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Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning

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Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning
Directed byJason Hehir
Music by
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes3
Production
Executive producers
  • Joie Jacoby
  • Linda Pizzuti Henry
  • Dan Krockmalnic
  • Nancy Abraham
  • Lisa Heller
  • Sara Rodriguez
Producers
  • Jason Hehir
  • Jake Rogal
  • Nicholas Eisenberg
  • Jillian Moossmann
Cinematography
  • Thomas McCallum
  • Alastair Christopher
  • Enver Perez
  • Michael Rotiroti
  • Thomas Stukas
  • Jovan Tanasijevic
Editors
  • Ross Hockrow
  • Nikolai Johnson
Running time50-54 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkHBO
ReleaseDecember 4 (2023-12-04) –
December 18, 2023 (2023-12-18)

Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage and Reckoning is a 2023 television documentary series directed and produced by Jason Hehir. It follows the murder of Carol Stuart, and the investigation that followed, igniting racial tensions and targeting.

It premiered on December 4, 2023, on HBO.

Premise

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The series explores the murder of Carol Stuart, and the investigation that followed, which ignited racial tensions and targeting, becoming a media firestorm.[1] Ron Bell, Dart Adams, David Ropeik, Adrian Walker, Louis Elisa, Howard Bryant, Michelle Caruso, Ted Landsmark, William Bratton, Brian McGrory, Neil Sullivan, Tito Jackson, Jeffrey Brown, Kevin Patterson, and Nancy Gertner appear in the series.[2]

Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byOriginal air date
1"Roots"Jason HehirDecember 4, 2023 (2023-12-04)
2"Rampage"Jason HehirDecember 11, 2023 (2023-12-11)
3"Reckoning"Jason HehirDecember 18, 2023 (2023-12-18)

Production

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As a teenager, Jason Hehir had heard about the murder of Carol Stuart daily, eventually wanting to make a documentary about it, exploring Boston's racial history through the lens of the case.[3][4] Carol's family declined to participate in the series, while the Bennett family was initially skeptical and reluctant to trust Hehir, eventually doing so.[5] Hehir spent time with the family, and let them know he would portray their story accurately and honestly.[6]

The Boston Globe co-produced the series, additionally producing a companion podcast based upon extensive reporting.[7]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 5 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.00/10.[8] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "generally favorable".[9]

Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Gives voice to the people who were unjustly victimized by law enforcement and examines the legacy of a painful, racist rush to judgment."[10] John Anderson of The Wall Street Journal wrote: "A captivating crime story, a socio-political treatise and even evidence that life can get better."[11]

References

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  1. ^ "HBO Original Three-Part Documentary Series "Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning" Debuts December 4". The Futon Critic. November 6, 2023. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
  2. ^ "HBO Original Three-Part Documentary Series MURDER IN BOSTON: ROOTS, RAMPAGE & RECKONING Debuts December 4". Warner Bros. Discovery. November 6, 2023. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  3. ^ Smith, David (December 7, 2023). "'We failed the city of Boston': how a racist manhunt led to chaos in 1989". The Guardian. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  4. ^ Sippell, Margeaux (December 4, 2023). "Murder in Boston Doc Revisits the Ugly History of the Chuck Stuart Case". MovieMaker. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  5. ^ Knolle, Sharon (December 4, 2023). "'Murder in Boston' Filmmaker: Infamous 1989 Murder Was Fueled by City's 'Fraught Racial History'". TheWrap. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  6. ^ Lerner, Haley (December 4, 2023). "HBO's new docuseries tells the 'cautionary tale' of the Charles Stuart case". WGBH. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  7. ^ Baker, KC (November 21, 2023). "Notorious Murder of Pregnant Newlywed Carol Stuart and Racism in Boston Explored in New HBO Docuseries". People. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
  8. ^ "Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  9. ^ "Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning". Metacritic. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  10. ^ Baldwin, Kristen (November 27, 2023). "Murder in Boston review: Exploring the legacy of a racist rush to judgment". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  11. ^ Anderson, John (November 30, 2023). "'Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning' Review: In Pursuit of an Imaginary Assailant". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
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