I Cut Off His Penis; Sweet Bobby; Life And Death in Gaza

“With its irresistible mix of tabloid hysteria, true crime and intelligent sociological analysis, I knew ITV’s I Cut Off His Penis: The Truth Behind The Headlines would be right up my street. I was rapt for the full 80-minute documentary, and, no, I don’t want to know what that says about me.”
Emily Watkins, The i

“Given its classic tabloid have-it-both-ways title, I Cut Off His Penis turned out to be a remarkably sane documentary. It did look beyond sensationalist snickering to try and unearth deeper truths about why, when a woman cuts off a man’s penis, it’s such a shocking headline, but when a man dismembers a woman it’s the opening scene of a thrilling new crime drama.”
Benji Wilson, The Telegraph

“There is a much bolder programme struggling to get out of I Cut Off His Penis: The Truth Behind the Headlines. By and large, it sticks to the traditional format of the behind-the-headlines genre, which is to recap the famous examples of whatever phenomenon is under discussion then add the context, the information that came out later and/or at trial and the distortions and omissions made by the media at the time.”
Lucy Mangan, The Guardian

“The ultimately unsatisfying documentary principally consists of an interview with Kirat, now 44, and some of her relatives, and aside from some screenshots and photos, it doesn’t add much to the podcast version of the story. Sweet Bobby is a cautionary tale and it’s impossible not to feel for the charming, vivacious Kirat, distraught at having years of her life stolen. But, as is often the case with this sort of story, it’s difficult to escape the sense that we’re watching someone’s unhappiness repackaged as entertainment. Especially when we’ve already heard it before.”
Neil Armstrong, The i

“The documentary traces a catfish story that is remarkable in its sheer scale and audacity, as well as in the eventual identity of the perpetrator. Yet it lacks the near-forensic detail of the original podcast, and suffers from uneven pacing, careering towards the confession without teasing out some of the more baffling intricacies of this case.”
Katie Rosseinsky, The Independent

“The film lays out just how this woman – smart, educated, surrounded by family and friends – was taken in. It’s an astonishing tale of deception. Netflix usually strings out these true-crime stories over several episodes, but here the story is told in one neat film.”
Anita Singh, The Telegraph

“Self-filmed by ordinary Gazans in the year since the 7 October attacks by Hamas prompted an immediate Israeli military response, Life and Death in Gaza was an essential account from civilian Palestinian voices. The 90-minute film eschewed political context and commentary in favour of first hand insight, following four civilians as they navigated the impossible and inhuman: daily bombing raids, constant evacuations, endless shortages of food, medicine and fuel, and the dwindling of hope.”
Rachel Sigee, The i

“During the 90 minutes of Life And Death In Gaza, filmed by amateurs resident in Palestine under the bombardment, I paused or turned away half a dozen times. Many of the images were so deeply pitiful and distressing that it was difficult to keep watching. The impression was one of a wholly civilian population driven from one temporary refuge to the next by tanks. Director Natasha Cox made no attempt to explain that this is not the full picture.”
Christopher Stevens, Daily Mail