The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson
In the era of true crime fandom, no murder can be covered enough to appease those who find joy in the macabre. That includes, it seems, the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. The case has already inspired numerous documentaries and made-for-TV movies, not to mention an award-winning limited series on FX. Now we have a feature-length adaptation that revolves around one crucial twist:
What if O.J. Simpson is innocent?
The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson is a knockoff Lifetime Original Movie that posits a world where O.J. had nothing to do with his estranged wife’s death. You wouldn’t know this without first seeing the film — which I do not want you to do — but that statement is an insult to Lifetime and its original programming. The new movie, which stars Mena Suvari in the titular role, would actually benefit from Lifetime production values and oversight.
The story, as writer Michael Arter and director Daniel Farrands put it, is that Nicole Brown Simpson hired notorious serial killer Glen Rogers (Nick Stahl) to work on her home in the weeks leading up to her death. The pair shared chemistry and even slept together, but Brown dumped Rogers after becoming uncomfortable with his mental instability. Rogers, in turn, stalked Brown until he took her life on June 12, 1994.
There is some source material for this feature, albeit the type to be taken with a grain of salt. Rogers is currently serving time on death row for two murders. He has confessed to more than 70 additional killings, including Simpson and Goldman. Clay Rogers, Glen’s brother, claims O.J. Simpson hired his brother to steal jewelry from Nicole and, if he had to, kill her.
In a world where Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood reimagined the Sharon Tate murder — something Farrands also did in the poorly-received The Haunting of Sharon Tate — it’s not hard to imagine how a film like The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson goes into production. There may even be a world where such a feature wows audiences and causes people to reconsider the court’s decision, but for that to happen, the final product would need to be good.
The movie in question is far from that. It’s an early contender for the biggest misfire of 2020. The performances are a mixed bag at best, the cinematography is non-existent, and the story lacks any sense of tension. Only the most content-starved true crime follower should even consider watching this, and, even then, they will likely be disappointed with the result.
Grade: F. Rated R. Now available on Amazon Prime Video
(Photo: Voltage Pictures)
