No One Saw a Thing
Updated: Nov 23, 2022
(available on Sundance, through Amazon Prime)
Warning: Themes of domestic abuse, mutilation
FTC Rating
Episodes 1-3: 4 out of 5; Episodes 4-6: 2.5 out of 5
Imagine a man so hated that he was shot in broad daylight and yet an entire town conspired to hide the identities of the vigilante assassins. This six-part docuseries reveals the riveting story of local bully Ken Rex McElroy and the citizens of Skidmore, Missouri who took “justice” into their own hands.
Strengths:
-Multiple archrival and contemporary interviews with townsfolk
-Interviews with various members of the McElroy family
-Insight into a small town’s justice system
-Fascinating discussion about the “color of law”
-Excellent pacing and detail in Episodes 1-3
-Does not avoid the ugly history of Skidmore
Weaknesses:
-Overuse of the McElroy murder re-enactment as a transition grows tiresome
-Episodes 4-6 are interesting but the association to the main case is tenuous at best. It is more so the story of an economically depressed town, struggling with the drug epidemic, in capitalist America.
Final Thought: Britt Smalls is such a tremendous personality; a documentary of his life can stand alone.
Bonus recommendation from the Minds of Madness Podcast (available on Apple and Spotify) Episode 17 – The Town That Got Away With Murder – General full review of this podcast, TBC
