Five True Crime Series to Keep You Occupied During Covid-19

Written by Kandice Martellaro

The craze around the genre True Crime has really taken off with the advent of podcasts and blogs within the past six years or so, and this has led to some pretty well constructed docu-series. Who would think that such a morbid topic would provide such a welcome escapist quality during the spread of Covid-19? However, many are finding True Crime to be the genre to keep the mind occupied during the global pandemic ensuing or, even spread light on issues, that had not been previously well known. Here are five recent docu-series that are well worth the binge:

1( I’ll Be Gone in The Dark (HBO, HBO GO, HBO NOW and HBO MAX)

Every True Crime enthusiast has likely read the book, I’ll Be Gone In The Dark, probably even more than once. The book, which came out in February of 2018, two months before The Golden State Killer was caught and arrested, is from the perspective of True Crime Diary blogger, Michelle McNamara, who was OBSESSED with finding this serial killer. In writing this book, McNamara was able to put the pieces together and lay down the groundwork that led to the Golden State Killer being found, after decades of detectives searching for him. Unfortunately, McNamara passed away, unexpectedly, while writing the book, which was finished by fellow researchers, detectives, her literary

agent, publisher and her husband, Patton Oswalt. Now, a docu-series that is being distributed by HBO, can be found on any of the HBO streaming platforms, also titled I’ll Be Gone In The Dark. The docu-series covers McNamara’s findings from the book, while overlaying it with her life and passion for finding the killer, but goes even further past where the book ends to showing how McNamara’s findings lead to the Golden State Killer’s capture and arrest. This is by no means an “easy” watch. One of the qualities that makes I’ll Be Gone In The Dark so worthwhile is that, both the series and the book, gives a voice to the surviving victims, but, as expected, these stories can be difficult to process. I’ll Be Gone In The Dark is compelling and honest. It will certainly keep you on the edge of your seat.

2 (Ted Bundy: Falling For A Killer (Amazon Prime)

There have been multiple documentaries, docu-series and even a scripted movie about one of the most infamous serial killers, Ted Bundy. However, where most of these tend to fall short, is that Ted Bundy is often, even if not intentionally, glorified. Most of these mediums are so focussed on him, his perspective, interviews with him, that often the victims go overlooked. Ted Bundy: Falling for A Killer, which is streaming on Amazon Prime, is shown through the dynamic of gender at the time of Bundy’s killings. The series is based around the perspective of Bundy’s long term girlfriend, Elizabeth Kendall and her daughter Molly, with interviews with surviving victims and victim’s families, to paint a picture of, not just who Ted Bundy was, but who his victims were and why he was so horrific. This is a five part series that is captivating and empowering.

3) Unsolved Mysteries (Netflix)

The internet has been buzzing with excitement about the recent reboot of the series from the late 1980s and 90s, Unsolved Mysteries. The original Unsolved Mysteries series was where the original True Crime fan went to quell their morbid fascination, along with Forensic Files, Dateline or 20/20. But now, Unsolved Mysteries is back for a six episode reboot, streaming on Netflix. Each episode covers topics from unsolved deaths, to missing person cases, to experiences with UFOs.  If you binge all six and want to go back to the original series, episodes from the original series can be found on Amazon Prime.

4 ( Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children 

(HBO, HBO GO, HBO NOW, and HBO MAX)

Between 1979 and 1981, over 28 Black children in Atlanta were murdered. This became an era where turning on the TV at night would be met with the phrase, “It’s 10pm. Do you know where your children are?” The murders were attributed to a killer coined, “The Atlanta Monster” but this case is far more complicated and infuriating than a typical serial killer case. The children’s mothers started their own grassroots movement to find the murderer of their children, when they were let down by authorities responsible for solving this case. Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children delves into many of the twists and turns of this complicated murder case. This documentary can be found on HBO and all other HBO streaming platforms.

5 (Tiger King (Netflix)

Last, but certainly not least, for all of you cool cats and kittens, is Tiger King. Back in March of 2020, when the initial stay at home orders were issued across the country, it seemed like anyone and everyone was watching, and tweeting about, the Netflix docu-series, Tiger King. It makes sense why this docu-series fell into popularity at just the right time, as it is focussed around some of the most eccentric characters a person could ever come across, explores the bizarre world of private big cat zoos and sanctuaries, there are lawsuits, slander and just a splash of murder. If you are in the small population that has not seen this and if you would like to know what all of those memes are referencing, Tiger King can be found on Netflix.