Netflix has really delivered with some of its true crime series as of late, and its latest foray into the territory is with Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill.

Releasing in the UK on Tuesday, the 75-minute documentary has already shot straight to the top of the charts in the region. The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill is the latest entry in Netflix’s Untold series, which shines a light on sports stories that have been forgotten over the years.

Previous editions in the series, which have been airing since 2021, have examined former tennis player Mardy Fish, American footballer Manti Te’o’s relationship with a woman who didn’t exist and the moment that former basketball players Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton drew firearms on each other during a heated locker room moment.

This time, the show is examining the case of former Olympian Michael Barisone, who was charged in 2019 with the attempted murder of one of his equestrian students, Lauren Kanarek. During his trial, Michael pleaded insanity, claiming that he was pushed to the brink by Lauren’s behaviour.

The documentary looks at both sides of the story, including interviews with both Michael and Lauren.

What have fans made of Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill?

Viewers have been hooked by the series, with one enthusing: “Untold is probably Netflix’s best series, The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill was interesting,” while a second commented: “Guys, I need everyone to watch the newest Untold on @netflix, The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill because I have no idea what to believe. Both sides seem crazy and I just have no words right now…and I still have 30 minutes to go!”

© Courtesy of Netflix
While fans enjoyed the series, critics have been divided

However, critically, the series has garnered a more mixed response. Writing in Decider, Scott Hines recommended viewers give it a miss. “It feels like there should be a compelling story in here: it’s an esoteric sport and a headline-grabbing crime,” he opined. “That’s plenty to build a gripping documentary around. Unfortunately, the end result is just tiring to watch.”

Meanwhile, Richard Roeper of Roger Ebert.com called the show “mostly a flat portrait of two lost people who dragged each other down a horrific rabbit hole for no earthly good reason”.

What happened in Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill?

The documentary shares what happens in the case of Michael Barisone and Lauren Kanarek. Michael was a former Olympian turned trainer, and one of his students was Lauren, who ended up living on Michael’s estate with her partner.

Eventually, Lauren’s behaviour became too much for Michael to handle, and he attempted to move both her and her partner away from his farm and training centre, even calling the emergency services. On 7 August 2019, Michael shot Lauren twice. She survived the shooting, but had to be placed into a medically induced coma and required surgery on her left lung.

© Courtesy of Netflix
Michael successfully pleaded insanity at his trial

Michael was subsequently charged with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. He was also held in prison to await his trial.

During the trial, which was held in 2022, Michael’s defence team argued innocence by reason of insanity, claiming that Lauren and her partner’s behaviour pushed him to the brink and that he couldn’t remember carrying out the shooting. Michael was found not guilty by reason of insanity for two of the charges, and was acquitted of the other two, being immediately released from prison following the verdict.