A Thread Of Deceit: The Hart Family Tragedy

A Thread Of Deceit: The Hart Family Tragedy is a tough watch. Not because it is poorly made, quite the opposite in fact. The film elegantly paints a touching, elegiac portrait of fun-loving kids torn too soon from this world. Devonte loved hugs and, for his birthday, would give hugs in exchange for a donation to go towards a charity of his choosing. Most people will probably recognize the teen, as a photo of him went viral after the Ferguson protests turned tense.

The filmmakers also slyly do not explain what happened at first. Rather, he introduces the whole Hart family and their carefully curated facade first, so when the inevitable tragedy hits, the audience feels as though they’ve been gut-punched. While the movie is not much more than a talking head interview after talking head interview interspersed with photos, and a few videos, of the family, it is spellbinding.

The interviewees are articulate, sad, and really do try to paint as vivid and accurate a picture as they can. The documentary wisely avoids judging them no matter what they think of Jen and Sarah, and their presumed actions. Presumed because no notes, letters, statements, or posts were made to help explain that fateful. Context clues and a thorough police investigation offer the most likely of scenarios, and it is not a pretty one.

“…elegantly paints a touching, elegiac portrait…”

Of course, the filmmakers create a more thought-provoking thread in A Thread Of Deceit: The Hart Family Tragedy. Jen presented her life with these kids as amazing online. While Jen would admit that they are children, so some fights happen, she told a friend how lucky she was they were overall well behaved and good. Then, in the context of large public gatherings, such as concerts, flashes of true love between the family was observed by friends, old and new. How did Jen curate such a perfect image? How did so many people fall for it? For these answers, watch the film, as it is worth it.

It must be said that the first instance of a shoe dropping does feel a bit abrupt. In fact, I rewound the video by a minute or two to rewatch and ensure I did not miss anything. After the photo of the “hug felt around the world,” Jen begin a depression spiral, as now people from all over were giving her family a long hard look. Of course, those people had no ill-will or malicious intent, but the extra attention kept her one edge. This information is given out casually by two interviewees discussing Devonte’s love for giving and receiving hugs. A scene to bridge that gap and reinforce the dark turn would have helped it land a bit more smoothly.

A Thread Of Deceit: The Hart Family Tragedy is, as the title implies, tragic and will leave you devastated. But, thanks to impressive directing, minor hiccup aside, and engaging interviews, the documentary sucks you into its sordid tale. Couple that with excellent music and the thematic exploration of living in the age of social media, and you are left with a must-see hour-long film.