A Great Documentary I Somehow Missed

Years ago I stumbled across an article from the New York Times that fascinated me. It ran with the headline: “In a Town of 11 People, Mysterious Disappearance Turns Neighbor Against Neighbor” and I was hooked. Little article finds from repudiated websites thrill me, so much so that I have my own Google sheet listing all of the great ones that I run across as to not forget them. Suffice to say, this one went on the list (and I recommend that you read it too).

As good as the article is though, it’s now out of date. The world has continued to spin and with the passage of time has also meant more attention, effort, and uncovering in this fascinating case. Which brings me to today’s recommendation: Last Stop Larrimah by Thomas Tancred and distributed by HBO. It tells the story of the disappearance of Paddy Moriarty through interviews with the townsfolk, police, and reporters in and around Larrimah. Yet, while its main focus is covering the disappearance and suspected murder of Paddy, it also functions as an ode to the small outback towns that litter the Australian wilderness, winding the clock back on Larrimah to show what the town used to be and how it came to be as it is now.

It’s a deeply effective documentary about a curious case of murder. The cast of “characters” is fantastic and it serves as a lovely companion piece to the article linked above. If you haven’t give it a go. It’s a great watch. But not before reading the article! I’m going to hold you to that!

Another creepy companion piece to this is the series Wild Wild Country, also produced by the Duplass Brothers. It’s on Netflix and matches this for tone (albeit at a longer pace).

So there are two little recommendations. I’ll be moving most of these over to my new Substack in an effort to keep this place more personal and focused, but they will remain free, so feel free to get your recommendations there from here on out. That’s all for now!