Netflix viewers have been left in tears after watching a harrowing true crime documentary that recently premiered on the platform. The film, titled 'All The Empty Rooms', chronicles journalist Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp as they travel across the United States to document the bedrooms of children lost to school shootings.
True crime enthusiast Dani, known as @crimedocdani on TikTok, described the documentary as 'horrifically tragic' and warned viewers before revealing its subject matter. 'I've seen about a thousand documentaries, and when I tell you this was one of the hardest I've ever had to get through, I'm not being dramatic,' she said. 'These stories are incredibly important to tell.'
Social media users echoed her sentiments, with one commenting: 'Scared to watch it! I'm still not over The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez - still makes me teary eyed when I think about it.' Another viewer shared a personal connection: 'My son's room is exactly the same as when he died suddenly from a fall 8 1/2 years ago at age 21 while away at college.'
On IMDb, the 34-minute short has received a rating of 7.6 out of 10. One reviewer wrote: 'I didn't want to watch this because I knew it would be heartbreaking but that's the whole point. For anyone who thinks the right to own a gun is more important than the rights of children to go to school and not be killed, this is a must watch.' Another called it 'an astonishing, deeply human masterpiece - a film of rare emotional power and moral clarity.'
The documentary, directed and produced by Joshua Seftel, is suitable for viewers aged 12 and above. It has sparked conversations about gun control, with one commenter saying: 'Every gun owner should be made to watch this before getting a gun. I'm sobbing.'
