I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter

This is a documentary that shows the divide before and after the introduction of cell phones and social media, and the lack of laws that are in place. Throughout the documentary one is left with the question - is it a crime? Is it a crime in the eyes of the law?

We are led through one side, then the other, and I feel as uncertain as I did at the beginning about what really happened. Because things that I interpret to be jokes, or how young people speak, are taken 100% literally by the lawyers and judge. It's a very interesting case to study more if you are interested in law or true crime.

This case has always fascinated me. This documentary goes into a lot of depth about things that weren't initially touched upon in the news. It really made me think and I'm still conflicted about this case. A great documentary nonetheless showing both sides of the story and letting the audience decide their own opinions.

Very tragic case, I do not think Conrad would have been still here today enjoying life with his family if it wasn't for Michelle as is suggested by the closing few minutes, some people are wired differently , he was a troubled teen and it is unfortunate that he wouldn't listen to his family and seek good counselling. he sounded obsessed with dying yet unable to get the right help at the right time. The documentary paints both stories so I dont think its biased, I think its more sensitive considering the subject matter and the vulnerability of both the victim and the accused

"I Love You, Now Die - The Commonwealth vs. Michelle Carter" (2019 release; 135 min.) is a documentary about the suicide of an 18 yr. old boy who may or may not have been coached/encouraged/pressured by his 17 yr. old girlfriend to do so. As the documentary opens (with part 1 called "The Prosecution"), it is "July 12, 2014". Conrad and Michelle, who have met in person only 5 times over a 2 year span, are an "on-line couple", having sent thousands upon thousands of texts to each other. On that day, Conrad is contemplating suicide and Michelle is outright supportive, if not more so. Conrad dies from acute carbon monoxide poisoning. We then jump to today, as Conrad's dad, and them mom, reflect back to what happened in 2014... At that point we are 10 min. into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from writer-producer-director Erin Lee Carr, who just earlier this year gave us the outstanding documentary "At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal" and before than "Mommy Dead and Dearest". She is in my opinion one of today's leading documentarians. In "I Love You, Now Die", she examines the circumstances of what at first appears to be an "open and shut" case of a vulnerable and depressed young man being pressured and bullied by his equally vulnerable (and deranged?) young girlfriend into doing the unthinkable. The director uses the seemingly endless stream of texts between the two as the passport of this documentary. to chilling effect. To put it mildly, social anxiety among teenagers obsessed with their smart phone and other social media is a very serious problem. Equally striking is the unawareness of both of Conrad's parents (who are divorced at that time) that Conrad is in deep, deep (emotional) trouble. "He looked to be doing okay", comments his mom. But part 2 ("The Defense") is where things really get interesting, as we take a deeper dive into both Michelle's and Conrad's backgrounds and use of prescription psychiatric drugs (Prozac, Celexa, and more). All that said, there is of course also the legal side of things: do the actions and behavior of Michelle constitute a crime under Massachusetts law? The documentary does an excellent job looking at these complicated issues, and as someone comments, "there are no winners here". Indeed, the overall feeling is one of immense sadness for both individuals and their respective families...

"I Love You, Now Die" premiered earlier this year at SXSW to immediate critical acclaim, and is now airing in HBO in two parts. The documentary is currently rated 100% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and there is a reason for that. It is easy to make out Michelle as the 'bad' person, and certainly there is some of that, but as this documentary amply demonstrates, there is a whole lot more to it than at first sight appears to be the case. If you love investigative documentaries, I would readily suggest you check this out, be it on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

I was one of those who said she should have gotten the maximum penalty possible. but after hearing both sides of the story I totally changed my mind. It was absolutely ridicules convicting someone like that. I hope she can get her life on track after all this. P.S you MUST watch the 2nd part. Peace!