It’s just come out. Netflix, the famous VOD platform, has just released a brand new documentary of its own: a series devoted to the unsolved murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. An opportunity for the company to revisit the famous murder that took place in West Cork in 1996. The victim, Sophie Toscan du Plantier, was a well-known Frenchwoman and film producer in her homeland. His cruel and violent murder shocked France and Ireland. Still unsolved, the case is one of the most striking cold cases of recent decades.
This isn’t the first time Netflix has tried its hand at the cold case. The latter has already released a number of documentaries devoted to unsolved murders (such as the Affaire du petit Grégory in France), in some cases even succeeding in re-launching the investigation.
So it seemed obvious that they should tackle another unresolved case: that of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. As a reminder, this French woman, who had decided to live in West Cork, was found brutally murdered in her home on Christmas Eve 1996. Her murder caused a stir in France, as the young woman worked in film production.
From then on, Netflix set out to retrace the facts, multiplying testimonies, gathering evidence, and relying on police and court files.
Step by step, we learn who Sophie Toscan du Plantier was: a socialite, French film producer and lover of nature and Ireland. With a very independent temperament, she nonetheless loves solitude and simplicity.
So she sometimes likes to retreat to her Irish sheepfold in West Cork, facing the sea. Unfortunately, on the evening before Christmas Eve 1996, someone knocked on her door… and beat her to death.
The floor is then given to Ian Bailey: the main suspect in the case, who was convicted in France but not extradited by Ireland for Sophie’s murder.
Tension rises a notch. The documentary takes on a hallucinatory quality. Ian Bailey seems to relish this over-mediatization and testifies with aplomb in front of the cameras. The latter knows that French justice can do nothing against him: he seems to be protected by the Irish legal system.
The fascinating documentary then reveals the various leads in the case. Reveals the unpreparedness of the Irish police in the face of this crime (the murder scene was ransacked, destroying hypothetical evidence that could have speeded up the solving of the case), denounces the meanders of a complex and apathetic judicial system…
In short: the Netflix documentary is made up of 3 episodes ranging from 50 minutes to 1:00. It doesn’t take long to get caught up in the story. Addictive and captivating, the series quickly takes on the trappings of a noir novel, where the main suspect testifies in complete unabashedness, while the police, the justice system and those close to him seem helpless in the face of such a perverse affair.
A must-see!
