B Movies Blog

Hello, Movie Mavens! Welcome back to the B Movies Blog. Today, we’re popping the true crime limited series I’ve been watching into the ol’ VCR. 

As Jane Lane would say, “reality’s bizarre enough for me.” I have that quote tattooed on my body, so you know I believe it. 

I don’t take joy in real-life gruesome events, but I think it’s important to learn from these people for safety and to help us try to avoid these things in the future. I don’t condone the actions, and I’m not here to determine anyone’s innocence, regardless of what I say when asked about true crime cases. 

I’m not going to beat around the bush  — some of the miniseries on this list are extremely hard to watch, especially The Deep End, The Vow, and Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence.

Others, like The Staircase and The Real Bling Ring, were adapted into insane series and movies. The former including a scene where Colin Firth eats Toni Collette’s ass (something I never thought I’d see) and the latter having both Lifetime (with THE Austin Butler aka Mr. Whoa Mama, himself) and Sofia Coppola directed films.

There are even ones like Night Stalker that inspired episodes of podcasts like Disgraceland (I’d recommend both the AC/DC episode and the After Party episode where Jake Brennan actually interviews Tiller Russell, one of the directors). 

There are heinous things lurking within some of these documentaries, and there’s no way I could even begin to CW/TW each of them. Please watch these with extreme discretion and take the content warning seriously. If you’re hesitant, I’d recommend not watching or Googling the content for more information and context. 

• Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal (Netflix)
• LuLaRich (Amazon Prime)
• Killer Sally (Netflix)
• The 12th Victim (Showtlme/Paramount+) 
• The Vow (HBO Max)
• The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin (HBO Max)
• Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer (Netflix)
• Worst Roommate Ever (Neflix) 
• Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist (Netflix)
• The Deep End (Hulu) 
• Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence (Hulu) 
• Sins of Our Mother (Netflix) 
• The Staircase (Netflix)
• The Real Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist (Netflix)
• I Just Killed My Dad (Netflix)
• Night Stalker (Netflix)
• Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. (Netflix) 
• Tiger King (season 1) and Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story (Netflix)
• The Tinder Swindler (Netflix)
• The Curse of Von Dutch: A Brand to Die For (Hulu)
• The Keepers (Netflix) 
• Still Missing Morgan (Hulu) 
• Pepsi, Where’s My Jet? (Netflix)

I’ll freely admit that the obsession around true crime is morbid, and I’m guilty of watching every true crime documentary and miniseries I can get my hands on. As I mentioned earlier, I think it’s about the intent. If you’re watching true crime materials for sick reasons, it taints the message. Also, when documentarians exploit the dead or those grieving their losses, it’s gross. 

However, I think a lot of these stories need to be told, and I think it’s important to understand why and how some of these things happened. I’m not belittling what anyone went through as a cautionary tale, and I never would. These victims deserve to be remembered and to have a platform, if they’re able. It’s extremely brave for survivors to share their experiences and to give a voice to victims who aren’t here to speak for themselves. 

While true crime documentaries and miniseries can be seen solely for entertainment value, don’t let yourself forget the “true” part of the genre. These are real stories. Real people were traumatized and harmed, and some of them didn’t survive. Educate yourself on how you can help those you love in abusive and/or dangerous situations. Learn how to keep yourself safe. If true crime has taught us anything, it’s that it’s easier to find yourself in high-risk situations than you think.