‘DEPP V HEARD’ Netflix Series Review - How to Lose a Spouse and a Lawsuit

Unless you live away from all connections with civilization, you must have heard about the long-going controversy between Captain Jack Sparrow and his ex-wife Mera of Atlantis. Depp v Heard is a Netflix docuseries that documents the defamation lawsuit between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, two Hollywood stars who were once married but ended up in a nasty legal fight over claims of domestic abuse. The series shows the testimonies of both parties and their witnesses, as well as the online frenzy that the trial generated. But is the series a truthful and unbiased account of the case, or does it skip or exaggerate some aspects and perspectives?

The series starts like a fairytale of love with a quick recap of the romance between Depp and Heard, who met on the set of The Rum Diary in 2009 and got married in 2015. It then fast-forwards to apocalyptic 2018, when Depp sued Heard for defamation over an article she wrote for The Washington Post.

The trial took place in Virginia in 2022 and became a cure for lockdown boredom for millions of people online including myself. I mean who doesn’t like others fighting? Well as I was aware of almost everything that was happening at that time, there were very few new things that the documentary has let me know.

The series focuses on the testimonies of both parties, as well as their lawyers, friends, family members, employees, former partners, and experts. It also shows how the trial sparked a heated online debate, with fans and critics of both sides expressing their views and feelings on social media platforms. Just like every ‘textbook-approved’ documentary on a topic like this should.

The first episode covers the opening statements of both sides, as well as the testimonies of Depp and Heard. The second episode features the testimonies of their witnesses, who either supported or contradicted their claims. The third episode deals with the testimonies of experts, who provided evidence and analysis on the medical, forensic, and journalistic aspects of the case.

One thing I liked is that the series also mixes the trial footage with clips from YouTube videos, tweets, memes, podcasts, and blogs that commented on the case as it progressed. I found two or three memes that missed my ‘social-media-addict eye’ earlier, and they didn’t fail to crack me up, so a small Kudos to the makers for that.

As I said earlier, there is nothing to complain about the stories of documentaries because ‘it is what it is’. The series ends ‘predictably’ with the verdict of the jury, who found Depp liable for defamation and awarded Heard $2 million in compensatory damages. Heard was also ordered to pay $10.35 million in punitive damages to Depp. Depp v Heard is a series that tries to present both sides of a complicated and controversial case in a neutral and objective way.

Well so let’s check the textbook characteristics, the series is informative and comprehensive, as it covers all the main aspects and events of the trial. It also provides a rare opportunity to see both testimonies side-by-side, which enabled me to enjoy the ‘feud’ in a better way as I was able to compare and contrast their statements and behavior.

The series also exposes the online culture that surrounded the trial, which reveals how people reacted to the case based on their biases, emotions, and personal experiences. If you were aware of the controversy at that time, you might have wondered if the trial was going on online or in the courtroom.

Most of the people know about what happened, but very few of them actually had an intellectual insight, so I expected from the series some narration or commentary from experts or analysts who are not directly involved or invested in the case. But there was none which may lead to a lack of critical perspective and insight. 

If you already know enough about the case, then you can save time as the series offers a negligible amount of new ‘mind-blowing facts’. The mini-series easily satisfies all the textbook characteristics of an ‘ideal documentary’, so nor do I have any compliments, nor do I have any complaints about that. The series can be a good way to let your kid or your grandkids know about ‘one of the most important debates of humanity’ that they absolutely need to know. If they are not interested in that, at least the memes will not disappoint them. 

Final Score – [6/10]
Reviewed by - Arpita Mondal
Follow @ArpitaMond33387 on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times