A killer confessed his crime in a landmark documentary. But does it really need a sequel?-Ruth Lawes-Entertainment – Metro

Robert Durst is believed to have been involved in the killing of three people (Picture: HBO)

When Robert Durst was caught muttering ‘killed them all of course’ off camera while filming The Jinx, the world gasped.

The documentary, from filmmaker Andrew Jarecki, seemed to achieve the impossible: a confession from a killer who had evaded justice for the murder of three people.

The scene wasn’t just one of the most jaw-dropping moments of all time on TV, it was the ‘smoking gun’ that police had been hunting for after decades of investigating.

Given The Jinx had cracked open a case and singlehandedly spearheaded the true crime documentary obsession, I’ll be honest: I had not been expecting the follow-up series, The Jinx Part Two.

Surely it can’t top its predecessor? Is it not setting itself up to fail?

To my relief, it turned out that most of my fears were unfounded after watching the series ahead of release.

Durst was found guilty of killing her best friend Berman (Picture: Sareb Kaufman/Courtesy of HBO)

However, I can’t comment on whether The Jinx Part Two will deliver a similar ‘gotcha’ ending as journalists were only given four out of the six episodes in advance.

But what I did see impressed me.

The series picks up from Durst’s arrest for the murder of his friend Susan Berman in 2000. He is also suspected of killing his wife Kathie McCormack and admitted to dismembering his neighbour Morris Black.

There is no Durst in Part Two: he declined to participate and later died in 2022 aged 78 from natural causes linked to various health issues.

He was also charged with the killing of his wife McCormack (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

However, chilling recordings of his phone conversations in jail are peppered throughout the series. His presence still weighs heavily.

In one, he is heard lamenting his decision to participate in The Jinx: ‘The dumbest thing was doing Jarekci. Oh my god, The Jinx.’

In others, he showers compliments on his friends; even asking them to stand so he can comment on how ‘great’ they look.

It is a disturbing insight into how Durst used his powers of manipulation to secure their favourable testimony.

Jarecki is the filmmaker behind The Jinx and The Jinx Part Two(Picture: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

Aside from audio and video recordings of Durst, Jarecki has populated The Jinx Part Two with a cast full of colourful characters, who provide incisive commentary on the investigation, court case, and Durst’s state of mind.

Immediately, we are introduced to LA Deputy District Attorney and despite his jovial demeanour, he gives the impression he will not rest until he assures a conviction for Durst.

‘The reason I like cold cases are because they think they beat it. I like being able to swoop in and say, “Yeah you didn’t beat it,”‘ he tells Jarecki.

Later on, some of Durst’s nearest and dearest crop up including friend Nick Chavin, who was also Berman’s best friend, his defence attorney Dick DeGuerin and the jurors.

Durst appeared in court using a wheelchair and looking frail (Picture: Myung J Chun/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

They bring the documentary to life and I would have liked to have seen more of them on screen.

Instead, Jarecki relies on the old documentary trick: drama reconstruction. It can be done well, but in Part Two some scenes are simply redundant.

Do we really need to see an officer open a box of case files to signal the start of the renewed police investigation, for example?

Despite a few odd drama reconstruction moments, The Jinx Part Two is still well worth a watch.

Yes, a quick Google will reveal the outcome of Durst’s fate but there are still some shocking details in Part Two that are difficult to seek out in the information overload about the case on the internet.

It remains to be seen what the final episode holds, but I have high hopes we will all be gasping

The Jinx Part Two launches on Sky Documentaries and Now from Monday, April 22 with new episodes airing weekly through to May 27.

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