When he was eleven years old, a school psychological profile indicated that little Bobby Durst was prone to being "a destructive psychologic force" and that he had "personality decomposition and possibly even schizophrenia." It was unfortunate that Katherine "Kathie" McCormack was unaware of the report at the time of her marriage to Bobby.
The film was successful in dramatizing the nightmare of living with Bobby Durst from the perspective of his long-suffering wife Kathie. He was such a repellent creature that the film begged the question of why Kathie had not left him sooner. Was it due principally to the money? Was it because the 1980s was not yet sufficiently open about spousal abuse? Was it the naivete of Kathie, a decent person who saw the best in people?
Bobby grew up with a silver spoon, the son of a real estate magnate in New York. His younger brother outhustled Bobby and eventually became the head of the business. The film portrayed him as a failure in everything in life, especially as a controlling and unhinged husband.
The narrative design of the film toggles between the 1970s when Bobby and Kathie were living together; the 1980s when Kathie vanished and Bobby was under investigation; and the 1990s when the case was reopened. The performances were first-rate, and the film direction was superb.
As a post script to the story, Bobby Durst murdered two other people, including his best friend Susan Berman, who likely had too much knowledge of the skeletons in Bobby's closet. He died of natural causes in 2022. His pathetic life has been the subject of multiple films and documentaries.
The film was successful in dramatizing the nightmare of living with Bobby Durst from the perspective of his long-suffering wife Kathie. He was such a repellent creature that the film begged the question of why Kathie had not left him sooner. Was it due principally to the money? Was it because the 1980s was not yet sufficiently open about spousal abuse? Was it the naivete of Kathie, a decent person who saw the best in people?
Bobby grew up with a silver spoon, the son of a real estate magnate in New York. His younger brother outhustled Bobby and eventually became the head of the business. The film portrayed him as a failure in everything in life, especially as a controlling and unhinged husband.
The narrative design of the film toggles between the 1970s when Bobby and Kathie were living together; the 1980s when Kathie vanished and Bobby was under investigation; and the 1990s when the case was reopened. The performances were first-rate, and the film direction was superb.
As a post script to the story, Bobby Durst murdered two other people, including his best friend Susan Berman, who likely had too much knowledge of the skeletons in Bobby's closet. He died of natural causes in 2022. His pathetic life has been the subject of multiple films and documentaries.