A Gray State (2017)
In 2010 David Crowley, an Iraq veteran, aspiring filmmaker and charismatic up-and-coming voice in fringe politics, began production on his film Gray State. Set in a dystopian near-future where civil liberties are trampled by an unrestrained federal government, the film’s crowd funded trailer was enthusiastically received by the burgeoning online community of libertarians, Tea Party activists and members of the nascent alt-right. In January of 2015, Crowley was found dead with his family in their suburban Minnesota home. Their shocking deaths quickly become a cause célèbre for conspiracy theorists who speculate that Crowley was assassinated by a shadowy government concerned about a film and filmmaker that was getting too close to the truth about their aims.
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the audience applauded
Best movie ever!
A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.
There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.
Ultimately I enjoyed this movie but as others have noted, the film maker does not spend much time on any other possible conclusion than the narrative you are left with. Two small bits with the keyboard jockey conspiracy guys is the only real glimpse into an alternate story as to what happened with this young family. I happen to agree with the probable answer that mental illness drove David to do the unthinkable but i would have preferred a bit more time having been spent on other possibilities. I am sure I will now go down the internet rabbit hole to find any "evidence" of a conspiracy as the film really did not explore that angle at all. My specualtion would be that the film maker was convinced, after investigating the story so deeply, that what he presents is the truth. I was just disappointed that Netflix eludes to the story being more of a conspiracy in the description.
Erik Nelson manipulated the information and is obviously bias, not presenting all facts and events in a neutral manner. If you end up watching this, make sure you also research the case yourself to get the full picture.
The story does not provide any insight on any the alleged conspiracy theory, neither does it delve into the psyche of the protagonists. To me the story is nothing more than the sad unfolding of a young person's mental illness with a tragic ending. We know nothing about the protagonist's childhood, family upbringing or intimate relationships. All the movie does is interview friends and family who speculate on and on his apparently disintegrating marriage. Did he suffer from PTSD? Paranoid schizophrenia with delusions of grandeur mania? Very few concrete facts, a lot of speculation...
I never heard of this film or of the filmaker in the documentary. I saw the title on Netflix and watched it one day after work. The documentary itself was good. The subject matter was interesting. It was no murder mystery. The mystery is why did it happen. The mystery is what heppened to this man and why did the wife go into the rabbit hole with him. I never understand murder suicides and to kill your child, and wife then yourself is unrelateable to me. Especially writing in your wifes blood. Like I said it was a good dicumentary.