Team Foxcatcher (2016)

Team Foxcatcher 2016

7.5/10
A home video heavy documentary that allots too much runtime on perpetrator John du Pont

Our take

This documentary prides itself on its rawness from its home video style. It uses a lot of uninterrupted clips that don’t really need to be there, as well as odd choices for symbolic b-roll and mood-setting music in the early going. But at the center of the documentary is John du Pont, an unstable old money mark who wishes to be one of the boys, treating the wrestlers like his family in the absence of his own. The interviews paint a clear picture of him as a delusional, lonely, and dangerous man, and the foreshadowing is insane albeit too slow. While it may be visually all over the place, perhaps the biggest nitpick about it is that, out of respect, it could have allotted more time to Dave Schultz or the aftermath.

Synopsis

With never-before seen home video, this film recounts the paranoid downward spiral of John E. du Pont and the murder of Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz.

Storyline

Team Foxcatcher sponsor John du Pont inexplicably murders close friend and top olympic wrestler, Dave Schultz.

TLDR

Psychotic old man befriends the police and is permitted to carry guns.

What stands out

Dave seems like the loveliest fellow.