CRASH, THE

(director/writer: Gareth Johnson; cinematographer: David Paul Jacobson; editor: Hamit Shonpal; music: Jessica Jones; cast: Mackenzie Shirilla, Rosie Graham (Shirilla’s friend), Domenic Russo (crash vic), Davion Flanagan (crash vic), Frank Russo (Dominick’s father), Ryan Fox (Davion’s sister), Scott Flanagan (Davion’s adopted father), Nancy M. Russo (Judge); Runtime: 94; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Angharad Scott; Netflix; 2026)

“Fast-paced true crime story.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
 
Gareth Johnson (“The Child in the Box: Who killed Ursula Herrmann”) directs this fast-paced true crime story. The documentary gives you a bad feeling about how volatile some people get.

In the suburban middle-class town of Strongsville, Ohio, on the morning of July 31, 2022, the 17 year-old Mackenzie Shirilla crashed her car into a brick wall at a speed of a 100mph to kill her 20-year-old wealthy live-in boyfriend Domenic Russo, who was about to leave her, and his 19-year-old friend Davion Flanagan, who was a passenger. Shirilla was wearing a seat belt Russo and Flanagan were not. They were coming home from a party, where they were smoking pot.

After the crash was investigated by the authorities through use of surveillance videos and determined it was not an accident, Shirilla was put on trial and received a sentence of 15 years to life, with the possibility of parole. She claims to have no memory of the incident and is not a killer. We see her prison interview in the last 15-minutes, and learn she didn’t testify at her trial.

It’s a well-made but unpleasant film that viewers who like true crime stories might be receptive to.

REVIEWED ON 5/22/2026  GRADE: B
dennisschwartzreviews.com