Not Carol (2019) User Reviews

Great Documentary, Loser husband should be charged too

[myinbox-71816 · 8/10 · 20 April 2022]

OMG! How is that pathetic excuse for a man she was with not also on trial? He's just as much at fault as she is. He refused to do Anything to help with the kids, yelled at her if the baby cried at night, mad if everything wasn't perfect when he got home. He literally says she woke up that morning acting crazy and screaming. His reaction, he walked out of the house and left her alone because he didn't want to deal with her. She says, we're almost out of money, in a call. So this loser wasn't even doing his job as a provider, if he's going to demand she do everything as a homemaker alone. F'in creep should be on trial too!! If they can try that teen girl for pushing her BF to commit suicide, this guy should be tried and punished for his role in torturing her and pushing her into a mental break.

The documentary is actually a really good presentation on mental illness and post partum and how it's dismissed in America. I don't agree it's a forgiveness excuse for killing her children. She could have left the house or give to a neighbor when family wasn't responding or killed herself. The argument they offered that she killed them because she thought they were better off in heaven than with their LOSER father who ignored and yelled at them for crying made sense though. I can see her thinking that. Doesn't justify it but can see how she might feel that in a compromised mental state.

This is a great watch for those who don't know what to look for though. Maybe this should be required watch for all new fathers.

Avoidable Tragedy-Broken System

[ingridg-22149 · 10/10 · 29 September 2021]

In an increasingly regressive America where justice is denied and mental illness is ignored, we can only expect to see more of the same.

Propaganda Lacking Teeth

[helenahandbasket-93734 · 2/10 · 8 December 2020]

So many failures by so many people who could have prevented this horrific crime, who have now found a convenient scapegoat in postpartum psychosis, and not being held accountable for their utter failure to act.

Her mother, her siblings, her friends, and ultimately her husband all had innumerable chances to intervene yet have the audacity to claim ignorance AS A DEFENSE. Regardless whether you've ever heard a single word in reference to PPP (highly unlikely)- if you know factually that events have transpired that are detrimental to the normal behavior of a woman suffering from extreme exhaustion (which she stated countless times) socioeconomic struggles to the point of oppression, (also stated and easily witnessed as they were living in a single room garage conversion with 3 children under 3) a husband with absolutely abominable views (her family confess to telling her countless times she needs to make him help her) among other issues, and it's a catastrophic failure of immeasurable proportions.

Now coupled with an absolutely incompetent defense attorney (seriously? A bench trial? What moron thinks this a legitimate strategy with good outcomes?) who doesn't consider serious discussions with the prosecution and the state regarding your case to settle this without needing to go to trial?

I fully understand the seriousness with which this psychosis affects a mother and the danger it can place her and her children in; having a sister-in law suffer this- she told my wife and my sister of her ideations and they informed me and we got her immediate help. Any physician will immediately react effectively to assist a mother suffering even slight symptoms to ensure family safety. What this film does is give a sort of plausible deniability to those who failed this woman, and more importantly, three innocent children from a slaughter.

Some states do offer other options aside from innocent by way of mental illness; what the problem here is, a filmmaker with zero interest in looking outside of CA, along with legal professionals who absolutely know better but recklessly make untrue statements, because that destroys the narrative. While I would tend to agree that our legal system is woefully lacking where mental faculties are concerned, there are other options. However, expecting ELECTED officials to pass laws that basically give a 'pass' to someone who murders their child(ren) and they're not getting re-elected. For lack of a better phrase, enacting such a law would be political suicide for an elected official that likely wants a lifetime position.

Postpartum depression and psychosis are debilitating and incredibly dangerous, but what's most troubling regarding this case is the ultimate failure of so many people to make a difference that likely saves these girls. I find it disgusting that for 20 minutes we're subjected to fluff regarding Carol's character with zero references to her suffering, but later we hear countless examples of her slow drip of her fleeting sanity from people who had the power to make a difference and failed her at every turn. If nothing else, her husband WHOEAS THERE BUT TOO BUSY WORKING ON HIS CAR TO BOTHER WITH HIS FAMILY but pestered her mother to come and 'deal' with her daughter losing her mind, to find her murdered grandchildren while he was there.

What a sad commentary that changes nothing.

An Excellent Documentary About A Terrible Subject

[caf-19 · 9/10 · 10 November 2020]

If you are a man or woman of child-bearing age, see this documentary. If you know any cousins, nieces, aunts, sisters, or friends who are in that child-bearing age demographic, get them and their spouses to see this documentary.

The issue this covers is something we should be educated about because it can save needless pain and even lives. Husbands need to know about this disease. Many husbands could also learn an object lesson, by watching Carol's selfish jackass husband, some behaviors not to do; and attitudes NEVER to have, like, for example, "You have the uterus, so you're on your own, lady..." Like other reviewers, I strongly feel that chauvinist-pig husband was complicit in bringing about the tragedy.

Nevertheless, It's an important, if somewhat grueling, film about the little known mental dysfunction called post partum psychosis that strikes, with little warning, women who have recently delivered a baby. It's not just about those post-partum blues where we feel a little overwhelmed and teary. Oh no.

The film also also touches on the dangerous side-effects, like depression, psychosis, and suicide, that the over-popularized 'Pill' can cause in susceptible victims. I caution you, though, there's nothing light about this documentary.

The film, Not Carol, follows the case of army veteran Carol Coronado as her family retells the circumstances that built up to one fateful day in the life of Carol and her beautiful, if financially challenged, family. But there's more than one heart wrenching case. Through the stories of several women, husbands, and specialists in the field, the film details the history, signs, and subtle symptoms of this unique, hormonally exacerbated mental illness that claims truly the most innocent of innocent victims EVERY YEAR.

As the documentary follows Carol's fate in a justice system ill equipped to deal with tragedies of this kind, the viewer may justifiably feel a sense of frustration at the antiquated laws, and ill informed, merciless judiciary who hold Carol's fate in their hands.

This film should be required viewing by all OB-GYN'S. If enough people were educated, enlightened and motivated by Not Carol, maybe someday unnecessary tragedies like this preventable mental illness will stop. Maybe in a better world, mental health testing will become a natural, normal course of pre, and, post-partum female care.

Sensitive to mental illness - but there were choices

[cmminca · 1/10 · 10 November 2020]

I am sensitive to mental illness & psychosis but what stood out to me in Carol's case was her own knowledge that she was going to do something bad. She made numerous calls to her mother for help before she killed 3 babies under the age of 2, but she didn't call 911 or call anyone else to come to her immediately, or even run to her neighbors for help before she took a knife and slashed 3 little girls under age 2 because she was sleep deprived and going nuts and her mom didn't pick up. If she could have the sanity to call her mother for help before the murders, she could have called 911 or her husband or anybody - who would have helped her & got the babies to safety. She got her mom's voicemail as it was in during the day and because she got no answer - she killed 3 babies?? I am not buying her excuse. If she was nuts, delusional & out of her mind, she wouldn't have been calling her mom for help. I agree with her sentence 3 life sentences with no parole, yes she is severely mentally ill but she knew enough to call her mom for help - then she did the murders. People who are truly psychotic and delusional do not reach out for help as they are in their psychotic mindset. The documentary believed she should walk free because she was mentally ill when she killed all her babies, the woman was sane enough to try to get help - she shouldn't walk free after taking the lives of 3 innocent children. Mental illness is one thing, murder is not acceptable because you have postpartum psychosis but you are not psychotic when you are making calls asking for help.

A tragic tale about an ongoing problem in our society.

[dfox-36976 · 10/10 · 25 November 2020]

I am shocked by the deplorable trolls trashing this documentary as well as the subject and the main character!!! By definition, NOBODY who is sane does what the women in this documentary have done!!! Mental illness is a horrible thing and woefully ignored, undiagnosed and treated in this country. I have two comments for the cruel people spewing their hatred via their reviews. If you have never experienced something, you have no clue what it is like and "hate the sin, NOT the sinner!!!"

DEAD BEAT DAD...

[bnntorres · 1 January 2022]

HE WANTS TO PLAY THE PART OF A GREAT FATHER ONLY TO SOME OF YOUR KIDS .. OH K WHAT ABOUT THE ONE THAT IS ALIVE AND HAS TRIES TO REACH OUT TO HIM BUT HES NOT READY YET HE IS JUST TRYING TO MAKE A QIUCK BUCK...IM JUST SO SAD THAT THESE 3 ANGELS NEVER HAD A CHANCE.

Excellent documentary about something not discussed enough

[carriec30 · 9/10 · 7 November 2021]

I do not blame Carol, of course I don't. I am not one to ever write negatively about anybody. I am from Los Angeles originally myself, and my father is Mexican, from East LA. I just need to say this: Rudy, the father of these three little girls, clearly meant well as a provider, etc... But I couldn't stand listening to him talk because he just spoke in slogans/idioms/expressions? What was he even talking about? I'm not sure if he's just repeating these figures of speech because he had heard them used by other people, or if he truly understands what he's articulating..The reason this bothers me is that it seems he feels that he is all knowing and has all the answers. Not helpful for Carol! I just found him to be repulsively self centered. He seemed completely removed from the reality of what was going on and reality in general. He is overly simplistic & not a very big thinker. And why does he have to talk with that wannabe cholo accent? I can't stand hearing that! It's one thing to speak in a certain way because of language difference. I am not being racially insensitive in any way. As I said, I spent my whole entire first 24 years of life in LA, and my community was mostly Mexican American. I am familiar with many East LA dialects and lingos, and by no means am I suggesting that any way of speaking is superior or inferior to another. And I understand that all communities have their own slang and that's fine! But I'm not referring to his language or speech, it's all the forced intonation he creates around his speaking for absolutely no reason. It's fake. It's completely fabricated in an attempt to sound like he's TOUGH. But it just makes him sound like a wannabe gangster, and like he has no original ideas, even if perhaps he may indeed. Something about this intonation these wannabe cholos use, I do remember being a kid and at one time I thought it was so cool and tough sounding, but it's like think for yourself! Be who you are! Have some original thoughts and express them! Because he clearly speaks perfect English! It's not like I'm picking on someone who doesn't have a full grasp of the language. I would never do that. I do feel for him, he seems so lost, but I think he could prevent this if he opened his eyes a little bit. He's not a kid anymore! CLEARLY from what everyone said about Carol, she was not someone to start an argument, she was quiet & reserved... she wasn't going to say "hey help me out Rudy!" And what is it they said that he was mad if the babies would wake him up? What the heck? Because it was going to make him tired for his big day at the swap meet selling his auto parts supplies? It's just annoying that he was not more helpful to Carol and I think that this would not have happened if he had been a bit more supportive and a bit deeper of a person, with more of a realization about the state of being that other people are in, especially his own wife.! All in all I do feel terrible for the entire family and these things are so horrible of course. I feel for Carol the most. I can say at least that Rudy doesn't seem to be blaming her, nor does he seem like he is mean/angry toward her. So that's a positive thing. But he's not sharing in this punishment. I don't know Carol but I would have been very frustrated if I were her, with a husband that just spoke in slogans that he repeated from hearing them elsewhere, without sounding like he had any understanding of what he was saying! Lord! Aside from postpartum psychosis, a man like that would make you feel lonely and like you didn't have any support very quickly! Of course this is just my opinion.

Episode tried to make this killer look good

[bporrast · 1/10 · 6 December 2021]

Why does everyone feel bad for Carol but not the three beautiful children she murdered. Shame on her husband (and his entire family) and her entire family for saying this is okay. I guess all mothers that kill their children should have no consequences. All these people are disgusting. Also I like how they added that she also tried to kill her own mother. What an innocent person she is. Lmao! Oh and that nurse at the end who killed her son, I like how NOW she's happy with her life after killing her own son. The judge didn't give her any consequences. And she spoke very proudly of it. How embarrassing. And all these "mothers" who said they've had thought about killing their own children. Why have children? These "women" have no brain cells. That's why they're miserable.

I wanted to like it

[kennywheeler-84081 · 4/10 · 25 May 2021]

I'm sure Carol's story is interesting and postpartum psychosis is a condition that should be more openly talked about and dealt with. The information isn't the problem, the choices with the camera were. The talking head interviews are so close up and at such weird angles that it looked like an early 90's after school special on the dangers of drugs. It makes the subjects come across as inauthentic. I couldn't keep watching.