A Review of What Jennifer Did

Contains spoilers!

Heads up, this review spills the tea on “What Jennifer Did.”

“What Jennifer Did” on Netflix isn’t your typical whodunnit. It starts with a seemingly ordinary young woman, Jennifer Pan, calling 911 in Canada in November 2010. She claims her immigrant parents were shot by strangers who tied her up during a home invasion. Tragedy strikes as her mother dies, and her father falls into an induced coma due to severe injuries.

At first, Jennifer appears unassuming, a picture of quiet reservation. It’s hard to imagine her involved in anything dark. But as the investigation unfolds, the documentary throws us a curveball. Jennifer, with the help of her ex-boyfriend, a shady character named Daniel Wong, orchestrated the entire attack.

Why? A simmering pot of resentment towards her parents. They disapproved of Daniel, a known drug dealer, wanting to protect her from a dangerous path. Jennifer, however, saw their concern as controlling, failing to understand their love.

Things get even more tangled when we discover a four-year web of lies. Jennifer fabricated a whole college life, telling her parents she was studying pharmacy while never enrolling. On top of that, it comes to light that her parents had a hefty life insurance policy amounting to half a million dollars.

The interrogation scene is where things crack. Jennifer fidgets under questioning, but when asked to show how she called 911 while tied up, her facade falters. The inconsistencies in her story and a nervous demeanor raise suspicion for the detectives. Finally, when her father awakens from the coma and reveals Jennifer wasn’t tied up during the call, the truth shatters.

“What Jennifer Did” isn’t a flashy documentary. It dives deep into the complexities of a family dynamic gone awry, exploring the devastating consequences of resentment festering beneath the surface. It’s a chilling reminder that appearances can be deceiving, leaving you pondering the darkness that can sometimes lurk within.