is in the documentary. The three prison escapees were all apprehended a week later in California.

Nayeri was convicted and sentenced in 2019. His accomplices Handley and Kevorkian also received prison sentences. Kevorkian’s ex-wife Naomi Rhodus was charged as an accessory after the fact. All of their courtroom sentences won’t be revealed in this review, in case people want to find out by watching this documentary or by looking at other news reports about this case. “Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert” doesn’t mention that in March 2023, Nayeri received an additional two years and eight months to his prison sentence because of his 2016 escape from jail.

What these four criminals have in common (besides this notorious case) is that they all knew each other from when they were students at Clovis West High School in Clovis, California, which is in Fresno County, about 275 miles north of Newport Beach. “Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert” interviews two people who knew Nayeri in high school, where he was on the wrestling team: his former wrestling teammate Paris Ruiz and former Clovis West High School head wrestling coach Brad Zimmer. They both describe Nayeri as being nice, intelligent and well-spoken in high school.

Ruiz and Zimmer say that Nayeri was an Iranian immigrant who was somewhat fanatical about wrestling because Nayeri said wrestling was a massive sport in Iran. They both say that Nayeri told people that his father was a doctor who lived for a while with his wife and children in the United States, but then the father moved back to Iran for reasons that Nayeri did not disclose to many people. Ruiz and Zimmer say that they rarely saw Nayeri’s mother.

“Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert” also delves a little into Nayeri’s past as a U.S. Marine who was stationed at Camp Pendleton in California’s San Diego County. He had problems with authority, so his miltary career was short-lived. The documentary interviews his ex-girlfriend Jennifer Tindal, who dated Nayeri in the 2000s. She says that Nayeri went on a “downward spiral” after he caused the death of his best friend in a 2005 car accident where Nayeri was driving under the influence. Nayeri received a suspended sentence and a five-year probation for this crime.

Other people interviewed in the documentary are Heather Brown, former senior district attorney of Orange County, California; Ryan Peters, the former Newport Police Department detective who was part of the investigaton of the case; Lewis Rosenblum, who is Shegerian’s former attorney; Nayeri’s former defense attorneys Salvatore Ciulla and Martina Teinert; Los Angeles Times reporter Anh Do; and ABC News correspondent Matt Gutman. In 2019, Gutman’s interviewed Nayeri (before he went on trial) in the “20/20” episode about this case. Excerpts from that inteview are in the documentary.

Murphy describes Nayeri as a “psychopath” and is very open about his disgust for this convicted criminal. Gutman looks back on his interview with Nayeri and says he knew that Nayeri was trying to manipulate him the entire time. As an example of how charming Nayeri could be, his former defense attorney Teinert says she never saw the cruel side to him that many other people described. However, she tells a story about how after Nayeri complained about the lunch food in jail, she made a sandwich at home that she was going to give to him, and her husband pointed out that Nayeri was manipulating her.

“Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert” has the usual true crime documentary use of dramatic music and heightened editing to create suspense in telling the story. But even over three episodes and using a lot of previously filmed footage, this docuseries still comes across as incomplete. There is so much emphasis put on Nayeri, the documentary gives almost no information about his accomplices. For example, there’s no mention of background information for Nayeri’s accomplices, what led these accomplices to a life of crime, and what their arrests were like.

It’s made very clear that Nayeri was the mastermind. However, he didn’t commit these crimes by himself. It’s an absolute failure of this documentary not to look at the entire story and not fully acknowledge that accomplices and enablers were a big part of this case too. After a while, “Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert” looks like “The Hossein Nayeri Show,” and that emphasis is just too tacky to take.

Hulu premiered “Wicked Game: Devil in the Desert” on February 4, 2025.

Review: ‘American Murder: Gabby Petito,’ starring Nichole Schmidt, Joe Petito, Jim Schmidt, Tara Petito, Rose Davis, Loretta Bush and Matt Carr

February 17, 2025

by Carla Hay

“American Murder: Gabby Petito”

Directed by Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro

Culture Representation: The three-episode documentary series “American Murder: Gabby Petito” features an all-white group of people talking about the case of 22-year-old Gabby Petito, who was murdered in 2021, while she was on a U.S. road trip with her 23-year-old fiancé Brian Laundrie, who committed suicide and left a note admitting that he killed her.

Culture Clash: Before she was murdered, Petito had been a victim of domestic violence from Laundrie, which were problems that she hid when she documented her life on social media.

Culture Audience: “American Murder: Gabby Petito” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in true crime documentaries about well-known tragic cases of domestic violence that ends in death.

Pictured from left to right: Joe Petito, Tara Petito, Jim Schmidt and Nichole Schmidt in “American Murder: Gabby Petito” (Photo courtesy of Netflix)

“American Murder: Gabby Petito” is a comprehensive and well-researched documentary about a notorious murder/suicide case that has already gotten enormous amounts of media exposure. The participation of Gabby Petito’s parents and lessons about domestic violence give the film more resonance. Although almost all of the archival footage in “American Murder: Gabby Petito” has already been widely shown elsewhere, the documentary’s exclusive interviews are worth watching.

Directed by Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro, “American Murder: Gabby Petito” also has previously unreleased footage and text messages from the two people at the center of this case: 22-year-old Gabrielle “Gabby” Petito and her 23-year-old fiancé Brian Laundrie. The documentary series also has interviews with a few people who knew Petito well and are speaking out for a documentary interview for the first time. Because the facts of this case have been widely reported, and it’s considered a solved case, the documentary does not present the story as a mystery but as a cautionary tale about warning signs in domestic violence that could lead to death.

Petito and Laundrie were on a road trip from their home city of North Point, Florida, to various states across the U.S., mostly to visit national parks. The trip (which began on July 2, 2021) was planned as a four-month journey that was documented on social media, mostly on Instagram. Petito was also filming parts of the trip as footage for a YouTube channel that she was launching called Nomadic Statik. She used drones for the scenic landscape footage that she wanted to include in her photos and videos.

Episode 1 of the documentary series is titled “We Bought a Van,” which chronicles the early years of Petito and Laundrie’s relationship and the beginning of their road trip. Episode 2 of the documentary series is titled “Where Is Gabby?,” which is about her disappearance and the massive media coverage that her missing-person case received and how it turned into a murder case. Episode 3 of the documentary series is titled “Burn After Reading,” which details the homicide investigation and the hunt for prime suspect Laundrie.

Petito was born on March 19, 1999, in Blue Point, New York. Her parents Joe and Nichole got divorced when she was less an a year old. Joe and Nichole would soon get married to other people. Joe Petito married his second wife Tara. Nichole married her second husband Jim Schmidt.

Joe and Nichole’s divorce was fairly amicable. Joe says in the documentary about himself and ex-wife Nichole: “We both agreed to put Gabby’s needs ahead of our own.” All four spouses raised Gabby as their own child in their blended family.

Gabby is described by several people in the documentary as an optimistic people-pleaser who liked to make people happy. She had artistic talent in drawing and photography. Starting from when she was a teenager, she liked to document her life on social media. Gabby eventually decided she wanted to be a social media influencer with a focus on having an adventurous lifestyle.

Brian Laundrie was born on November 18, 1997, in North Port, Florida. He was the youngest child of Christopher and Roberta Laundrie, who also have a daughter named Christie Laundrie. People who knew Brian describe him as a quiet loner who had a dark side. Just like Gabby, Brian liked to draw. His illustrations often had disturbing images evoking death. Brian also played guitar but didn’t have any aspirations to become a professional musician.

In fact, all the news reports and documentaries about this case do not describe Brian as having any particular career goals. That was in contrast to Gabby, whose dream job was to be a professional travel vlogger. (A vlogger is a video blogger.) She was working on making that dream a reality with this fateful 2021 road trip.

Gabby and Brian both grew up in middle-class families and graduated from Bayport-Blue Point High School in Bayport, New York, although Brian graduated a couple of years before Gabby did. He graduated in 2015, while she graduated in 2017. He didn’t want to go to college, and at one point was living in his car. Gabby was unsure if she wanted to go to college and was taking a few years off to decide while she had low-paying jobs at places such as a coffee shop and Taco Bell.

Brian and Gabby knew each other as casual friends and began dating in May 2019, when Gabby was 20 years old. By December 2019, Brian convinced Gabby to move with him to his Florida birth city of North Port, where his parents had moved back to after their time in New York state. Gabby lived with Brian and his parents at the Laundrie home in North Port. According to her mother Nichole, Gabby had no hesitation about moving to another state because Gabby was very much in love with Brian.

In July 2020, Gabby and Brian secretly got engaged (there was no engagement ring), which was an early indication of the secrets that they kept from their loved ones. Gabby’s parents found out about the engagement from other people. Gabby admitted it was true when she was confronted about it. She also told people that she and Brian didn’t set a wedding date because they were in no rush to get married.

Gabby’s parents say that Brian was always respectful to them and they saw no warning signs about him. However, two women who knew Gabby well are interviewed in the documentary and talk about Brian’s troubling side. They both say that he was manipulative and very skilled at hiding unpleasant aspects of his personality.

A woman with black hair, whose face and voice are shown but who is not identified by name, talks about how she knew Brian and Gabby pretty well when they were all in high school, but she got to know Brian first. After high school, she and a roommate invited Brian to live with them when they found out he was living out of his car, before he and Gabby started dating each other. She describes Brian as someone who had a crush on her and became fixated on her, but it didn’t escalate into anything dangerous because he began dating Gabby shortly he and this unidentified woman’s friendship fizzled out.

The unidentified woman describes an incident that took place shortly after she and Brian had built a desk together. In the desk, she found a note written by Brian where he said, “You’re either my best friend or the love of my life. I can’t tell the difference.” The woman says she only thought of Brian as being like a brother to her, so this note made her feel uncomfortable. Once he figured out that she didn’t want to be more than friends with him, she says that her relationship with Brian was never the same. They drifted apart, and he then began dating Gabby.

Rose Davis was a close friend of Gabby’s in Florida. Davis also worked with Gabby at a local Taco Bell. Davis describes Brian as being very clingy and possessive of Gabby, who often blamed herself if she and Brian had an argument. Davis recounts an incident when she and Gabby were supposed to meet up to go line dancing at a nightclub, but Gabby was about 90 minutes late. Gabby texted Davis to apologize and tell her that she was late because Gabby and Brian were arguing and he had deliberately hidden the driver’s license she needed to drive and gain admission to the nightclub.

Davis also says that Brian would constantly insult Gabby for working at Taco Bell and because Gabby liked to hang out with her Taco Bell co-workers. According to Davis, Brian thought it was “stupid” for Gabby to want to be a professional vlogger. No one really comes right out and says it in the documentary, but Brian wasn’t any great prize himself, even though he gave a lot criticism to Gabby about what she was doing with her life. The reality was that Brian was living with his parents and seemed to be frequently unemployed.

There was also tension in the Laundrie home in Florida when Gabby lived there. At first, Gabby’s mother Nichole says that Brian’s mother Roberta treated Gabby like her own daughter. But eventually, Roberta seemed to be jealous of Gabby because of all the attention that Gabby was getting from Brian, according to Nichole. Gabby’s mother says that Gabby once described how at a Laundrie family dinner, Roberta had a meltdown because no one was talking about Roberta and her homemade pie, because Roberta wanted to be the center of attention.

Previously unreleased text messages between Brian and Gabby show that Roberta would get angry about something and Gabby would worry about smoothing over any tensions with Roberta. Brian would then say that his mother would frequently be like that. In one of the text messages, he told Gabby that whatever Roberta was angry about, Roberta would get over it. It seems like Brian had been dealing with Roberta’s mercurial personality for a very long time, probably his whole life.

The 2012 white Ford Transit van that Gabby converted into a small camper home was a vehicle that she owned, not Brian. This is the vehicle that they used for the road trip. Brian did most of the driving. But as the documentary unfolds, and there are more indications of Brian being a control freak, you can’t help but speculate how resentful he probably felt that he was on this road trip for what he believed were Gabby’s “stupid” career goals and in a vehicle that he didn’t even own.

You’d never know that Gabby and Brian were having any serious problems if you only looked at the photos and videos that Gabby posted on social media during this trip. These social media posts presented an idyllic and fun road trip taken by a couple very much in love and living peacefully with each other. This facade is one of many examples of how people lie about, distort, exaggerate or give misleading information about their lives on social media, so that they can feel important and because they want other people to envy them.

Most people watching this documentary already know that the illusion of Gabby and Brian having a romantic excursion was shattered when a 911 call was made in Moab, Utah, on August 12, 2021. The caller described witnessing a man hit and slap a woman on a street before the couple drove off in a white Ford Transit van. Brian and Gabby were that couple.

When five Moab police officers (four men and one woman) caught up to Gabby and Brian shortly after this incident, they talked to Gabby and Brian for about an hour and 15 minutes. The documentary’s first scene is a clip from the police body cam footage. Gabby is seen crying and admitting that there was a physical fight, but she says she hit Brian first. She says the argument started because she was in a bad mood because Brian got the interior of the van dirty.

Brian is seen grinning and laughing a little nervously while he’s questioned separately. Brian calls Gabby “crazy” and someone who is obsessive compulsive about neatness. In their separate interviews, Brian and Gabby both say that she has anxiety. Brian keeps describing Gabby as the aggressor in the fight.

Gabby also has a visible bruise over her left eye. This bruise isn’t noticeable in the body cam fotage, but it’s very clear in a separate photo from Gabby’s phone. This photo is included in the documentary. She also clearly describes Brian grabbing her face during their fight. When a police officer asks her about the bruise, Gabby downplays it and repeats she was the one who hit Brian first.

Brian, who had mild scratches on his arm, says that if he did get physical with Gabby, it was in self-defense or to calm her down. In the end, the cops give more weight to Brian’s version of events and decide that he and Gabby should spend the night apart. The police arrange for him to stay at a hotel and escort him there, with the hotel paid for by public domestic violence funds, while Gabby is expected to spend the night wherever she parks the van and has to fend for herself.

When the body cam footage was released to the media, domestic violence victim advocates and many other people were outraged by the police officers overlooking all the indications that Gabby, not Brian, was the real victim. For starters, she had a much more serious injury than Brian. Second, domestic violence victims often blame themselves and try to protect their abuser. Third, if police are called to the crime scene, the abuse victim often lies about the incident if the abuser is nearby because the victim doesn’t want worse retaliation from the abuser after the police leave.

One of the most unsettling things about the body cam footage is that one of the cops expresses uncertainty about how to handle this incident because he says if the police don’t take these incidents seriously enough, domestic abuse victims often end up dead. Sadly, that’s exactly what happened to Gabby, who was murdered less than three weeks after this domestic violence incident. She was last seen in public on August 27, 2021, and it’s believed that Brian murdered her before the end of that month.

One of the most compelling interviews in “American Murder: Gabby Petito” is with the boyfriend that Gabby had before she began dating Brian. In the documentary, this ex-boyfriend is identified only by his first name: Jackson, who says that Gabby was his first love, but they broke up because their relationship happened at a time that “wasn’t the right time for us.”

Jackson remembers that when he and Gabby were a couple, they talked about taking the type of road trip that she was on with Brian. Jackson says that when he found out that Gabby and Brian were taking this road trip, he was very surprised at first but was ultimately very happy for her because he knew this road trip was a big dream of hers. Jackson and Gabby had drifted apart after their breakup and hadn’t been in touch with each other for a long time.

But that changed when, days before Gabby went missing, she contacted Jackson out of the blue. They talked on the phone and caught up with each other’s lives. Jackson says that Gabby admitted to him that she and Brian were having problems, but she didn’t give too many details. The last conversation that Gabby had with Jackson, she told Jackson she had a plan to leave Brian and she was going to break up with Brian in the near future.

On August 27, 2021, Jackson says he received a text from Gabby but he didn’t reply because he was busy. Jackson comments in the documentary that he believe this text was “a cry for help,” and he says he expresses remorse that he didn’t do more to help her. However, based on what many other people say in the documentary, Gabby hid a lot of her problems from her parents and other loved ones. It’s unknown how much Gabby would have told Jackson about her plan to leave Brian.

As many domestic violence experts can tell you, a victim of domestic abuse is most likely to be killed by the abuser when the abuser finds out that the victim is leaving the abuser for good. Although it will probably never be known for certain what caused Brian to kill Gabby, if what Jackson is saying is true, it’s very possible that Gabby could have been killed if she tried to end her relationship with Brian. She never disclosed explicit details of this plan to anyone, such as where she wanted live after she broke up with him.

The documentary chronicles other well-known facts of the case, such as:

Brian returned to his parents’ home without Gabby on September 1, 2021. He was driving her van and told his parents that he and Gabby had an argument, and he left her at a hotel. (In his suicide note, Brian confessed that was a lie.) Brian and his parents refused to cooperate with law enforcement and hired an attorney after a missing-person report was filed for Gabby on September 11, 2021.
Gabby’s missing-person case exploded on social media and was big news in mainstream media around the world. And then, Brian went missing. His parents reported him missing on September 17, 2021.
Gabby’s remains were found at Spread Creek Dispersed Camping area in Teton County, Wyoming, on September 19, 2021, but law enforcement authorities believe she was murdered sometime between August 27 and August 30, 2021. Her death was ruled a homicide by blunt-force injuries to the head and neck, with manual strangulation.
On September 21, 2021, an arrest warrant was issued for Brian, who had been staying at his parents’ house before he disappeared. Hs parents helped authorities in the search in early October 2021. Most of the search was in Sarasota County, Florida, at Mabry Carlton Reserve and at the nearby Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park.
Brian was never apprehended. His skeletal remains were found at Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on October 20, 2021. The official cause of death was suicide by a gunshot to the head.
Before Brian’s body was found, his parents discovered Brian’s journal and other belongings in a waterproof bag when they helped authorities search for him in Sarasota County in early October 2021. The contents of the journal were not made public until January 2022, when the FBI officially confirmed that he confessed in the journal that he had killed Gabby. In his confession, Brian claimed that Gabby had injured herself in an accident, and he wanted to put her out of her misery.

There’s been a lot of speculation about what Brian’s parents knew about Gabby’s death before her body was found and if Brian’s parents helped him cover up her murder. At the time this documentary was made, Brian’s parents have declined all requests for interviews. However, the documentary includes a mention of the widely reported hand-written note that Brian’s mother Roberta wrote after Gabby disappeared. The note, which was found in the FBI’s search of the Laundrie house, said in part: “If you need to dispose of a body, I will show up with a shovel and body bags.” She also said in the note: “Burn after reading.”

The documentary’s epilogue mentions that Gabby’s parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Brian’s parents in 2022, and the case was settled in 2024. The documentary does not mention that Gabby’s parents filed a separate wrongful death lawsuit against the Moab Police Department in 2022, but that case was dismissed in 2024. As of this writing, Gabby’s parents are appealing this lawsuit dismissal and do not discuss their lawsuits in their documentary interviews.

Other people interviewed in “American Murder: Gabby Petito” include FBI special agent (Tampa division) Loretta Bush; Teton County sheriff Matt Carr; North Port Police Department public information officer Josh Taylor, an FBI special agent (Denver division) identified only as Kyle; Norma Jean Jalovec, a Wyoming resident who gave Brian a ride to a campsite, not knowing that he was going to be known as a murder suspect; married couple Jenn Bethune and Kyle Bethune, the van life vloggers who had video footage of Gabby’s van during the time she was reported missing; and T.J. Schmidt, Gabby’s younger brother.

“American Murder: Gabby Petito” gives a brief mention of how Gabby’s murder case was disproportionately covered by the media, compared to the numerous missing people of color whose cases never get reported by the media. Gabby’s father Joe said that he used to be offended by the notion that Gabby’s case got special treatment because she was white until he saw the proven facts about the media giving preference to white females for missing person coverage, and he accepted that it was true. Joe says he and Gabby’s other parents have made it their mission with the Gabby Petito Foundation to get fair and accurate media coverage for missing people of any race.

Gabby’s parents and stepparents also did interviews for the 2021 Peacock documentary “The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies and Social Media,” which did not have interviews with any law enforcement officials involved in the case and focused more on the media coverage by interviewing several journalists and social media influencers. By contrast, “American Murder: Gabby Petito” doesn’t have any interviews with journalists. “American Murder: Gabby Petito” also has the benefit of more information that has become available since this tragedy took place in 2021.

“American Murder: Gabby Petito” has excerpts from Gabby’s personal journals, letters, text messages and social media posts that are read by an artificial-intelligence-generated voice made to sound like Gabby. This A.I. content, which is disclosed in the documentary, was approved by Gabby’s parents, and it’s only a very small part of this documentary, which tells Gabby’s story in a respectful manner. If anything can be learned from this documentary, it’s how people can better help each other out of abusive situations, and living your best life authentically is much more important than what’s shown on social media.

Netflix premiered “American Murder: Gabby Petito” on February 17, 2025.