The Disappearance of Jay Slater, a documentary very much made in the classic true-crime format, is the moving story of what turned out to be a terrible, tragic death – but one that leaves us with one unresolved question, regarding the programme itself. Namely, why did Channel 4 ever make it, when, as the show demonstrates, the disappearance of Slater has nothing to do with any crime, was so recent as to be still fresh in the mind, and is not a mystery anyway?
The plain facts about Slater are just that, but the producers take their time, build the tension and raise doubts even as they are recounting them, despite knowing now that this is, really, a bit bogus. The 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer from Lancashire was on holiday in Tenerife, his first holiday on his own, albeit he had some friends with him. From old home videos and interviews with his mum, dad, brother and friends, we see just what a sweet boy he was – “inquisitive”, “maybe a little too trusting”, but never seriously involved in crime. The hardest scenes to watch are those of Slater’s funeral, where the emotions are raw and unfiltered. His mother, Debbie, and father, Warren, who help guide us through Slater’s life and last fatal misadventure, are exceptionally brave human beings.
