'Chilling' true crime documentary takes Netflix charts by storm
A 'chilling' new true crime documentary released by Netflix has shot up the global charts despite only being dropped earlier this month.
A Deadly American Marriage, which dropped on Friday, May 9, investigates the 2015 killing of 39-year-old Jason Corbett, an Irish man living in North Carolina, USA.
Corbett's wife, Molly Martens (33 at the time) and her father, Thomas (67 at the time), were both initially found guilty of second-degree murder in 2017, but later had their convictions reversed.
They were both released from prison in 2024 after accepting a plea bargain to reduced charges, while Molly and Thomas claim they acted in self-defence after Corbett tried to attack them.
Investigations into Corbett's death gained widespread media attention, and this Netflix documentary is the latest episode in the decade-long fatal saga.
Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you.
The documentary features interviews with Molly and Thomas themselves, as well as appearances from Corbett's children – Jack and Sarah – and others involved in the case.
Described by critics as 'shocking' and 'excruciating', the documentary keeps a keen eye on how the incident has affected the lives of Jack and Sarah ever since.
Corbett had Jack and Sarah during a previous marriage to a woman named Margaret Fitzpatrick, who had tragically died of an asthma attack 10 years earlier.
Advertising A Deadly American Marriage, Netflix called it 'a chilling exploration of love and betrayal featuring interviews with those closest to the case'.
The true crime documentary has risen up the charts since its release and is now the number three show globally, sitting only behind Nonnas and the 2019 film Inside Man: Most Wanted.
'Just watched this and it's defo one to watch. Messed up,' Sophie Wiles wrote on Facebook, while Nikki Baker wrote: 'Watching it now. So sad for Jason's family and his two children.'
Victoria Judge thought A Deadly American Marriage sounded 'sinister' ahead of tuning in, with Netflix's true crime category proving to be one of its most popular.
After he left Limerick in Ireland, Corbett and Molly met one another in 2008 when Corbett hired Molly as an au pair, moving to North Carolina three years later.
In August 2015, Thomas dialled 911 and said Corbett had been badly injured, claiming that he, Molly, and Corbett had been involved in an altercation.
The father and daughter claimed to police that Jason attacked Molly in the middle of the night, also threatening to kill her, leading them to allegedly act in self-defence. More Trending
Speaking about the documentary, its directors, Jenny Popplewell and Jessica Burgess, explained to Netflix news site Tudum how they wanted to approach the case.
'This case demonstrates how complex the American justice system is. Where is the truth? Where are the lies? Where is justice? This documentary demonstrates that it's not clear-cut.'
They continued: 'From the very beginning, we approached both families. For the film to remain objective and balanced, we never discussed information we learned with either side.'
View More »
Watch A Deadly American Marriage on Netflix.
Got a story?
If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
MORE: 7 shows Eurovision haters can watch tonight if they can't face the music
MORE: Forgotten sequel to Denzel Washington thriller becomes surprise Netflix hit
MORE: 'Perfect' Netflix show renewed for season 2 but fans worry it won't be the same
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Sean O'Malley issues five-word response after Conor McGregor praise
The American has traded barbs with the former dual-weight champion in recent times, but it seems as if they have rekindled their relationship Sean O'Malley has seemingly buried the hatchet with Conor McGregor ahead of his return to the cage this weekend. The former bantamweight champion is gearing up for a return to the octagon on Saturday as he goes head-to-head with Merab Dvalishvili in an eagerly anticipated rematch at the Prudential Center in Newark. The pair originally clashed last September - with Dvalishvili going on to claim the 135lb title after securing a unanimous decision win. Following that triumph, Dvalishvili successfully defended his title back in January, beating Umar Nurmagomedov by decision. 'Suga,' on the other hand hasn't stepped into the cage since his defeat at UFC 306. Given how dominant the Georgian was in the first encounter, many are backing the 'Machine' to win again. Yet, one unexpected supporter in O'Malley's corner is McGregor – surprising many. Despite being respectful of each other at first, their relationship took a sour turn over the last few years. The pair have traded verbal jabs online- with McGregor slamming 'Suga' over his previous issues with USADA. Nevertheless, it seems they have moved past their grievances. McGregor lavished praise on O'Malley, remarking that his training camp echoes of McGregor's own ahead of his second bout with Nate Diaz: "Very reminiscent of my Diaz 2 prep. Intriguing! BIG FIGHT FEEL!" The Irishman wrote on X. After hearing the news, O'Malley expressed delight at having the 'Notorious' in his corner once more. "Hell yeah, I will take it," O'Malley said during the UFC 316 media day. "I will forever be a huge Conor fan. I feel grateful to be able to watch his come up in my generation, I watched it happen. I think we'll look back, he had one of the craziest careers. It's cool to be able to watch it happen while I was getting into the UFC and everything. I'm pumped the relationship is back to good." The 30-year-old added: "I have always taken inspiration from Conor fights. I've watched Conor fights more than probably any (fights), well, (I watch) my fights more, but I've watched a lot of Conor fights." In preparation for the upcoming rematch, O'Malley revealed he has watched plenty of sequels, including McGregor's second bout with Diaz - to see how they responded in the second bout when they were counted out. "So I was watching Conor-Nate. I've just been watching a bunch of fights. We just have cameras recording so much, I did not realise that was a moment that got captured," he said. "I've been watching a bunch of fights. I've been watching some rematches."
Evening Standard
33 minutes ago
- Evening Standard
Snow Patrol frontman to perform home city gig with a difference
Among the other author events scheduled, former Labour cabinet member Alan Johnson will talk about his new book, Harold Wilson, Chris Whitaker will be discussing his international best-selling novel All The Colours Of The Dark, and American writer Karen Hao will be talking about her new book Empire Of AI.
Reuters
42 minutes ago
- Reuters
Supreme Court spares US gun companies from Mexico's lawsuit
WASHINGTON, June 5 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday spared two American gun companies from a lawsuit by Mexico's government accusing them of aiding illegal firearms trafficking to drug cartels and fueling gun violence in the southern neighbor of the United States. The justices in a 9-0 ruling overturned a lower court's ruling that had allowed the lawsuit to proceed against firearms maker Smith & Wesson (SWBI.O), opens new tab and distributor Interstate Arms. The lower court had found that Mexico plausibly alleged that the companies aided and abetted illegal gun sales, harming its government. The companies had argued for the dismissal of Mexico's suit, filed in Boston in 2021, under a 2005 U.S. law called the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act that broadly shields gun companies from liability for crimes committed with their products. The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decided in 2024 that the alleged conduct by the companies fell outside these protections. "Mexico alleges that the companies aided and abetted unlawful sales routing guns to Mexican drug cartels. The question presented is whether Mexico's complaint plausibly pleads that conduct. We conclude it does not," liberal Justice Elena Kagan wrote for the court. The case came to the Supreme Court at a complicated time for U.S.-Mexican relations as President Donald Trump pursues on-again, off-again tariffs on Mexican goods. Trump has also accused Mexico of doing too little to stop the flow of synthetic drugs such as fentanyl and migrant arrivals at the border. Mexico's lawsuit, filed in Boston in 2021, accused the two companies of violating various U.S. and Mexican laws. Mexico claims that the companies have deliberately maintained a distribution system that included firearms dealers who knowingly sell weapons to third-party, or "straw," purchasers who then traffic guns to cartels in Mexico. The suit also accused the companies of unlawfully designing and marketing their guns as military-grade weapons to drive up demand among the cartels, including by associating their products with the American military and law enforcement. The gun companies said they make and sell lawful products. To avoid its lawsuit being dismissed under the 2005 law, Mexico was required to plausibly allege that the companies aided and abetted illegal gun sales and that such conduct was the "proximate cause" - a legal principle involving who is responsible for causing an injury - of the harms claimed by Mexico. Mexico in the lawsuit sought monetary damages of an unspecified amount and a court order requiring Smith & Wesson and Interstate Arms to take steps to "abate and remedy the public nuisance they have created in Mexico." Gun violence fueled by trafficked U.S.-made firearms has contributed to a decline in business investment and economic activity in Mexico and forced its government to incur unusually high costs on services including healthcare, law enforcement and the military, according to the lawsuit. Mexico, a country with strict firearms laws, has said most of its gun homicides are committed with weapons trafficked from the United States and valued at more than $250 million annually. The Supreme Court heard arguments in the case on March 4.
