True life crimes are by their nature compelling in their details, unsolved true crimes are doubly so, with the perpetrator still out there. What if you could reach out to them, or at least who you think it is? In 2010, a potential narrative based on the facts was constructed, that intended to provoke a reaction from the lead suspect of the time while giving audiences an entertaining and engaging thriller in the film All Good Things.

David Marks is a young rebellious son of a wealthy New York property magnate, Sanford. He soon meets and falls for student Katie and the two start an idyllic life in the comparative seclusion of Vermont. However, the allure of the big city is all too powerful, and his father’s power draws the couple back to New York. However, the drugs and paranoia of the era seem to fuel David’s violent side and escalating events ends up in her mysterious disappearance. As David suddenly goes into hiding and more inexplicable events transpire, we all soon to discover that all good things do come to an end.

The film is an interpretation of the facts as they are presented (or at least as the production team, pictured they went down.) The names have been changed and some artistic licence have been applied. Yes, a lot of the real-world details remain intact and the real-life events themselves do go down an interesting path, one that should be seen to be believed. This is also felt outside the film as the with its sister series, the Jinx. Apparently, the main drive to create this film was to prompt a reaction from the real-life inspiration for David Marks. That happened a couple of years later in the show, with them providing their apparent admiration of the project.

In its own right, All Good Thing certainly is not lacking. The production values are top-notch, especially when recreating the era the film is set in, and the cast does an excellent job of recreating these events as they seemingly transpired. Even with more comedic stars in the roles typically filled for more serious players. The relationship between Frank Langella’s Sanford and Ryan Gosling’s David is also excellent and it is great to see these actors working off each other. With Kristen Dunst in the mix, the film is a powder keg of drama.

In the case of real-world events both foreshadowing and succeeding a work of art, It can be hard to judge a piece that instigates such dramatic revelations. All Good Things achieves what it evidently sets out to do, while also providing an overview to those who may not have been familiar with the case. The cast and crew help recreate the feeling of the 70s and the dark transition of a happy carefree couple to the cast of an infamous crime. As is the case in a lot of these true crime narratives, we will never know what happened. Regardless, All Good Things paints an intriguing and captivating picture.

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