Crazy, Not Insane is a 2020 American documentary film directed and produced by Alex Gibney. It follows the research of psychiatrist Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis who studied the psychology of murders. It is narrated by Laura Dern.
The film follows the research of psychiatrist Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis who studied the psychology of murders. Richard Burr, Catherine Yeager, Park Dietz and Bill Hagmaier also appear in the film.
Production
Initially, Alex Gibney asked Dorothy Otnow Lewis if she would consult on a planned miniseries he was doing which was set to star Laura Dern as a psychiatrist who saw patients on death row, Lewis was delighted and agreed, and showed Gibney videotapes of her past cases, which Gibney found interesting.[2][3] Initially the film was called Dorothy and Ted and was set to follow Lewis as she investigated serial killer Ted Bundy and reflected back on her interview with him in 1989, however, in the final cut Bundy appears in a smaller part.[4]
Release
The film was set to have its world premiere at South by Southwest in March 2020, however, the festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5][6] The film instead had its world premiere at the CPH:DOX on March 18, 2020.[7] The film screened at the Venice Film Festival on September 10, 2020.[8][9] It is scheduled to be released on November 18, 2020.[10]
Reception
Critical reception
Crazy, Not Insane received positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 94% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 32 reviews, with an average of 7.2/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Crazy, Not Insane isn't as narratively disciplined as documentarian Alex Gibney's best work, but Dorothy Otnow Lewis' clinical analysis of murderous psychology may prompt unexpected sympathy for the devil."[11] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 78 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[12]
