Background
The series is based on actual events in Koodathayi, a village in Kerala, India, between 2002 and 2016. [3] Jolly Joseph, a mother and wife, was accused of poisoning six members of her family, including her first husband, with cyanide-laced food. She allegedly did this to inherit the family property and to marry her lover, who was her husband’s cousin. [4] It is based on first-person testimonials of individuals involved in the case. [5]
Reception
Anuj Kumar of India Today noted that the documentary is gripping in parts but does not offer new insights into the case, relying largely on already familiar information. [6]
The Week described the series as engaging in parts, while pointing out that repetitive narration and limited psychological exploration reduce its overall impact. [7]
Princy Xavier of Cinema Express wrote that the documentary is chilling and heartbreaking, but felt that the story of the victims required a more layered and sensitive treatment. [8]
According to OTTPlay , the documentary was described as middling, stating that it does not fully succeed either as a detailed investigation or as an emotional narrative. [9]
The Times of India rated the documentary 3 out of 5, calling it a chilling recount of the crimes while noting that it remains surface-level in its treatment of the case. [10]
Times Now wrote that the documentary effectively conveys the disturbing nature of the crimes but lacks deeper investigative perspective. [11]
Zoom TV stated that while the documentary provides a comprehensive recounting of events, it misses important perspectives that could have strengthened the narrative. [12]
Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express wrote that the documentary is a dissatisfying true-crime effort, stating that it inelegantly exhumes the Koodathayi killings and lacks narrative finesse and depth. [13]
Controversy
In January 2024, the second accused in the Koodathayi cyanide killings case, M. S. Mathew, approached a court in Kozhikode seeking a ban on the documentary. He argued that the documentary, released while the criminal trial was still pending, contained misleading material and could prejudice the judicial process. [14]
In March 2024, the Kozhikode Additional Sessions Court rejected the plea and refused to halt the screening of the documentary on Netflix, holding that there were no sufficient grounds to grant a stay on its release. [15]
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