True crime series is 'misguided' yet 'eye-opening' say fans - streaming on Disney

A new true crime limited series has dropped on Disney+, this time retelling the story of Amanda Knox. The series has received mixed responses from viewers and critics alike.

The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is an American true crime biographical drama miniseries created by K.J. Steinberg. It is based on the true story of Amanda Knox and her wrongful conviction in the murder of Meredith Kercher. It stars Grace Van Patten as Knox, as well as Sharon Horgan, Francesco Acquaroli, Giuseppe De Domenico, John Hoogenakker, and Roberta Mattei. The eight-episode series's last episode will drop on October 1. Alongside Knox, Monica Lewinsky served as a producer on the series.

The series synopsis reads: "An American college student named Amanda goes to Italy for a study abroad program, but is wrongfully imprisoned for murder; following her relentless fight for freedom, and examines why she was judged so harshly by the authorities and the public."

As with the case itself, the series has divided opinions, though it has received mainly positive criticism with a 71% approval rating from the critics of Rotten Tomatoes.

One critic said: "The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is one of the better true crime dramatic retellings out right now. At the same time, it falls a little short in predictable ways, especially towards the end of the series."

A second added: "The series is well-acted, well-written, impressively mounted, tonally contradictory, chronologically disjointed, overlong, stressful, exhausting, interesting both for its subject and stagecraft, and briefly inspirational."

The BBC said: "The dramatisation is misguided. This sad story has two victims, but by centring Knox's experiences, it sidelines and marginalises Kercher's death, upsetting the delicate balance of a case where one victim never lived to tell her own story. The final two self-indulgent episodes highlight this."

Lucy Mangan of the Guardian said: "The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox has its flaws... Fortunately, the main parts are held together by an unreservedly brilliant performance by Grace Van Patten as Knox, in English and Italian."

An audience member described the series as "eye-opening", while another called it "compelling".

The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is now streaming on Disney+.