I love a story of power, media and a chilling Hollywood cover-up.
The inside scoop on film mogul Harvey Weinstein’s destruction and Miramax’s demise.
It’s like “All the President’s Men” meets “We Need to Talk About Cosby”.
Trailer for “Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes”
Watch “Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes”
You can watch “Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes” on HBO Max at https://play.max.com/video/watch/9fa062dd-e225-4d6d-bfec-a9a848399b01/01fb7476-66d5-4928-876c-cb6a71f6c7ef
Ratings:
- My Rating: 95/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 67/100 (Users); 88/100 (Critics)
Release date: July 12, 2021
My Review of “Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes”
Ronan Farrow’s “Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes” dives into a world of cover-ups, harassment, and abuse in Hollywood.
I binge-watched this one.
This six-part HBO documentary doesn’t just reveal the horrors committed by Harvey Weinstein—it exposes the powerful people and institutions who shielded him.
ou see just how far some went to keep his crimes buried.
I love the modern twists of this story.
For example, Twitter plays a major role. In October 2016, Rose McGowan tweeted that she’d been raped by the head of a movie studio, though she didn’t name him.
Later, she confirmed she was referring to Weinstein. The way McGowan turned to Twitter in her fight is just one part of this doc that feels so modern.
Another twist is the making of the docuseries itself?
While Farrow first exposed Weinstein in The New Yorker in 2017, he then turned the story into a podcast, and now we’re watching that podcast unfold in this docuseries.
The Investigative Process
Co-Directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato (known for Party Monster (2003), RuPaul’s Drag Race (2009) and The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021)), give us a front-row seat to Farrow’s relentless, often dangerous, work.
We see him piece together stories from women who Weinstein harassed or abused, and he even interviews people inside the system who worked to keep the secrets hidden.
NBC, Farrow’s employer at the time, allegedly pressured him to abandon his investigation, which forced him to turn to The New Yorker.
That choice—along with the support of journalist Ken Auletta—made all the difference.
Auletta had been trying to expose Weinstein for years but faced barriers, and here he joins Farrow in an intense, tireless effort to get to the truth.
You really feel the stakes when Farrow starts pushing for NBC to publish the story, only to have his network push back.
With The New Yorker behind him, though, he finally finds a safe place to tell it.
You Can’t Make This Sh*t Up
NBC News executives allegedly tried to shut down Ronan Farrow’s reporting on Weinstein, leading him to take the story to The New Yorker instead.
Weinstein hired Black Cube, an Israeli intelligence firm, to spy on Farrow and his sources.
Behind the Curtain of a Scandal
Throughout, Bailey and Barbato follow Farrow’s journey, giving us his day-to-day experience collecting evidence and recording podcasts with survivors.
We hear firsthand accounts, like that of Ambra Battilana Gutierrez.
She courageously went to the police after Weinstein harassed her, even wearing a wire to record him.
But instead of finding justice, she was publicly shamed, and the case was buried.
The doc lets us hear Gutierrez’s wire recording, where Weinstein’s manipulation tactics are chillingly clear.
Director’s Choices and Atmosphere
Bailey and Barbato’s approach here. They stay clear of heavy-handed effects or dramatic editing.
They simply focus on the people telling their stories, and it’s incredibly powerful. Bailey’s experience with tough, controversial subjects shines through.
He lets pauses and close-ups do the talking.
In just three hours total, the doc manages to cover so much ground without feeling cluttered.
The tone is tense but respectful, letting each voice take center stage.
Farrow’s struggle with NBC is especially poignant.
He admits he nearly gave up because of NBC’s alleged interference.
But with Auletta’s support and The New Yorker on his side, he pushed through. I felt the gravity of that choice—he had a real chance of losing his story, but he kept going.
More Shocking Details to Watch For
- NBC’s Complicity: Farrow’s story wasn’t the first time NBC faced accusations of covering for powerful men. Employees talk about a pattern at the network of shielding the famous.
- Legal Gag Orders: Many of Farrow’s sources were legally bound by non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that kept them silent. These NDAs show just how tangled the legal side of abuse can get.
- Weinstein’s Protectors: Weinstein wasn’t acting alone. His web of protectors included lawyers, PR teams, and other close allies who did whatever they could to keep his accusers silent.
- Media Silence: NBC wasn’t the only outlet avoiding this story. The documentary sheds light on other media platforms that ignored or buried accounts of abuse.
- #MeToo’s Reach: “Catch and Kill” shows how the #MeToo movement gave power back to survivors. Watching these voices finally break through feels huge.
Wrap Up
“Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes” uncovers an entire culture of silence and intimidation.
By the end, I felt shaken, inspired, and angry. But I also felt glad that folks like Ronan Farrow and Ken Auletta stand up to power.
Thanks for reading!
Rob Kelly, Chief Maniac, Daily Doc