Soaked in Bleach

Dir: Benjamin Statler

2015

****

In the days leading up to the death of Nirvana front-man and music Icon Kurt Cobain, private Detective Tom Grant was hired by Cobain's Wife, Courtney Love, to search for him as he had gone missing without contacting anyone. Grant, who didn't know who Cobain was at first, preceded to go about his business as he always did in such cases but soon discovered there was more to the case than he first thought. When Cobain turned up dead by his own hand in the room about his garage, he became even more certain that there was foul play. One of the first things that Grant addresses in Benjamin Statler's engaging investigative documentary is the term 'Conspiracy theory'. He states the dictionary definition but understands that when people say it about him it is intended as an insult and sees it as lazy ignorance. He then continues to make a very convincing case. Grant doesn't claim to know exactly who he knows did it, he has an idea but this isn't so much about blame as it is good detective work and how the facts have been blurred. He explains through taped conversations and reconstructions how the events unfolded and how the media and police are to blame for mishandling of the truth. Benjamin Statler interviews leading criminal and scientific investigators and also the previous Police Chief working at Seattle PD at the time. Police Chief Norm Stamper states that mistakes were made and the department should reopen the case but explained why many cases like this don't get reopened, pride, stubbornness and not wanting to lose face seeming to be the crux of it. It is clear to read between the lines. The fact that Courtney Love was proven to feed false information to the media says a lot. The Police detective in charge of the case at the time was under investigation for theft and has since been regarded as a bad egg and most shocking of all, it is revealed that Suicides were generally never looked into and taken for what they were when it was believed the victim was a drug user, ignoring the amount of money (millions) Love was set to inherit. The documentary might not give us a definitive killer but I believe it proves that Cobain probably didn't kill himself and that everything we thought we knew about the case is a complete lie. Compelling and quite frightening, especially when Grant declares that to date over sixty copy-cat suicides have taken place by fans of the music icon. That is why Grant continues his fight and I believe his integrity and intentions are pure.