MOVIE · 2003

Capturing the Friedmans

CrimeDocumentary107 min

In 1980s Long Island, a family’s home videos and private recordings become part of a disturbing public case when Arnold Friedman and his teenage son Jesse are investigated for child molestation. As the accusations spread from their after-school computer classes, police interviews, courtroom proceedings, and competing accounts begin to fracture the family from within. The film follows the case through the Friedmans’ own footage as relatives argue over what happened, what was admitted, and what pressure shaped the confessions. Directed by Andrew Jarecki, the documentary stays close to the uncertainty around the charges and the damage the investigation leaves behind.