"One Year in a Life of Crime" is without a shadow of a doubt one of the most harrowing documentaries I have ever seen. Essentially, the documentary follows three petty criminals in Newark, New Jersey going about their daily routines. Director Jon Alpert follows Freddie, Robert and Deliris in an almost casual approach to their crimes. In 1989, Jon Alpert would release "One Year in a Life of Crime" on HBO, in 1998 he would follow it up with "Life of Crime 2" and in 2021 he would wrap it up with "Life of Crime: 1984-2020". The series is very much reminiscent of Michael Apted's "7 Up" series, and very much a real life "Requiem for a Dream".
I am a very much a fan of documentaries that explore social, economic and cultural issues. These documentaries are harrowing and brutal to watch but ultimately are a must watch for anyone who would like to observe human nature at its most fallible. As you would expect with the subject matter, this is a very bleak watch, it would be like looking into the sun without going blind. I was just so consumed. What I admire the most about how this documentary is presented, is that there are no punches pulled, it doesn't try to sugar coat the circumstances in which the individuals find themselves in. We examine their hellish existence, they explain how they reached this point, either through impoverishment, addiction, tragedy, or a mixture of all. It is very much like one of those great documentaries where I feel like I am seeing things I shouldn't really be seeing, and at the same time I am seeing things I really need to see.
