Is ‘What Jennifer Did’ a true story?

Netflix’s interest in hard-hitting true crime news never ceases. The newest film to hit the platform delves into the genre in What Jennifer Did.

The film covers the life of Jennifer Pan, a young woman who enlisted the help of hired killers to execute her parents. The Pan family were refugees who immigrated to Ontario, Canada. Their daughter reportedly had a difficult relationship with them, and indicated they were controlling. After they discovered she had a secret boyfriend, Daniel Wong, they demanded that she choose between the two.

Pan allegedly then involved Wong in plans to kill her parents. Lenford Crawford and David Mylvaganam were also accused of breaking into the Pan home and attempting to kill her parents. Pan’s mother died, while her father escaped with superficial gunshot wounds. The Netflix film portraying these events has a run time of 1 hour and 27 minutes and premiered on April 16.

Is What Jennifer Did true to life?

Netflix portrays the events of Pan’s life in the true crime documentary. According to CBC News, the young woman planned the killing of her parents in November 2010. It has since become one of the most popular Netflix documentaries in Canada and is on Netflix’s Top 10 in the US. But however fascinating the subject material is, it is also important to remember the victims in these true crime stories. Jeremy Grimaldi, who produced the documentary, explained this significance to CBC.

“The fact that it’s true, I would say it’s wilder than fiction. It’s a Hollywood script. But we always have to remember that it’s a tragedy.”

This fact can be forgotten in the surge of true crime. Podcasts and documentaries capitalize on these real events, but only the very best recognize the pain those affected feel. There is a thin line between showing these events and finding opportunity in the pain of other people’s stories. It should be noted that Pan and her father do not participate in the film. Scenes that feature these central figures are taken from found footage from law enforcement.

Series such as Quiet On Set have similarly been accused of capitalizing on the trauma. Per Deadline, Former child actor Christy Carlson Romano was critical of the series for inflicting more pain than it was helping to prevent. This reality will always be the tricky thing about true crime stories and these Netflix productions should be aware of it. These events did happen and subjected those involved to a lot of pain. Pan was convicted in 2015 for her crimes, and sentenced to life in prison.