The Witness, directed by Rob Williams and based on the memoir, Letting Go, by Alex Hanscombe, is a miniseries streaming on Netflix. Centred on the aftermath of a real life murder case, the 3-part series comes across as a thoughtful exploration of grief and resilience, focusing on the lives of those left behind while avoiding the sensationalism commonly associated with most true crime dramas.
Rachel Nickell (Eleanor Williams) is brutally murdered on the Wimbledon Common in South-West London on July 5th, 1992, stabbed more than 40 times. In this horrific attack, the only other person present at the time with her was her almost three-year-old son, Alex (Jahsaiah Williams). This case is considered one of the most controversial investigations in British police history. In the years that follow, her partner André Hanscombe (Jordan Bolger) raises Alex alone, even as they try to live as normal a life they can under the circumstances…
While using the structure of a police procedural, The Witness also focuses equally on how the murder has altered and reshaped the lives of André and Alex. It uses a non-linear narrative, moving between the chaotic aftermath of Rachel’s murder in 1992 and the changing dynamic in 2002 in Spain, where André and a now older Alex (Max Fincham) are relocated. We see the altered relationship between the father and son as the filmmaker slowly shows us how the distance between them has grown. Their dynamic has shifted with misunderstandings and resentment especially on Alex’s part. In trying to process an incomprehensible loss, he often lashed out at André, and is unable to articulate the pain he carries. Meanwhile, André, so consumed by guilt, and the instinct to protect his son, struggles to see past his own grief and meet Alex where he actually is, leaving them both in a cycle of constant squabbles and disappointment. By showing the consequences before fully explaining the causes, the series places viewers in a position of uncertainty, and draws attention to how grief can change relationships over time.
The Witness also brings up an interesting question about the fascination with true crime and how far people’s curiosity can go beyond the trauma of those directly affected by it. The series uses André and Alex’s perspective to challenge viewers to reflect on the human cost of turning real-life tragedy into a spectacle. Even a well-meaning woman approaching them at a lake after André’s simple request to be left alone, or strangers sending letters and gifts, shows how hard it is to grieve when personal boundaries are always open to public scrutiny.
The series avoids the suspense typically associated with true crime, so the narrative tension never feels high-pressure in the conventional sense. The focus is on the characters and their emotional experiences rather than just the mystery and investigation. The filmmaker’s decision to not show the graphic portrayal or gruesomeness of the murder makes for a sensitive approach in the series’ favor. Since this happened to real people, steering clear of excessive gore seemed like a respectful decision towards the victims and their families.
The performances of Jordan Bolger, Max Fincham and especially Jahsaiah Williams feel authentic to the story, thankfully avoiding over the top dramatization. Their acting feels real, lived in and nuanced through difficult emotions of grief, doing full justice to their characters’ emotional states. The supporting cast do their job efficiently enough.
On the technical side, Michael Filocamo’s cinematography favours sombre, minimalist visuals with naturalistic lighting. The camera stays close to Alex and André through much of the series, using intimate framing to help us understand their emotional states, while also knowing when to pull back.The opening use with the camcorder footage evokes the feeling of watching a home video, and creates a sense of nostalgia and familiarity that connects with the viewer and humanizes them, going beyond the police reports and press headlines. Oliver Coates’ musical score is similarly restrained, supporting the scenes perfectly without unduly manipulating the audience’s emotions. It allows the scenes to flow naturally, giving the actors enough space to carry the gravitas of the story.
At its heart, The Witness is finally about Alex and André, learning to live with the hole in their hearts, while coping with each other even as their lives are forever altered under the intrusion of the press and the public gaze.
English, Catalon, Drama, Color