Netflix Documentary Review: The Crash Investigates Murder in the Age of Oversharing

Mackenzie Shirilla, now 21, is serving a life sentence in Ohio for a tragic incident that occurred in 2022. She drove her car into a building at 160kph, resulting in the deaths of her boyfriend Dominic Russo and his friend Davion Flanagan. This shocking true-crime case has been revisited in Netflix’s new documentary, The Crash.

The documentary delves into the details of that fateful night when Shirilla, then 17, crashed her Toyota Camry into a building in Strongsville, Ohio. What initially seemed like an accident took a dark turn as investigators looked into her phone, social media activity, and relationship with Russo.

At the core of the trial was the question of intent. Prosecutors argued that Shirilla intentionally accelerated into the wall after Russo tried to end their tumultuous relationship. During the trial, GPS data showed her presence in the industrial area before the crash, with no signs of braking. Messages and online behavior were presented as evidence of emotional instability and manipulation. Ultimately, Shirilla was convicted of murder and aggravated vehicular homicide.

The documentary doesn’t aim to change viewers’ minds about the verdict but instead offers a glimpse into the intersection of criminal justice and the age of oversharing. For Gen Z, emotions are often lived out online, from arguments in text chains to heartbreak on TikTok. The film highlights Shirilla’s social media activity post-crash, which prosecutors claimed was performative and detached.

Shirilla, interviewed from prison, maintains her innocence, citing a medical condition called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome as the reason for blacking out before the crash. The court rejected this defense, and no medical testimony supported it at trial.

While The Crash occasionally falls into the trap of stretching ambiguity for suspense, it remains a gripping and insightful watch at 92 minutes. It’s not just a story about a tragic car crash but a reflection on how a generation’s online trail can be dissected by the legal system and the public.