The Keepers

Let me start by saying that I am a sucker for a murder mystery.  Last year when Netflix released Making a Murderer I inhaled it.  I couldn’t watch it fast enough.  So with the Keepers, I was putting it off until I had finished the eighteen other things I was trying to watch. This past weekend instead of doing that, I finally dug in to the Keepers.

The premise of the documentary is the story of the unsolved murder of Sister Catherine Cesnik who was murdered in the late 60’s.  Her body was found nearly two months after she disappeared and the case has yet to be solved.   The first couple of episodes consist entirely of world building.  It’s a slow burn.  By the end of the second episode it’s like a bomb went off.  Think S-Town level bombshell.  Suddenly you’re flung into what is nearly an entirely new story that is horrifying to listen to.  As they say in the show, the story isn’t the murder itself; it’s everything that came to light after the murder that’s the story.

Every episode is painful to watch and yet you can’t look away.  The detailed accounts of women who suffered through  a horrific time will chill you to the core.  It’s hard to write this without giving too much away, but suffice to say that this is one of the more compelling documentary series I’ve ever seen.  Making a Murderer left me not long after I watched it.  I don’t think the Keepers is going to allow me to let go for a while.

I cannot imagine living through the things that these people have had to live through.  The show leaves you with as many questions as you have answers, which is a little frustrating.  Unfortunately, that’s kind of what you get with a documentary of this kind.  If this genre is your thing, then I think you’ll enjoy this show.  The first couple of episodes are a slow burn, but once it ramps up, I found it riveting. 

Let me know what you think in the comments!

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