Gripped, terrified, intrigued... you must be watching a true crime documentary. Irish News journalists have selected their top five and the list includes TikTok dancers and an LA church, doping in sports, cold cases and murder trials.
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst - recommended by Roisin Bonner
The term ‘jaw dropping’ can be wildly overused in today’s TV landscape, but one series that can justify the boast is Andrew Jarecki’s Emmy-winning series The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst. Its initial airing was in fact so ground-breaking that it has been credited with kickstarting the new era in televisual true crime that gave us the likes of Making a Murderer.
The story is difficult to encapsulate, but here it goes...
Basically, Durst is a billionaire New York real estate heir with a wife who mysteriously disappeared, a best friend (the daughter of a Las Vegas mobster) who has been murdered, who decided to go into hiding for several years by living as a deaf-mute woman named Dorothy, and says he accidentally killed and dismembered his neighbour (he argued it was self defence). Add to that the backdrop of an extremely troubled relationship with his family, the tragedy of his mother’s suicide (he claimed to have witnessed her suicide when he was aged seven), and the slightly awkward subject of Jarecki’s star-studded Hollywood film based on Durst’s life (All Good Things, starring Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst), and there is much for the director and the notoriously shy Durst to discuss when they embark on a series of interviews.
An inquisitive Jarecki, however, also decides to use the opportunity to try to get to the bottom of some of the mysterious deaths and disappearances surrounding the enigmatic Durst, presenting damning evidence in the process. Little do those involved know, these conversations will change all their lives forever, with one split-second ‘hot mic’ moment providing a climax that, to this day, remains unparalleled in documentary television.
Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult - recommended by Allan Preston
Last year’s Netflix series presented a modern digital cult story of an LA-based church accused of exploiting TikTok dancers.
With millions of followers, the viral fame for the young performers appeared to come at a cost of cutting themselves off from their families and diverting 80% of their income towards Robert Israel Shinn, leader of the Shekinah Church and the 7M talent agency, who is repeatedly accused of abusive behaviour and financial exploitation – which he denies.
The documentary subjects include the Wilking sisters – Miranda and Melanie - starting out by harnessing social media to launch their dancing careers.
While Melanie distances herself from the church, Miranda cuts herself off from her loved ones entirely as her fame grows.
When the family eventually go public, the church calculates it’s better PR to encourage their members to see their loved ones.
When Miranda returns for Christmas and family get togethers, it’s under the strict understanding the church and 7M can never be discussed.
The family are left with the torturous choice of getting to see their daughter and challenging what they believe to be the lingering control of a modern cult.
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OJ: Made in America (Disney+) – recommended by Michael McWilliams
Although not strictly a true crime documentary as part of ESPN’s famous sporting 30 for 30 series, the fact a large part of OJ Simpson’s life story centres around one of the most famous crimes in American history means it fits in here.
One of the most detailed and in-depth pieces of television you are every likely to see, director Ezra Edelman delves into Simpson’s journey from rising football star in California, through his storied career in the NFL, and into his foray into Hollywood films in The Naked Gun series.
However, the vicious killings of his ex-wife Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, with which Simpson was charged, and the infamous investigation and trial that followed which saw him acquitted, make up a huge chunk of this five-part series.
From the live-on-TV car chase, to lawyer Johnnie Cochrane’s flamboyant courtroom performance, to the glove that ‘didn’t fit’, this was the case that had it all, with Edelman bringing it expertly to screen.
An Academy Award-winning exploration of race, celebrity, vanity and much more, OJ: Made in America is documentary-making at its finest.
ICARUS - recommended by Liam Grimley
This may not be the kind of true crime documentary that people may immediately think of, but it is one of the biggest and best exposés in recent sporting history.
Bryan Fogle’s initial concept of investigating the doping industry in cycling quickly pivoted into a deep dive into the industrialized cheating in Russian sports, with decades of success for Russian athletes called into question.
The fact that it won the 2018 Oscar for best documentary alone is one reason why it should be required watching, but also the detail that Fogel is able to squeeze out of his sources and his boldness to challenge the entire Russian sporting industry.
Even if you don’t enjoy cycling, or sports for that manner, the real-life drama of this documentary will leave you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.
Homicide Hunter – recommended by Caoimhe Quinn-McCullough
“There’s only one thing that never changes: murder. A life has been taken. Their stories are now my stories. I’m Lieutenant Joe Kenda and I’ve solved nearly 400 homicides. Somebody has to take control. Somebody has to look out for the victim. I never know where a case is going to lead, but I’ll never stop until it’s solved.”
Retired Colorado Springs Detective Lieutenant Joe Kenda recounts stories of cases that he had solved – 387 to be exact.
With his deadpan expression and dry humour Kenda gives insights to his thought process and logic used throughout a case, paired with re-enactments, interviews with victims' families, and discussions with investigation teams.