Everyone I speak to quickly learns that I’m interested in pursuing criminal law, so it should be no surprise that I enjoy the occasional true crime story or two. The genre has become prolific, especially on Netflix, and there is no shortage of media to consume. I have particularly enjoyed the following stories, and I hope you find something that piques your interest whether you’re an experienced true crime fanatic or just looking for something to watch while avoiding readings.
When They See Us (dir. Ava DuVernay)
The most powerful scenes in Ava Duvernay’s emotional docuseries about the Central Park Five happen at the beginning of the first episode, where we see the five boys (Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam, Korey Wise, and Raymond Santana) living their daily lives. They talk about sports, hang out with their friends, and discuss their futures. At the end of the episode, we see these scenes again, but this time they are placed in between scenes of the boys being handcuffed and led away by police. Ostensibly categorized as true crime by Netflix, When They See Us nonetheless pushes the boundaries of the genre, focusing less on the crime itself and more on the other tragedy in this story: the derailment and destruction of the lives of five young boys of colour.
“Missing & Murdered: Finding Cleo” (CBC Podcasts)
The second season of this podcast from Connie Walker follows the family of Cleopatra Nicotine Semaganis as they attempt to uncover what led to her death. Cleo and her siblings were taken from their mother as part of the Sixties Scoop and adopted into families from all over North America. Full of unexpected twists and turns, the podcast sheds light on the devastating impact of the Sixties Scoop. At the same time, this podcast also manages to convey an optimistic and hopeful story of resilience, as Cleo’s family is able to find some measure of closure by the end.
“Uncover” (CBC Podcasts)
Each season of this Canadian true crime podcast explores a different case, and of particular interest is season 3, “The Village”. Host Justin Ling explores the investigation into Bruce McArthur, the notorious serial killer who terrorized Toronto’s Gay Village for years before finally being arrested in 2017. Through his discussion of this case, Ling criticizes the Toronto Police and their initial refusal to look into the possibility of a serial killer, despite the LGBT+ community’s numerous requests. “Uncover” is a great podcast for anyone interested in Canadian true crime.
“Serial” (This American Life/New York Times)
I would be remiss if I made a list of true crime media without mentioning “Serial”, the hugely popular podcast from the creators “This American Life” that arguably started the true crime resurgence. The first season focuses on the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, a high school student from Baltimore, and the subsequent conviction of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Masud Syed. Host Sarah Koenig keeps listeners on the edge of their seat the entire time, through a combination of phone calls with Adnan, who is still serving time in prison, and her own investigation.