Netflix's New True Crime Must-Watch Uncovers "Political Conspiracy of the Century"

Summary

• On February 28, a new documentary, American Conspiracy: The Kraken Murders, was released on Netflix.
• The plot follows Danny Casolaro's investigation against the US authorities, which leads to his mysterious death.
• Although the film was only released yesterday, viewers have already voted it one of the best documentaries on the streaming service.

In 1991, the body of freelance writer and investigative journalist Danny Casolaro was found in a West Virginia hotel room. Although the family claimed after the incident that Danny had a lifelong fear of blood that was triggered by even trivial blood tests, and the hotel room was covered in blood, the coroner's inquest concluded that the journalist died of suicide after slashing his own wrists dozens of times. However, it was not only Casolaro's grieving family who caught wind that something was amiss, but also people close to him who knew what he was up to.

The details surrounding the death of a man with a blood phobia were incredibly inconsistent, and suspicions only grew as some law enforcement officials called for further investigation into the circumstances of the death, unfortunately to no avail.

It is unlikely that the cause of Danny Casolaro's death was suicide, as the case more closely resembles a classic situation involving a person who has fallen afoul of the Mafia: we've all seen it in the gangster movies of Sergio Leone, Francis Ford Coppola, and Martin Scorsese. But the details suggest that the perpetrator of the reporter's murder may not be the mysterious criminals, but someone more dangerous, someone for whom the law is not written at all — the CIA. The question of what really happened and why is asked in a new documentary released yesterday, February 28, 2024 on Netflix, American Conspiracy: The Kraken Murders.

An Investigation of the Century or Obsessive Insanity?

It all begins with Christian Hansen, a photojournalist obsessed with the mysterious story of Danny Casolaro. As he uncovers more and more details about the murdered writer and the secrets he uncovered, he finds himself embroiled in conspiracy theories that seem crazy at first glance. But are they as crazy as they sound?

Casolaro's investigation began with a program PROMIS, which was supposed to systematize databases, but in fact was allegedly stolen from a private developer by the US government and used for spying both inside and outside the country. The case then led to Michael Riconosciuto, a computer expert and conspirator. As a result, the investigation led to the so-called October Surprise theory of 1980, that the American hostages were being held by Iran on purpose because Ronald Reagan had agreed with Iranian officials not to release them until he was elected president of the United States. This would have given Reagan massive domestic support.

Remarkable Documentary

The data discovered by Casolaro has some validity, but during the investigation, Casolaro and Riconosciuto seemed to sink further and further into madness, convinced of the bondage of eight world leaders. However, when one recalls the very real Bilderberg meetings or the occult at the Bohemian Grove, the theories of both conspirators do not seem so crazy anymore. In addition, the writer received death threats by phone shortly before his death, which only adds to the suspicions.

American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders is one of the few examples of documentary projects that attempts to strike a balance between subjective interpretation and an objective stance, and it does so quite successfully. Director Zachary Treitz approaches the reality of Casolaro's findings with a healthy dose of skepticism. Through Christian Hansen's current activities, he draws parallels between Casolaro's obsession with government conspiracies and Casolaro's own obsession with Hansen.

Given that the documentary was released only yesterday, there are not many reviews for it yet. Nevertheless, viewers are already calling it one of the best documentaries on Netflix, as it perfectly combines thoughtful research and elevated cinematography.