At Keystone State Park in Pennsylvania, on November 6th, 2001, the murdered body of a medical student named Andrew Bagby, was found by a park ranger. The murderer was his ex-girlfriend, Shirley Jane Turner. After Turner fled to St. John’s, Newfoundland in Canada, she revealed that she was pregnant with Bagby’s child. She named the baby Zachary. Andrew was the only child of Kate and David Bagby, who moved to Newfoundland to seek custody of Zachery. Unfortunately, while waiting for her extradition to the United States, Turner was astoundingly able to walk free on bail. David and Kate were now forced to deal with a civil relationship with their son’s killer.
Enter Kurt Kuenne, a filmmaker and close friend of Andrew’s since childhood. After the news of Andrew’s death, Kurt took on the responsibility to interview as many people he could find who knew Andrew in order to make sure his friend was never forgotten, going as far as to travel all over the United States as well as England and Canada. However, once Kurt hears about Zachary’s conception, the film takes on a whole new meaning. The film suddenly turns into an extended letter to Zachary, a boy who will never know his father.
"Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father" is a masterpiece that not only acts as a video for Andrew that tugs at your heart strings, but also as terrifying and infuriating real-life crime story about how a dangerous convicted killer was able to walk free to cause even more damage. As the story gets worse and worse, you won’t be able to look away. Your curiosity becomes too much to bare and you finally get to see what pure evil looks like. And when the worse part arrives, your spine begins to freeze to the point where your emotions won't be able to take it. Although I refuse to reveal anything else about the plot because a quick google search can tell you everything about this unforgettable story, but Kurt’s movie about his friend is the only thing that can do it justice. Kurt legitimately put his heart, soul, blood, sweat, and tears into this hour and a half heart-pounding, gut-wrenching, tear-jerking tribute to Andrew, his son, his parents, and those who love them. Kurt even wrote, directed, produced, shot, and edited this film and even composed the music. It’s a thought-provoking experience that will never leave your head. It has the power to let you know that even though there's a lot of evil in this world, sometimes the best ways to fight is with the family you've got (as cheesy as it sounds). The film is available to watch on Netflix.
