Part 1: The Prosecution

(2019)

Available Now

Synopsis

Directed by Erin Lee Carr (At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal, Mommy Dead and Dearest), I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth vs. Michelle Carter is a captivating two-part documentary about the recent texting suicide case that captured national interest, raising difficult questions about technology, mental health, and whether or not one teenager can be held responsible for the suicide of another. In July 2014, 18-year-old Conrad Roy committed suicide in his truck at a parking lot in Fairhaven, Massachusetts; police later discovered a series of text messages in which his girlfriend, 17-year-old Michelle Carter seemed to encourage him to kill himself, an unearthing that sparked a controversial case that had the potential to redefine accountability in the digital age. The two-part film unpacks the complicated relationship between Carter and Roy, utilizing some of the thousands of texts they exchanged over two years as a record in real time of their courtship and its tragic consequences. Featuring unprecedented access to the families, friends, and communities that were forever changed by this unusual case, I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth vs. Michelle Carter explores the changing nature of the justice system at the hands of technology, following a story that has wider implications for society at large, online and “IRL.”

Cast

Documentary