The Crash

The Crash

movie

R, 2024, Documentary, Crime

WISE
52%

WISE Score

92

Avg. Tomatometer

A high-speed tragedy turns into a chilling courtroom drama that will make any parent want to take away the car keys for good.

RT Critics92%
Common Sense Media
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Screenwise Verdict

If you’re looking for a 'fun' family movie night, run the other way. The Crash is a surgical, often devastating look at the 2022 Ohio case where a 17-year-old was convicted of murder after driving her car into a brick building at 100 mph. It’s high-quality filmmaking, but it’s essentially a 90-minute warning label.

For parents of older teens who are starting to drive, this is actually a compelling watch to do together. It moves past the 'don't speed' clichés and enters the territory of accountability and the terrifying speed at which a life can be ruined. It’s not 'fun,' but it is undeniably impactful.

Age Fit

This is strictly for the 15+ crowd. It’s a sophisticated, grim documentary that requires a level of emotional maturity to process the tragedy without just being traumatized by it.

WISE Breakdown
Wholesome
20

This is a heavy true-crime documentary about a fatal car wreck and a subsequent murder trial. It deals with death, grief, and the darker side of teenage decision-making.

Imaginative
35

As a documentary, its goal is reconstruction rather than creation. It uses surveillance footage and interviews to piece together a tragedy, which is gripping but not 'imaginative' in the creative sense.

Safe
40

The content involves the death of teenagers and a chilling legal case. While not a 'slasher' film, the emotional weight and the reality of the violence make it inappropriate for younger viewers.

Enriching
78

It offers a stark look at the legal system, the concept of 'intent' in criminal law, and the devastating ripple effects of reckless behavior. It’s a sobering reality check for older teens.

Parent Info
✓

Why It Might Be Great

  • High-stakes legal drama that pulls back the curtain on how 'intent' is proven in a murder case involving a vehicle.
  • Raw emotional honesty from the families involved, showing the long-term wreckage that happens after the sirens stop.
  • Critical acclaim for its pacing and structure, avoiding the usual true-crime fluff to focus on the facts of the Mackenzie Shirilla case.
  • Real-world consequences are on full display, making it a powerful (if brutal) conversation starter for new drivers.
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What to Watch For

  • The surveillance footage of the crash is central to the case; while not gore-heavy, the impact is bone-chilling.
  • The toxic relationship dynamics between the teens are a major plot point and can be uncomfortable to watch.
  • The verdict and sentencing scenes are emotionally charged and might be a lot for kids who aren't ready for the finality of the legal system.

Conversation Starters

  • "Why do you think the prosecution argued this was murder rather than just a terrible accident?"
  • "How does the digital evidence—like TikToks or texts—change the way we look at someone's character in a trial?"
  • "Does seeing the impact on the victims' families change how you think about 'harmless' reckless driving?"
  • "What did you think about the defendant's behavior during the trial versus the evidence presented?"

Deep Dive

The Ghost in the Machine

True crime usually falls into two buckets: the sensationalist 'who-dun-it' and the somber procedural. The Crash leans heavily into the latter, focusing on the Mackenzie Shirilla trial. If you aren't familiar with the case, it’s the one where a teenager intentionally accelerated into a building to kill her boyfriend and his friend. It’s a premise that feels like a dark YA novel, but the documentary keeps it grounded in the sterile, cold reality of a courtroom.

What makes this worth your time—and potentially your teen's time—is the way it dissects digital footprints. The prosecution used the defendant's own social media and videos to establish a pattern of behavior and intent. In an era where every teen is documenting their life, this is a massive, real-world example of how that data can be used to build a narrative of 'who you are' in the eyes of the law.

Critics loved it (92% on Rotten Tomatoes) because it doesn't over-dramatize an already dramatic event. It lets the surveillance footage and the black-box data from the car do the heavy lifting. The audience score is lower (68%), likely because people looking for a 'Tiger King' style circus will find this too grounded and depressing. It’s a tough watch, but for a family with a kid who thinks they're invincible behind the wheel, it’s a necessary one.

What Parents Ask

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