For those of us who remember this 2019 incident and wish to know, Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill is the perfect answer to your questions. The plot revolves around Olympic-level trainer Michael Barisone and his student Lauren Kanarek. What initially started as a normal instructor-student relationship soon turned into paranoia, hostility, and, lastly, violence. The makers show us what all led to the incident tactfully. Things started with routine training, but soon enough, there were conflicts about training, control, and finances, with both sides ultimately blaming each other for harassment. Matters deteriorate and take a serious turn when Michael Barisone shoots Lauren Kanarek, along with her partner, Robert Goodwin, who is residing on the property of Michael Barisone. Though both managed to survive the shot, this sent shockwaves across the country. Michael Barisone’s attorney mentioned that he was not in the right state of mind when the shooting took place. He also added that Barisone was harassed by his student, whom he ended up shooting in anger, meaning that the shooting was a culmination of his anger.
The makers have relied heavily on archived footage, interviews, home videos, and social media footage. That evidence gives us viewers a clear picture of what led to the fateful day. A documentary should always be supported by good evidence so that the audience can also understand what is going on. In this aspect, Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill does a fantastic job.
But there is a double-edged sword hanging over us, too. The makers don’t give a clear, definitive answer as to who the real culprit is in this. That is one area that can create a lot of ambiguity for the viewers. Right from the start, you won't easily know who shot because the makers show us the perspective of both parties. That keeps you guessing throughout the run time. If you have followed this news back in 2019 or even faintly remember reading or listening about it, you surely know who the person behind all this is. But as a first-time viewer, watching Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill can prove to be slightly confusing, as you will be looking for answers throughout. Some people might find this approach interesting, but many can find this annoying.
Other than that, one of the drawbacks that I found in Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill was that the makers didn’t dig deeper into the happenings and themes they wanted to present. So many themes, such as elitism, financial pressures involved in sports, etc., are shown but rarely explored in depth. This creates a sense of an incomplete feeling while watching because one might want to watch more and understand the dynamics, but hardly gets it easily. Also, one of the pieces of information shown feels utterly useless to watch, and you end up questioning why it was involved in the entire documentary. The pacing is fine, which is one really good thing about Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill. I just wish the presentation and the overall execution of the entire documentary had been better.
Final Score- [6/10]
Reviewed by - Neerja Ch
Follow @NeerjaCH on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times