Review of The Keepers

The Keepers is good, not great. It is a very powerful documentary in terms of how the Catholic church enabled a serial pedophile, and in how it gives center stage to the brave people who stood up for themselves. Still, the seemingly central premise of Sister Catherine's murder, never really ties in to the bulk of the series. If you're hoping for compelling proof that her murder is tied to the Catholic church, the evidence of this is never strongly developed. In some ways, I finished the series more strongly convinced she was killed by a random predator than I believe it was connected to the church. On the other hand, the stories of the people who were abused by a priest, in almost full view of the church and the police, is extremely compelling and thought- provoking. I admire these people for speaking up and when the last credits rolled, I realized this series was really about providing true legitimacy to all people who have been sexually abused as children. That is the real story here - how sexual crimes against the innocent reverberate through their and other's lives for years and years. One final note is that it's clear that Sister Catherine was a very special person, and even though this documentary series doesn't deliver justice for her, it does convey an even stronger message about the way goodness can and will endure.