This is a hard film to review. It's a highly subjective documentary and normally I frown upon such endeavors. This however, is an exception. Dear Zachary is a film with humble origins. It started out as sort of a home movie. Something meant to be shared with the son of the filmmakers slain friend. A sweet gesture to help a son remember his father. What it turns into is something more.

Ok, so it's not a perfect film. But understanding the personal involvement of the director, the shortcomings can be forgiven. Some of the editing choices and animations leave alot to be desired.

However, at the core, this is one of the most tragic documentaries I've seen. The failings of the judicial system is nothing short of criminal. This starts out as a sweet remembrance Dr. Andrew Bagby, a man who was a close friend of the filmmaker Kurt Kuenne. He was murdered by his ex girlfriend, Shirley Turner. The director discovers that Shirley was pregnant with Andrew's son, and this film becomes not just a memorial to his friends, but a letter to his son.

What follows is involving, tragic, and full engrossing, with very few missteps.

Once you understand that Kurt is in no way trying to be a journalist and this is a very personal film, you can easily understand the bias.

****1/2 out of *****

If you have netflix it's on there to watch.