American Murder: Gabby Petito is the new true-crime documentary series to come from Netflix, and while it's a difficult watch, it represents the genre at its most impactful.
Chances are it's a story that you're probably already aware of, even if you don't know all the details. Whether a video has made its way onto your 'For You' page on TikTok, you've seen another documentary on the subject (like this one from ITV) or you followed the media headlines at the time that it was all unfolding, Gabby Petito's name probably isn't completely new to you.
In August 2021, at the age of just 22, Gabby was killed while travelling across the United States with her fiancé Brian Laundrie. It had long been a dream of hers to go on the road, and she was trying to make it as a "van life" influencer, filming content of her travels to launch a new YouTube channel.
When her family grew worried by a lack of contact, they reported Gabby as missing. It then transpired that her partner Brian had gone back to his parents' house alone, in the van that he'd been travelling in with Gabby, and was refusing to talk about her whereabouts. And so, suspicions started to grow.
After a search, which included immense amounts of media coverage and trending social media attention, Gabby Petito's remains were found in a national park in Wyoming on September 19 that year. A coroner ruled the cause of death as strangulation and that the manner of death was homicide (via CNN). It was believed that her body had been left there for weeks.
Brian Laundrie was named as a person of interest, but he also became a missing person himself when he didn't come home from a hike. The Laundrie family's attorney said they believed that Brian left home on September 13 (via a timeline of events published by CNN).
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In October 2021, the remains of Brian Laundrie were then found. His death was ruled a suicide. Personal items were also discovered at the scene – including a notebook, where Brian claimed responsibility for Gabby's death (via CNN).
Violence against women is an all-too explored subject, and makes up most of the crime media we consume. In fact, this is a common criticism of the genre with many arguing that it can be exploitative. But American Murder: Gabby Petito is so much more than that.
In this careful re-telling of Gabby's story, she is put front and centre of almost every frame. Through this narrative choice, we're learning about her from her own perspective.
The depth of the storytelling is made richer by the heavy involvement from her friends and family. The three-part series includes raw and emotional interviews with them, and as the events unfold across the documentary's episodes a personal picture is painted through anecdotes and the sharing of memories, interspersed with vlog footage filmed by Gabby herself.
Despite the distressing facts and unanswered questions that still remain, the Netflix series doesn't veer into sensationalism or exploit its subject matter for the sake of a narrative twist or a cliffhanger moment – pitfalls that have befallen other true-crime storytelling, and not always in a way that ends up being justified.
Instead, everything that is shown – whether police bodycam footage, seen in full for the first time, or personal text messages – plays a part in piecing together the story and providing a deeper context.
American Murder: Gabby Petito is a devastating portrait of a young woman who was in need of help, and the tragic consequences of what can happen if that need isn't understood, reciprocated or given in time. In November 2024, UN Women published a report that stated that one woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes by their intimate partner or family member.
Gabby's parents spoke passionately at the end of this new Netflix documentary about wanting Gabby's story to help others, and this documentary is a building block for that legacy. They also used the platform to talk about the Gabby Petito Foundation – with its own mission "to turn our tragedy into purpose", providing resources to support other missing persons and to assist survivors.
The parting message of the documentary also brought into sharp focus the statistics about the number of missing person cases that still remain without answers in the United States. Care is also taken to address the disappointing underrepresentation of media coverage for those that aren't white women – with many of these other women's stories never even making news headlines.
Netflix's true-crime output might feel a bit too much at times, but American Murder: Gabby Petito is worth your attention.
American Murder: Gabby Petito is now streaming on Netflix.
TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK's biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world's oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).
