‘Shocking’ movie with disturbing twists finally streaming on Netflix today

A heartbreaking true crime documentary with shocking twists has landed on Netflix.

A Deadly American Marriage tells the story of Jason Corbett, an Irish man living in North Carolina who was killed in 2015.

His wife, Molly Martens, and father-in-law, Thomas Martens, were found guilty of second-degree murder in 2017, however, their convictions were later reversed, and they were both released from prison in 2024 after accepting a plea bargain to reduced charges.

Molly and Thomas claim they acted in self-defense after Jason allegedly attacked Molly during an altercation between the trio.

The investigation into his death was the subject of widespread media coverage, debating the alleged circumstances surrounding it.

Both Molly and Thomas tell their side of the story in A Deadly American Marriage, which also features interviews with Jason’s children, Jack and Sarah, as well as others involved in the case.

A Deadly American Marriage is now on Netflix (Picture: Brendan O’Callaghan / Netflix) The documentary has been described as ‘excruciating’ (Picture: Netflix)

A Deadly American Marriage is now available to watch on Netflix, with the Irish Times describing it as ‘shocking’ and ‘excruciating’ to watch due to its focus on the effect of the crime on Jack and Sarah.

Heaven of Horror said it is ‘a real rollercoaster ride’, while adding: ‘It’s a well-made documentary that utilizes facts and presents the story of this true crime in a chronological way.’

Molly met Jason in 2008 after working as an au pair for his children, Jack and Sarah, and the pair became a couple and married in 2011.

On August 2, 20115, Thomas called 911 and said that Jason had been badly injured, claiming that the two had argued and Thomas had struck Jason with a baseball bat.

The case sent shockwaves around the US when it was publicised (Picture: Netflix)

Molly and Thomas claimed that Jason attacked Molly and threatened to kill her, leading them to allegedly act in self-defense.

They were charged with second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter in 2016, to which they both pleaded not guilty. Molly and Thomas were then convicted and sentenced to 20 to 25 years in prison, respectively.

They appealed their convictions successfully in 2021, and in 2013, they agreed to a plea deal of class D manslaughter charges and were sentenced to 51 to 74 months in prison.

In 2024, both Molly and Thomas were released from prison after completing their sentences.

The series is new on Netflix (Picture: Netflix)

Speaking about the documentary, directors Jenny Popplewell and Jessica Burgess explained how they wanted to approach the complicated case.

‘This case demonstrates how complex the American justice system is,’ they told Tudum in a statement.

‘Where is the truth? Where are the lies? Where is justice? This documentary demonstrates that it’s not clear-cut.’

They continued: ‘From the very beginning, we approached both families. For the film to remain objective and balanced, we never discussed information we learned with either side.’

A Deadly American Marriage is available to stream on Netflix

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