Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violence, sex, cursing, smoking in dramatic retelling.
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The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
THE TWISTED TALE OF AMANDA KNOX is a dramatization of the true events surrounding the arrest and conviction of a naive American college student for murder in Italy. In 2007, U.S. citizen and University of Washington junior Amanda Knox (Grace Van Patten) went to Perugia, Italy as part of a university study abroad program. For roughly two months she enjoyed sharing an apartment with three roommates, including British exchange student Meredith Kercher (Rhianne Barreto), and spending time with her new boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito (Giuseppe De Domenico). But on November 2, 2007 Kercher was found brutally murdered in her bedroom, and Knox and Sollecito were charged with the crime despite Italian law enforcement's botched efforts to collect evidence that tied them to her death. The series reveals how troubled prosecutor Giuliano Mignini (Francisco Acquaroli) created a propaganda campaign that started a tabloid media frenzy, and how it led to their erroneous convictions. It also highlights how Knox managed to make it through four years of incarceration, eight years of retrials and appeals, and endless international media scrutiny with the help of people like her mother, Edda Mellas (Sharon Horgan), and prison priest Don Saulo Scarabattoli (Alfredo Pea) before she and Sollecito were fully exonerated by the Italian Supreme Court in 2015.
Is It Any Good?
The harrowing series tells the story of Amanda Knox's difficult journey from her point of view and with theatrical flair. Beginning with her return to Italy in 2022 to revisit where it all happened, The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox flashes back to Knox's life before the rape and murder of her roommate, and after Kercher is killed, the many assumptions Italian police made about Knox based on high emotions, patriarchal norms, and cultural differences. It also highlights how some of the "quirky" aspects of Knox's personality and her relationship with Raffaele Sollecito contributed to investigators and media outlets destroying her character and facilitating her conviction, despite the fact that they had forensic evidence that directly pointed to someone else.
It's a distressing narrative, but The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox doesn't offer much new for those already familiar with what happened. Thanks to endless scenes reenacting what played out in the news, courtroom, and interviews throughout the ordeal and in multiple docuseries, this show often feels like it's another rehash of the events that transpired. The portrayal of Knox also lacks some robustness, often failing to deliver her insights about what's happening to her, how she's changing, and later, the woman she's become as a result of what happened. But it may offer those unfamiliar with the story some solid true crime entertainment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the Italian legal system. How does it differ from the U.S. or British legal system?
Can what is chronicled in The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox happen in the United States? Why or why not?
TV Details
- Premiere date : August 20, 2025
- Cast : Grace Van Patten , Sharon Horgan , Francisco Acquaroli
- Network : Disney+
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : History ( Biopic ) , Family Stories
- Character Strengths : Perseverance
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 5, 2025
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