The Killer Nanny: Did She Do It? True Crime Documentary Review, The Louise Woodward Case

What The Killer Nanny: Did She Do It? Is all about without spoiling the show

The Killer Nanny: Did She Do It? is the story of and English woman who comes to the United States, lives in Boston, and ends up on trial for the murder of an infant. Did she do it? 

The documentary is a three-part series that almost exclusively covers the trial of Louise Woodward, the Brit on trial. She’s no Fran Drescher. We’d already know with a voice like that she’d be guilty.

Did you know anything about the story of The Killer Nanny before watching?

I didn’t know a thing about this case before watching. I did experience a little deja vu during one sequence when she imitated how she believed she had shaken the infant, Matthew Eappen. It may have been a clip at the beginning of another show like The 1990s: The Deadliest Decade or possibly somewhere else. The actual story, however, was brand new so I didn’t know what to expect going into it. The big question of whether or not she was guilty remained a mystery.

Will The Killer Nanny make people feel uncomfortable?

There aren’t any graphic images. However, the topic of killing an infant under any circumstances does create some horrific imagery in the viewers’ head, particularly if you believe it wasn’t completely an accident. The more grimly imaginative you are, the more you might squirm throughout.

What was good about The Killer Nanny?

The three parts were nicely spaced out. They were in smooth and even chapters. The length was perfect for the story. People with OCD will appreciate it.

There was no bias in the way the filmmakers put this together. We saw all sides. Every argument was made and shared. The documentary didn’t have an agenda other than to question the verdict, the outcome, and how we all feel about it.

Finally, it’s worth noting that the documentary had a few little twists along the way. A good true crime documentary always needs at least one twist mixed in there. This one had a few including a major one involving the court case as well as whether or not Woodward was truly responsible for the death.

What would have made The Killer Nanny better?

It would have been better to get a little more information about the defendant and maybe even the family whose child she was accused of killing. We do learn a little bit about both sides but there isn’t much. One can guess the intent was to keep things more down the middle. Or, maybe, this could have been because it involved a family with a clean history and nothing to hide plus a defendant that had no criminal history. The news doesn’t report on sunshine.

The only negative fact anyone had to say about the nanny on trial was she might not have been the most responsible. She seemed to care more about partying in the 1990s Boston nightlife than growing up.

The Killer Nanny might have been a more interesting documentary if we had more behind-the-scenes looks. Those do, however, tend to favor one side over the other (Making a Murderer) or they lead to the defendent looking like a bad person (The Staircase).

Is The Killer Nanny worth watching?

Yes! It’s not a favorite of mine. It’s not one I would ever watch again. It’s not even one I’ll think about much after with the exception of one moment where the Killer Nanny’s poker face might have slipped on the stand.

The Killer Nanny: Did She Do It? Delivered in every way except it didn’t really answer the question in the title. Perhaps that’s because no one, other than the nanny, knows for sure.

Overall Score: 7 out of 10

True crime documentary fans will enjoy The Killer Nanny: Did She Do It? Casual watchers of documentaries might not find it to be anything exceptional. It’s not yet very worth the time.

Interested in watching The Killer Nanny: Did She Do It? or learning more about the case? Below you will find affiliate links to the series as well as other information about this case. By using this links, I may receive a small commission of any purchase you may make.

Watch The Killer Nanny: Did She Do It? on Amazon

Watch The Trial of Louise Woodward on Amazon

The Search for Justice in a Media Age: Reading Stephen Lawrence and Louise Woodward by Siobhan Holohan

If you have a series or film you want to know my opinion on, please leave a comment below. I may have already written about it. I can save you some time from watching a dud.