This Disturbing Netflix True Crime Series Should Be Your Weekend Binge

Anthony Templet shot his father when he was 17 years old. He has never denied this. But there’s so much more to Netflix’s latest true crime series, I Just Killed My Dad, than meets the eye.

The three-part docuseries is directed by Skye Borgman, the same woman who brought us Abducted In Plain Sight and The Girl In The Picture. And like Borgman’s past subjects, Anthony’s story is equal parts baffling and disturbing.

The series title comes from the 911 transcription from the night in 2019 when Anthony shot his father, Bert. At the beginning of episode one, the chilling phone call is played, as a creepily calm Anthony tells the operator, “I just killed my dad… I shot him three times.”

From here, Anthony is arrested by Lousiana police. This could have been a pretty straightforward case, but like most good true crime yarns, there’s much more going on under the surface. In the weeks following Anthony’s arrest and eventually being put under house arrest to await sentencing, several people came forward who painted a grim picture of Anthony’s life leading up to Bert’s shooting.

FYI: This article contains some spoilers, so if you want to watch this series with no expectations (which I’d recommend) exit this browser window now.

Anthony’s coworker claimed that Bert tracked Anthony’s every move with a GPS device, and Anthony’s stepmother Susan revealed that he had received no education in his formative years, while also alleging that Bert emotionally and physically abused her regularly.

Most egregiously, it was discovered that Bert had taken Anthony away from his biological mother at a young age, a woman who also claims she suffered horrendous abuse by Bert for years.

Anthony revealed in interviews that he wasn’t allowed to have any friends growing up and he regularly faced physical harm at the hands of his father.

The result of these years of being isolated, living in fear, and lacking education meant that Anthony grew up to be a socially awkward, quiet young man who could barely communicate — he couldn’t even remember his own address when questioned by police.

The question that I Just Killed My Dad keeps asking its viewers is: did Anthony murder his dad, or was it manslaughter, and ultimately, did Bert get what was coming to him?

If you can handle disturbing true crime shows, reminiscent of Mommy Dead and Dearest, then this should be your next binge.

Check out the trailer for Netflix’s I Just Killed My Dad below:

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I Just Killed My Dad is currently streaming on Netflix.