Film Review: "Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case" (2022).

From Netflix comes Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case. This Danish documentary film directed by Emma Sullivan. Sullivan was looking to profile eccentric inventor Peter Madsen and his homemade rocket for a documentary. Instead, she captures incriminating footage that helped convict him of the murder of journalist Kim Wall.

On August 10, 2017, The Murder of Kim Wall, known in Denmark as Ubådssagen (The Submarine Case), took place after Swedish freelance journalist Kim Wall boarded the midget submarine UC3 Nautilus, in Køge Bugt, Denmark, with the intent of interviewing its owner, Danish entrepreneur Peter Madsen. Wall was reported missing after Nautilus failed to return to the harbour at Refshaleøen, Copenhagen. The submarine was found sunken the following morning and Madsen was arrested upon being rescued from the water. Between 21 August and 29 November, parts of Wall's dismembered body were found in different locations around the area. Charged with her murder, Madsen was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on 25 April 2018 by Copenhagen City Court following a widely publicised trial.

In 2016, Sullivan, an Australian filmmaker began documenting amateur inventor. However, one year in, Madsen brutally murdered Wall aboard his homemade submarine. The film is based on footage from Madsen's lab in the period leading up to the murder, as well as subsequent interviews with members of Madsen's team. It was initially announced that the film was set for a May 2020 release date on Netflix. However, following it's theatrical premiere at Sundance Film Festival, two subjects and the film's cinematographer, Cam Matheson protested the film in the press, accusing Sullivan and producers Mette Heide and Roslyn Walker of neglecting consent and traumatizing subjects. Netflix removed all reference to the film from its services on March 16th. Matheson, publicly distanced himself from the it, posting this statement on his website: "I in no way endorse the public exhibition of 'Into the Deep' in its current form, premiering today at Sundance Film Festival. With the exception of Peter Madsen, the subjects of this documentary have my full support and sympathy". Thus the film was postponed indefinitely and Netflix, Plus Pictures and Sullivan ultimately agreed to re-edit the film to remove those participants who did not wish to appear. It was finally released globally on September 30, 2022. The film has spiked controversy in it's homeland, due to the fast changing landscape filmmakers and producers had to face, admits the murder trial - raising both critique as well as praise for the director Emma Sullivan.

While Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case exploits the pain and betrayal of the subjects who were closely associated with Madsen, it otherwise presents its the facts and events in a fairly routine, bland, and unimaginative manner. The growing sense of weariness around true crime docs may affect the viewership of the film, but that doesn't mean it isn't a worthy piece of journalism. Sullivan displays great intelligence in the way she chooses images with definitive care, even though, unfortunately, she was unsuccessful in portraying the victims without revictimizing them.

Simon says Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case receives: