Ria Walls
From documentaries to series based on real-life true crime, audiences are easily fascinated with the behind-the-scenes elements of murderers, psychopaths and notorious criminals. But when it comes to true crime, the line between ethical and exploitative is thin and often blurred.
The effects of Netflix’s Dahmer
Whether curious or creeped out, TV based on actual events attracts a wide audience — so wide that there have even been studies on the psychology behind its popularity.
Last year, the Netflix series Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022) surpassed one billion viewing hours on the streaming platform. Reaching the Top Ten charts, Evan Peters’ portrayal of the American serial killer was nothing short of extraordinary. However, the show encountered backlash from the family of one of Dahmer’s victims.
According to Netflix, the ten episodes aimed to give the victims a voice. But, in reality, re-opening the wounds of the past only unveiled further trauma and pain for those involved.
“The reality of murder on the families involved is much more sobering than is often projected on our screens“
The horrific events depicted in the series occurred only 30 to 50 years ago. Many of the family and friends of those affected are still alive today. While the show trended and Jeffrey Dahmer became a popular Halloween costume, the victims’ families we forced to re-live the harrowing events of the past.
https://twitter.com/weLuvNeesh/status/1580052463323090949
ITV’s The Secret
On the other side of the world, in 2016, the ITV production The Secret told the real-life story of a double homicide in a small Northern Irish town in the 1990s.
Going on to win a BAFTA, the show became famous beyond the borders of Ireland. Hundreds of thousands of viewers watched the brutal real-life events reenacted on screen, including the murders committed by dentist Colin Howell and his lover Hazel Stewart as they killed their former partners.
“…how much responsibility do we have for what we watch?”
Lauren Bradford, the daughter of Howell, spoke about the exploitation of this tragedy by the media. Having believed her mother had committed suicide for almost twenty years, Bradford later discovered that her father was responsible for her death.
Her private grief and trauma were made public by the serialisation of the event by ITV. Writing for The Guardian, Lauren stated: “We all love a good crime drama. Yet the reality of murder on the families involved is much more sobering, traumatic and, well, messier than is often projected on our screens.”
Watch what you watch
Naturally, as curious beings, we are drawn to shows that run close to the truth. In many cases, real-life-inspired media shines a light on real events, but that is not always the case.
We must ask ourselves: Can true crime ever be ethical? And, if not, how much responsibility do we have for what we watch?
There’s been a lot of talk lately re: ethics & issues w/ some true crime “content creators.” Here’s a personal example. This particular person reached out to me for an interview when my mom’s case first went public. They viewed the police/autopsy reports & case summary on… pic.twitter.com/rVAcVh6lnr
— Lauren Lee Malloy (@LaurenLee_915) July 13, 2023
When it comes to true crime and documentaries, we must ask: Does the media give victims a voice? Or are those affected by heinous crimes being exploited for watch factor? Where does the ethical scale fall regarding titles that are “based on a true story”?
“How much of what we watch that is based on real-life runs parallel to the actual truth?”
The latest season of Black Mirror (2023) delved into the debate in episode two, ‘Loch Henry’. When a couple embarks to create a real-life documentary on the harrowing past events of a local community, we see the effects true crime TV can have on all of those involved (no spoilers!).
The producers of this documentary chase the “wow” factor of the story’s gritty details. In the meantime, the pain experienced by the victims is re-lived.
Can true crime be ethical?
TV dramatics have the power to adapt, eliminate and deceive — whether done intentionally or not. How much of what we watch that is based on real-life runs parallel to the actual truth?
So, next time you tune in to a documentary, series or movie based on true events, consider the countless people that could be affected by the screenplay. Are the loved ones of victims sitting at home watching? Or are they trying to avoid seeing recreations of close-to-home events replayed on their screens?
The cost of true crime media is, unfortunately, human.
READ MORE:
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THE ETHICS OF TRUE CRIME TV
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‘BARBIECORE’: THE PROBLEMS WITH BARBIE AND CONSUMERISM
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THE WILDEST TRUE CRIME DOCS YOU’LL EVER SEE
Featured image courtesy of Maxim Hopman via Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image licence found here.
