The vanishing at the Cecil hotel
Discussion
Anyone else watched this on Netflix yet? We binge-watched all 4 episodes last night. Quite interesting but at least one episode too long. The way people who only knew about the facts of the case from the internet but then thought they knew more than the police and coroner involved with the case was amazing. But it showed how social media can distort the facts and start a witch-hunt.
Watched the first episode today and couldn’t bare any more. What a poor excuse for a documentary, especially one spread over 4 episodes. I expected better from Netflix given their recent output.
A poor young girl with bipolar disorder can’t get an elevator to work because she’s pressed the door hold button by mistake in her agitated state and then for some reason goes to the roof, climbs in a water tank and drowns. A load of weirdos on the internet then try and spin it in to something more sinister (or even supernatural) when the police found no evidence of foul play. Coroners verdict - accidental drowning perhaps caused by her mental health issues.
A poor young girl with bipolar disorder can’t get an elevator to work because she’s pressed the door hold button by mistake in her agitated state and then for some reason goes to the roof, climbs in a water tank and drowns. A load of weirdos on the internet then try and spin it in to something more sinister (or even supernatural) when the police found no evidence of foul play. Coroners verdict - accidental drowning perhaps caused by her mental health issues.
Edited by 4Q on Sunday 14th February 09:25
I made it through three episodes the other night. I thought it was stretched a bit over three programmes - let alone four. It was interesting enough but a bit thin - and way too much silly speculation about the paranormal.
The poor girl had mental health issues and that explains her fate - whether someone else was involved or not.
I wonder if the Cecil Hotel's business has picked up as a result of the programme. It has a very interesting, if rather macabre history.
Back in 1984, a friend of mine and myself took a Greyhound bus tour of the northern part of the USA, staying at cheap hostels and hotels. One place we stayed was at the Erie Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio. It had a lot of similarities with the Cecil - weird guests, strange goings on outside etc etc. We stayed just the one night and legged it to Cincinnati.
I reckon most American cities have at least one hotel like the Cecil.
The poor girl had mental health issues and that explains her fate - whether someone else was involved or not.
I wonder if the Cecil Hotel's business has picked up as a result of the programme. It has a very interesting, if rather macabre history.
Back in 1984, a friend of mine and myself took a Greyhound bus tour of the northern part of the USA, staying at cheap hostels and hotels. One place we stayed was at the Erie Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio. It had a lot of similarities with the Cecil - weird guests, strange goings on outside etc etc. We stayed just the one night and legged it to Cincinnati.
I reckon most American cities have at least one hotel like the Cecil.
Definitely the worst of the true crime docs on Netflix as already stated.
Watched it with my wife who immediately said, she thought the girl would be bipolar and having a mental health crisis after watching her behaviour in the lift...
Lo and behold poor thing had not been taking her medication, had a crisis and ended up climbing into the tanks to escape whatever she had convinced herself was after her.
I though the most interesting part of the documentary was how narcissistic and odd some of the 'investigators' were and the lack of empathy for the family.
I think they went into filming thinking they may find a lot more to talk about than they actually did? Seemed to have an awfully large amount of filler.
Watched it with my wife who immediately said, she thought the girl would be bipolar and having a mental health crisis after watching her behaviour in the lift...
Lo and behold poor thing had not been taking her medication, had a crisis and ended up climbing into the tanks to escape whatever she had convinced herself was after her.
I though the most interesting part of the documentary was how narcissistic and odd some of the 'investigators' were and the lack of empathy for the family.
I think they went into filming thinking they may find a lot more to talk about than they actually did? Seemed to have an awfully large amount of filler.
It was typical Netflix.. Take a 1hour story and spread it over 4...
It wasn't too bad overall, but the whole time it felt as though they were being vague about the tank lid being closed and didn't follow up on it properly. And it was obvious why by the end because it would have given the game away straight away.
I did feel bad for morbid too, especially as the time stamps in his YouTube video must have shown people with half a brain cell that he had posted the video of the Cecil a year before.
It wasn't too bad overall, but the whole time it felt as though they were being vague about the tank lid being closed and didn't follow up on it properly. And it was obvious why by the end because it would have given the game away straight away.
I did feel bad for morbid too, especially as the time stamps in his YouTube video must have shown people with half a brain cell that he had posted the video of the Cecil a year before.
Tom1312 said:
Definitely the worst of the true crime docs on Netflix as already stated.
Watched it with my wife who immediately said, she thought the girl would be bipolar and having a mental health crisis after watching her behaviour in the lift...
Lo and behold poor thing had not been taking her medication, had a crisis and ended up climbing into the tanks to escape whatever she had convinced herself was after her.
I though the most interesting part of the documentary was how narcissistic and odd some of the 'investigators' were and the lack of empathy for the family.
I think they went into filming thinking they may find a lot more to talk about than they actually did? Seemed to have an awfully large amount of filler.
Yep - it was the internet "sleuths" who turned out to be the more interesting aspect of the programme - even if most of them came over as weird in their own ways.Watched it with my wife who immediately said, she thought the girl would be bipolar and having a mental health crisis after watching her behaviour in the lift...
Lo and behold poor thing had not been taking her medication, had a crisis and ended up climbing into the tanks to escape whatever she had convinced herself was after her.
I though the most interesting part of the documentary was how narcissistic and odd some of the 'investigators' were and the lack of empathy for the family.
I think they went into filming thinking they may find a lot more to talk about than they actually did? Seemed to have an awfully large amount of filler.
tejr said:
It was typical Netflix.. Take a 1hour story and spread it over 4...
I can't disagree. We've seen 2, and will probably watch the last 2 this week. I did find myself wondering, if viewers pealed away all the sort-of-hinting-at supernatural stuff, and the conspiracy theory because was a virial video for a few months years ago bits, it's a pretty short, not overly exceptional, sad tale that would, yep, make for a great one-hour programme.
Last years "you don't f
k with cats" had a similar vibe, but all the Social Media warrior stuff was at least interesting to a point, even if, it had little to do with the investigation and ending. Night Stalker however is well worthy of 4 hours of anyone's time
P-Jay said:
tejr said:
It was typical Netflix.. Take a 1hour story and spread it over 4...
I can't disagree. We've seen 2, and will probably watch the last 2 this week. I did find myself wondering, if viewers pealed away all the sort-of-hinting-at supernatural stuff, and the conspiracy theory because was a virial video for a few months years ago bits, it's a pretty short, not overly exceptional, sad tale that would, yep, make for a great one-hour programme.
Last years "you don't f
k with cats" had a similar vibe, but all the Social Media warrior stuff was at least interesting to a point, even if, it had little to do with the investigation and ending. Night Stalker however is well worthy of 4 hours of anyone's time
tejr said:
It was typical Netflix.. Take a 1hour story and spread it over 4...
It wasn't too bad overall, but the whole time it felt as though they were being vague about the tank lid being closed and didn't follow up on it properly. And it was obvious why by the end because it would have given the game away straight away.
I did feel bad for morbid too, especially as the time stamps in his YouTube video must have shown people with half a brain cell that he had posted the video of the Cecil a year before.
The handyman literally said in the first episode (at least I think it was the first) "I climbed up on to the tank and the hatch was open and I looked in and there was the girl, then I closed the hatch and told the manager". Cue the web sleuths asking "How could she have closed the lid?!" for the next 3.5 episodes. It wasn't too bad overall, but the whole time it felt as though they were being vague about the tank lid being closed and didn't follow up on it properly. And it was obvious why by the end because it would have given the game away straight away.
I did feel bad for morbid too, especially as the time stamps in his YouTube video must have shown people with half a brain cell that he had posted the video of the Cecil a year before.
Agree with much of the comments here, but I have to say that the parts about the LAM-ELISA test for tuberculosis and the bookstore having a domain name that matched to the zip code of the cemetery where she was buried did raise a few eyebrows in our house! Some very weird coincidences
+1 in agreement - worst true "crime" doc on netflix by a mile.
Internet sleuths -- as posted before - how do they think they know more that the coroner, the police and the staff at the hotel.....
Night stalker is excellent ,
American family next door (or something like that) --- most shocking ending -- still sends shivers.
Suppose netflix are allowed 1 shoddy documentary compared to the mostly excellent stuff they churn out.
Internet sleuths -- as posted before - how do they think they know more that the coroner, the police and the staff at the hotel.....
Night stalker is excellent ,
American family next door (or something like that) --- most shocking ending -- still sends shivers.
Suppose netflix are allowed 1 shoddy documentary compared to the mostly excellent stuff they churn out.
If she'd been found in the first search it would barely have made the papers. It was the three month gap that caused all the strange theories, plus the police not broadcasting her mental state. But the theorists just wouldn't drop it once the body was found.
I don't even blame the internet sleuths particularly. As far as they knew she had behaved oddly for no apparent reason then vanished from the hotel without anyone seeing her leave. So on the face of it genuinely intriguing. They just should have been willing to recognise when all their speculations had become unnecessary hypotheses.
I don't even blame the internet sleuths particularly. As far as they knew she had behaved oddly for no apparent reason then vanished from the hotel without anyone seeing her leave. So on the face of it genuinely intriguing. They just should have been willing to recognise when all their speculations had become unnecessary hypotheses.
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