People are really into three things right now: superheroes, video games, and true crime. The stories of real murders have become so commonplace they're discussed like any other pillar of modern pop culture. It's a little strange to think about, but something is compelling about real-world stories of death or deception. Their circumstances are often extraordinary in one way or another and attract significant attention from studios and audiences.
While the dominant form of true crime right now is the documentary podcast, dramatized TV adaptations are on the rise. Over the past few years alone, playing a real-life criminal has become just as prestigious as playing a President.
'The Staircase' (2022 -)
Jean-Xavier de Lestrade's The Staircase is one of the earliest and best examples of a true-crime docuseries. It captured the absolute absurdity of the United States criminal justice system as it unfolded. Then, in 2022, HBO Max debuted a dramatic adaptation of the docuseries starring Colin Firth as author Michael Peterson. Peterson was accused of killing his wife, Kathleen, by pushing her down the stairs.
Instead of simply telling the same story as the docuseries with a great cast, which also includes Toni Collette, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Parker Posey, creator Antonio Campos has made a show that sets out to examine the way that we as the audience invest in true crime and the way that we turn tragedies into entertainment. It's a true-crime story confronting the audience of true crime stories. Like the original docuseries, this new take on The Staircase will become a landmark moment in true crime.
'The Dropout' (2022)
As soon as she hit the world stage, tech entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes was destined to become a pop culture figure. She modeled herself after Steve Jobs, created a machine that would revolutionize the medical industry, and spoke with a voice you could never forget. Unfortunately, the machine wasn't real. Whether for good or bad, the world will never forget Elizabeth Holmes.
After beginning as an incredibly successful true-crime podcast, The Dropout became a high-profile Hulu TV show about Holmes, her machine, and her crimes. Oscar-nominated actress Amanda Seyfried plays Holmes to perfection, imbuing a real sense of humanity to someone who constantly tries to appear larger-than-life. The Dropout is full of lies, deceit, good intentions, ambition, and ego: everything you need for a good story.
'Gaslit' (2022 -)
It's one thing when an average person commits a crime. It's another when the criminals are members of the United States government. Based on the first season of the Slow Burn podcast, Gaslit tells the story of Watergate from the perspective of Martha Mitchell, who tried to blow the whistle on the whole scandal at the time, but no one believed her.
Creator Robbie Pickering imbues the story with just enough ridiculousness to highlight the sheer stupidity of the people involved. Sean Penn is covered in prosthetics to portray John Mitchell, Julia Roberts plays Martha as an intelligent, Southern debutant, and Shea Whigham plays G. Gordon Liddy as a crazed Richard Nixon devotee who seemingly confuses politics with philosophy. With Dan Stevens and Betty Gilpin keeping the show grounded, the performances alone make the show worth watching. The energetic writing and flashy style are just the cherries on top.
'Landscapers' (2021)
At this point in her career, it's pretty evident that Olivia Colman is this generation's Meryl Streep. She can do anything and do it better than most people. Her most significant strength is her ability to play an average person with just as much thought and gravitas as when she played Queen Elizabeth II. This is a substantial part of what makes HBO's Landscapers such a compelling true crime show.
The show follows Colman and David Thewlis as Susan and Christopher Edwards, a kindly British couple whose lives are upended when two dead bodies are discovered buried in their backyard. The show uses an incredibly creative style to tell this story, further emphasizing that though the Edwards may seem ordinary, their lives are far from it. You won't see anything else quite like Landscapers, and with Olivia Colman in the leading role, you have no reason not to watch it.
'Des' (2020)
David Tennant is one of the most charming actors on the planet. His charm makes him endlessly watchable, whether he's The Doctor or The Purple Man. However, Des puts his charm to the test as he plays British serial killer Dennis "Des" Nilsen, who killed at least twelve boys and men between 1978 and 1983, dissected their bodies, and flushed their remains down the toilet.
Needless to say, Des is an incredibly dark and intense watch. It's not for everyone. However, it features a strong personality by Tennant that is really unlike anything else in his filmography. The show somehow transforms him from charming to utterly terrifying. In the US, it's streaming on Sundance Now and AMC+, and it's definitely worth a subscription.
'Candy' (2022 -)
The first of two 2022 dramatic television adaptations of the same true crime story, Hulu's Candy stars Jessica Biel as Candy Montgomery, a Texan housewife who brutally killed her neighbor and friend Betty Gore (Melanie Lynskey) with an ax in 1980. The story has everything you want in a true-crime story: love, murder, and plenty of twists you won't see coming.
Jessica Biel excels as Candy, Pablo Schreiber plays against type as a suburban dad, and Melanie Lynskey steals the show as Betty, once again proving she is TV's secret weapon. The show is a bit too subtle to be pulpy fun and not quite elevated enough to be high art, but it's still worth watching for every true crime aficionado.
'The Investigation' (2021)
After making a name for himself in the U.S. as Euron Greyjoy on Game of Thrones, Pilou Asbæk starred in the Danish actual crime detective show, The Investigation. The show told the true story of the Copenhagen Police Department's investigation into the death of journalist Kim Wall. The show is incredibly accurate to real-life events, having been made with the cooperation of Kim's parents, Ingrid and Joachim Wall, Head of Homicide Jens Møller, and Chief Prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen.
The Investigation isn't breaking any new ground or redefining what a true-crime show can be. Instead, it is acting out the traditional formula to a truly exceptional degree, with stellar performances, beautiful cinematography, and brilliantly crafted scripts.
'Dr. Death' (2021)
Based on the Wondery podcast of the same name, Peacock's Dr. Death is one of the wildest true crime stories ever put to screen. The show follows the criminal behavior of Dr. Christopher Duntsch (Joshua Jackson), a Texas neurosurgeon who mutilated 33 out of 38 of his patients, killing two of them. He is pursued by Dr. Randall Kirby (Christian Slater) and Dr. Robert Henderson (Alec Baldwin), fellow surgeons who catch on to his pattern of criminal behavior and vow to bring him to justice.
Wondery is a powerhouse in the true crime genre, having also created the popular podcast/TV show Dirty John, and Dr. Death is their best project yet. It's a show unlike any other true crime story in that it's not about murder in the name of love or passion but instead about cruel, emotionless negligence.
'Escape At Dannemora' (2018)
Ben Stiller's career shifted from comedy icon to dramatic auteur when he directed the Showtime miniseries, Escape At Dannemora. The show tells the true story of Tilly Mitchell (Patricia Arquette), a prison employee in upstate New York who helps two prisoners escape and go on the run.
Arquette gives one of her best performances as Mitchell, capturing the feeling that this woman just wanted to feel excited again. The best true crime stories are about the actions themselves and the emotions that drive someone to do what they do, and that's where Escape at Dannemora excels. The prisoners are brilliantly portrayed by Benicio Del Toro and Paul Dano, completing a strange yet undeniably entertaining and compelling trio of protagonists.
'Under The Banner Of Heaven' (2022 -)
After having a fantastic 2021, earning an Oscar nomination for his work in tick, tick... BOOM!, Andrew Garfield is turning in yet another incredible performance as Detective Jeb Pyre in the Hulu limited series, Under The Banner Of Heaven. Based on the true-crime novel of the same name, the show tells the story of a murder connected to a family's belief in the fundamentalist views of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It not only shakes the LDS community but also makes Pyre question his faith.
Under The Banner Of Heaven is prestige TV at the top of its game, with a wonderful cast including Garfield, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sam Worthington, and Wyatt Russell, gorgeous cinematography, and intelligent and powerful writing that wonderfully connects the death of the physical with the dissolution of the spiritual.