Depp vs Heard docuseries: Social media clowns get unmasked as true villains of ‘a marriage on trial’?
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's 2022 trial gets a documentary on Netflix. It released on August 16.
On paper, Netflix's three-part documentary Depp vs Heard reveals nothing new about the trial itself. In April 2022, Fairfax County in Virginia and the rest of the world witnessed superstar Johnny Depp and his actor ex-wife Amber Heard hurl accusations of defamation, domestic violence, sexual assault and harassment against one another in what was likely the most famous lawsuit of the decade. Also read: Amber Heard settles defamation suit with Johnny Depp, writes long note explaining decision
What amplified it further is that it was the first time two A-lister celebrities were airing the metaphorical ‘dirty laundry’ in public, in a world where TikTok and Twitter now exist. No one was putting Pinocchio's nose filters on OJ Simpson as he put on those gloves in the courtroom.
Not the best production
Depp Vs Heard delves into the trial on a surface level, compiling testimonies from the courtroom that were plastered on our TV and computer screens all of summer 2022, in a more digestible format. The two sides and their arguments about what happened in Australia, in their penthouse, on the private plane are finally presented in a more coherent manner with crisp editing and ample context. Of course, the filler shots of people immersed in their phones watching the trial seem like generic footage downloaded straight from Shutterstock. Watch out for the same man fake-brushing his teeth and another man not reaching the top of the escalator despite being seen on it thrice.
An empathetic view
While the documentary sticks to presenting the facts and footage from the trial, it also drops in a rare dialog box to clear things on Amber's behalf. After Depp's attorney pulls up Amber for ‘not donating’ her $7 million to charity like she said she would, and the internet skewers the actress for ‘lying’, the documentary presents evidence of how pledging and donating are synonymously used terms when it comes to donating to organisations. Similarly, a dialog box appears after Amber's chilling description of the alleged assault by Depp that this was the first time accounts of sexual assault were broadcasted live to viewers outside the courtroom. Towards the end, more evidence is finally revealed that put Depp's comment about never hitting Amber, under question. It doesn't take you too long to figure out that the documentary may be a little more empathetic towards Amber than the world has been.
The social evils
Where the Netflix documentary actually excels, is at exposing the sheer buffoonery that ensued on social media during the course of the trial and even after it. It exposes the chaos that was caused by rancid YouTube channels, TikTok videos and the Twitter vitriol that did damage that would take years to fix. The documentary takes aim at about three YouTubers in particular: these are film nerds and regular nerds dressed in full Deadpool costumes on camera as they stream commentary on trial to their followers, hoping to rake in some quick money and get their subscribe buttons smashed by spewing hate for the less popular party. Then the TikTok parody videos cascade in, someone is joking about Amber's account of being raped, and someone else is rolling on a carpet, all in the name of some fun. Someone is sending her rape threats, another wants to microwave her baby. It's all rather stomach-turning to witness.
Amid all this, one of the few voices of reason featured in the docu says that the trial was never about truth or what is right. People had already made up their minds about who they wanted to believe. We accept what is complementary to the ideas we subscribe to and reject when it doesn't suit our purpose. The same can be seen on Twitter once again with the release of Depp Vs Heard. A comment read, “Does the ‘Depp v Heard’ documentary on Netflix show what ACTUALLY happened during trial?? Or does it paint The Turd as a victim like other documentaries have??”
Of course, in a case as murky as this, people can't help but choose sides. However, must we truly be this unkind and cruel?