SAN FRANCISCO, CA – APRIL 20: Pre-rolled joints are displayed during a 420 Day celebration on ‘Hippie Hill’ in Golden Gate Park on April 20, 2018 in San Francisco, California. In the first year that marijuana is legal for recreational use in California, thousands of marijuana enthusiasts gathered in Golden Gate Park to celebrate 420 day, the de facto holiday for marijuana advocates, with large gatherings and ‘smoke outs’ in many parts of the United States. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Murder Mountain: Netflix’s exposé of the conflicting legal, yet nefariously murderous, the marijuana industry in Northern California’s notorious Alderpoint area.
A police officer describes entering Alderpoint, AKA ‘the hill’ or the intimidating Murder Mountain, to investigate a murder. He is escorted by ATVs manned by masked criminals:
"“We went up in a caravan of sheriff deputies… in the front and rear of our column I see guys jump out on Enduro motorcycles with shotguns strapped to their back. “I start to reach for my sidearm and the deputy I’m with assured me, ‘don’t worry about it, that’s what they do, they’re just escorting us through the area’. I though to myself, ‘Are you kidding me?! We’re the police!’ …a surreal Mad Max scenario.”"
Even the police unnervingly refer to the hill as Murder Mountain: signs shot out; buried bodies; burnt cars; and scary faces line the scenery. Disreputable people, risky business. It’s so dangerous up there that land or property is extremely cheap.
Northern Cali’s Murder Mountain
Picturesque landscape laid back cannabis policy, and reliably liberal politics belie a literal killing field. A chasm that is witnessed in Humboldt County, California in the United States – emotionally illustrated by Netflix’s superb original documentary division in Murder Mountain.
Worldly and natural charm often disarms a viewer, yet there was no subtle or masked introduction to this six-part exposé. An immediate impact is felt by the many parents looking for their missing – some may say naive – adult progeny who migrated to Northern California for work as dope harvesters.
Searches, tributes and eventually closure for lost loved ones is the aim for these poor folks at the beginning of episode one. Why are these people going missing? One answer is the search for fast bohemian riches in the medical marijuana fields, of course. Naturally, a notion such as this usually goes against most father and mother’s wishes.
This is the Napa Valley for weed; an outlaw community – residents divulge reactions to their hometown are telling “wink-wink, nudge-nudge.” Alderpoint is the black hole. As well as weed crime, there’s also the more traditional mountain murders between squabbling outsiders.
So, why are all of these ‘trimmigrants’ going missing?
"“They (resettled harvesters) think they’re gonna be in paradise, smoking weed and making loads of money; the reality is that they find themselves in various dangerous situations.” – Representative, Cal Advocates for the missing"
Photo Credit: Getty Images
There are more missing people in Humboldt than anywhere else in the state – residents ponder whether the disappearances are due to a serial killer’s wrath. Serial killers Michael Bear Carson and Susan Barnes Carson had worked and murdered in the area in the early 80s. Though the focus of this piece is the noughties.
Organized criminals are suspected of homicide on the hill to protect their turf, excuse the pun. They make their own rules, separated on the whole from law enforcement.
The sheriff says there were 20 homicides the previous year; receiving information is not plentiful from those involved in the cultivation of ‘the herb’, this is down to the outlaw lifestyle – whether perceived or actuality.
The trade
Rather than examining the global trade, Murder Mountain showcases fascinating insight into the relationships at the source level. We learn early on that “The region around Humboldt County produces 60 per cent of the marijuana grown in the United States. It’s known as the Emerald Triangle.”
What’s going on in this idyllic place? Well, we can’t give it away, you need to watch the documentary – but it is shockingly gripping and informative.
Police assert a population of people waiting to take advantage of those stepping off buses from out-of discovered
"“…the most beautiful place to live in the world.” – Private Investigator, despite conducting many missing persons searches"
Parents come as far from Australia to find their offspring that may have been gone from up to 30 years according to the cold cases. A denizen of lost souls. Volunteers look tirelessly.
There are two types of personalities on the mountain: breezy and chill; additionally, chancers and fraudsters running away from something. Unwanted sexual advances occur; illegitimate, disgraceful work practices like women forced to work topless and other disturbing practices are divulged on the darkly characterized mountain.
For example, did you ever think you’d discover the real Trevor Philips from Grand Theft Auto? In Humboldt, those characters are not in short supply in the local area. Honestly. There are always those few television shows which make you want to play a game depiction; the authentic GTA V vibes are strong.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Visually this production is stunning on multiple levels: cinematography; style; not to mention a panoramic view of the wild make for an eclectic, entertaining experience. Silky editing transitions, substance, and outcome also score highly – a true triumph!
If you’re interested in weed, this is one of the holy grails! Netflix takes a comprehensive look at the magical plant through documentaries and this is a standout. Encompassing the nurture qualities and rivalries in the potent industry.
The love for the ‘bud’ from certain ‘OGs – Original Growers, who are former-hippies-turned businessmen – is rather extreme satisfying and patriarchal. Talk to your plants, guys!
Why Humboldt?
How it began: a hippy commune of mainly pacifists which grew weed to survive through profit, and as a “staple” of their lives. The seclusion made it become an industry for drugs of all types. Paranoid horticulturists were outlaws – before legalization – cultivating then running from helicopter raids. Then weed became legal for medicinal use. A boom of grows emerged.
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Later legalization, or prop. 64, made the area diversify into harder drugs because of profit loses through taxes, regulations and violent competition. 50,000 illegal ‘grows’ allegedly still exist.
"“Before I worked as a grower I was a lobbyist and campaign manager in Utah”"
That quote is from one black market dealer who’ll never leave and ‘loves the hill’; despite being shot at, beaten, hunted, robbed, and kidnapped three times. His ‘grow’ is trashed when we meet him but he still takes the cameras into the town for a large transaction.
Other residents are said to be upset at the sensationalism in the show, worried about the effect on tourism it may cause. This seems entirely founded but the place needs regulating regardless. Again, the polarity of the herb’s essence versus unnecessary death is worthy of attention. Also noteworthy is the fact that some residents – including a commendable Vietnam War veteran – are brave enough to face the truth in an attempt for justice for some they do not even know; interpreted by questionable police as vigilante justice.
Show Snob scores Murder Mountain at four out of five stars. Full marks would be granted if a solution was offered, along with being about an hour too long. Production company Lightbox produced the online documentary; they have Oscar winners attached and significant projects such as Whitney recently released. Murder Mountain is a must see.
What did you think of Murder Mountain? Be sure to tell us in the comment section below!