Netflix’s excellent Amanda Knox documentary is full of shocking twists and real-life players so absurd they reach caricature—the chief detective with a flair for horny embellishment and an eagerness for the spotlight; the ruthless tabloid journalist who reports every salacious detail with a shit-eating grin; the Italian loverboy whose life of computers and PlayStations gives way to a whirlwind romance and accusations of murder.
But there is also an incredible caricature lodged about 22 minutes in, when Amanda takes a phone call from her friend Brett back home. Amanda’s new roommate has just been found murdered in her Perugia apartment, and Amanda has been brought in for questioning. (She is, in fact, getting her calls bugged by the local police at this juncture.) The resulting phone call is totally jarring, and, in context, a little bit hilarious. We paraphrased the conversation in our group chat yesterday:
Emma Carmichael: also when her friend calls
and is like
Kelly Stout: oh yeah
Emma: “IT’S SO CRAAZZZY YOU’RE IN LOOOVE IN ITALLYYY”
Madeleine Davies: oh god
Emma: and amanda’s like “i’m accused of murder”
Kelly: “I’m kind of stressed because my roommate got murdered.”
Emma: her friend: DON’T FOCUS ON THAT RN BABE
Madeleine: “this is going to be the best year of your life!”
Kelly: and her friend is like “beb”
“you are with rafael!”
Emma: UR ITALIAN BOYFRIEND IS HOT AS HELL, RELAX!!
Kelly: and she’s like “yeah, but murder…”
Julianne Escobedo Shepherd: she’s like “sorry yr having such a hard time is rafaele your BOYFRIEND?!?!?!”
Bobby Finger: god i loved that call
she’s like “Ugh i had the FUCKING WORST DAY.”
and the friend is like “BUT U GET TO FUK THE HOTTIE!!!”
“Girl It’s Fine”
Kelly: “girl try to take your mind off the murder. stressing won’t bring her back to life.”
Bobby: “I’ve been falsely accused of murder”
“But 👏 how 👏 is 👏 the 👏 dick?”
We exaggerated it slightly, but it’s honestly not so far off. The following is a verbatim transcript of the call:
Brett: Amanda, it’s Brett! What are you doing?
Amanda: I’m just about to head home from one of Raffaele’s friend’s place.
Brett: So is Raffaele like, your like, boyfriend?
Amanda: Yeah!
Brett: Is he super hot?
Amanda: I’ll send you a picture.
Brett: Do it now! Do it now! Amanda, I miss you so much!
Amanda: Yeah, I know. I had a really bad day today. Fuck man. Being in the police station, I’m incredibly nervous, and I always feel like I’m gonna burst into crying ‘cause I’m like so upset. But, um, I feel good now talking to you.
Brett: Aw, honey! Don’t worry about it. Remember, when that happens, go, “Wait. I’m in Italy. And I’m with Raffaele. And I’m 20. And I’m gonna look back on this year as the best year of my life.”
Aw, honey! Three days before this call, Knox’s roommate, Meredith Kercher, was brutally murdered and possibly sexually assaulted in their home. The “bad day” Knox describes was that of a police interrogation about a homicide. If you’re looking for the “white girl studies abroad” trope illustrated in technicolor, look no further. Bless this mess of a phone call.
Amanda Knox is streaming on Netflix now.
UPDATE: If you’re Brett, please email us at [email protected], we would love to know what you’re up to now.