The Anthrax Attacks: In The Shadow Of 9/11 is a true crime Netflix documentary directed and written by Dan Krauss. It recounts the October 2001 incident when the postal service was used to send victims anthrax poison.

In October 2001, letters containing anthrax poisoning were sent to media outlets and to the offices of several senators. As a result, five people died tragically. Early reports suggested that Islamic terrorists were involved, but after further examinations, it was revealed it could have from an enemy within. For nine years, the FBI investigated the crime and had two suspects which they looked at obsessively. Meanwhile, the surviving victims and the family of the deceased begged for answers to what caused the attack and who was behind it.

This movie highlights the incompetence and the tunnel vision that law enforcement can get while investigating a crime. One poor man, Steven Hatfill, was their target for a number of years so much so that he eventually sued and won. It was shocking at how slow, over the course of two presidents, before the FBI finally fingered a suspect, Bruce Edwards Ivins, who committed suicide because of the investigations. All wrongdoing was blamed on him but questions remain.

As for the documentary, it was pretty good. It never veered into the politics of it and kept it about the investigation with reenactments and interviews. Clark Gregg appears in the documentary as Ivins and he did a good job impersonating him. The film definitely gives a good timeline of the events and how the incident impacted so many lives.

Check out the trailer below:

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Foul language, Disturbing content

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