I Initially Thought Watching Netflix's Documentary on School Shootings Would Feel Intrusive, But One Line Altered My Perspective

When I first learned about All The Empty Rooms, a new Netflix original documentary, I was hesitant to watch it. Over the years, Ive seen countless films on school shootings, from Oscar-winning Bowling for Columbine to recent HBO documentaries like Thoughts & Prayers. Yet the thought of entering the bedrooms of children who had died made me uneasy, as if I was trespassing on something deeply private.

Despite my reservations, I decided to watch itand Im glad I did. While some moments felt uncomfortable, Joshua Seftels documentary, which follows a CBS News correspondent and a renowned photographer exploring grief and loss, includes an interview with a grieving father that completely shifted my perspective.

An Emotional Journey Through Grief

All The Empty Rooms stands out as one of the most emotionally intense documentaries of the year. Clocking in at just over 30 minutes, it examines the untouched bedrooms of several school shooting victims. The stories of lives tragically cut short, paired with parents recounting the children who went to school and never returned, were profoundly moving. Watching CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp process these experiences added another layer of raw emotion. The film is a powerful, sobering, and heart-wrenching exploration of grief that left me reflecting deeply on loss and empathy.

A Fathers Words Put It All Into Perspective

Initially, I felt like an outsider intruding on a private tragedy. That changed when Charles Scruggs, whose 9-year-old daughter was among the victims of the Nashville school shooting, shared why he and his wife preserved her room as a memorial. He explained that the room allowed them to embrace their sadness, connecting with their daughter even after her death. Scruggs spoke about wanting to see, touch, and smell his daughter againsimple desires that revealed the depth of his grief. His honesty transformed my experience from voyeuristic discomfort to a sense of walking alongside him in his mourning.

All the parents featured in the documentary shared similar stories. Hearing them recount their childrens lives, dreams, and the suddenness of their loss was difficult, yet it also fostered a profound sense of empathy. Experiencing these narratives made me more aware of the human desire to honor and remember loved ones.

If you have a Netflix subscription, All The Empty Rooms is essential viewing for understanding grief and the ways we preserve memories of those weve lost.

Author: Natalie Monroe