Why True Crime Show Fans Should Watch More Documentaries
True-crime drama fans have a lot to choose from these days, with new limited series like The girl from Plainville, The Dropout, WeCrashed, Super Pumped: The Battle For Uber, and The Staircase joining the trend. Real-life murder trials and business crises involving charges of investment fraud and sexual harassment are depicted in these shows. True-crime dramatisations stolen from tabloid headlines are nothing new, but in the past, such stories were used as filler for cheap, dramatic movie-of-the-week broadcasts on network television. They've evolved into prestige television, showcasing Oscar-caliber talent both in front of and behind the camera. In many cases, such as the reaction of The girl from Plainville and The Dropout, the performances themselves generate award talk.
Today's true-crime dramas are increasingly based on stories that have already been told in documentary films, docuseries, and podcasts. They even provide direct links to the documentary versions of several of them. The girl from Plainville, for example, is a Hulu Original about Michelle Carter (played by Elle Fanning), who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for urging her boyfriend to commit suicide. This case was the focus of Erin Lee Carr's two-part HBO documentary I love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth V. Michelle Carter, which was released prior to the production of the series. For the dramatic "remake," the documentary's director functioned as a consultant producer.