True Crime Documentary I Shot My Parents Review, Nathon Brooks Attempts Parricide

I Shot My Parents is a true crime documentary that last just under an hour. In my experience, this is usually a bad sign. The subject matter is immediately given away in the title. It’s about a 14-year-old named Nathon Brooks who shoots his parents.

The documentary covers the case and tries to answer the only question there is, why?

I’ll attempt to answer something else. I’m beig on managing time well. Is I Shot My Parents worth your time?

What was good about I Shot My Parents

We learn early on that Nathon’s attempt at parricide is a failed one. His parents survived the shooting and attempted murder that he openly admits to later on. It’s a very open and shut case. It’s only when the documentary aims at trying to find a reason as to why it happened that things get a little more interesting.

The subject matter reminded me a lot of I Just Killed My Dad except this documentary is far shorter and has much less intrigue. I Shot My Parents was fine for what it was. There was a ton lacking.

What could have made I Shot My Parents better

The end result of the question of why this happened seems haphazardly put together. There was little build up to the conclusion. There was no major revelation along the way or much of a mystery. This was a frustrating documentary to watch because of the potential it could’ve had.

I Shot My Parents doesn’t feature nearly enough interviews with people. It’s not a pre-crime or investigative kind of film nor is it one about a trial. It’s quick but left me feeling as if there was very little substance. This was the same complaint I had about The State of Alabama vs. Brittany Smith. Documentaries with a runtime of less than an hour are probably better off as a one-off episode on a show and not their own film. There just wasn’t enough here.

Is I Shot My Parents worth watching?

You may have already figured it out. I won’t recommend this one. It wasn’t bad. It just offered nothing new or strange or even all that captivating. I Shot My Parents would have benefited far greater if it went more into other cases of children shooting their parents and why it happens. This would have been a meaningful attempt to find answers. Instead, we get a very short and limited film.

Overall Score: 5 out of 10

With a score like this, I can usually swing my opinion of whether or not to recommend it in either redirection. I Shot My Parents won’t make you angry after you watch it because you’ve felt time was wasted. If you’re like me, you’ll feel a little cheated that more wasn’t offered.