With the likes of HBO's “The Jinx” and the “Serial” podcast catching fire over the past year, true crime stories have become something of a pop-cultural obsession as of late. Now Netflix is getting in on the act with “Making a Murderer,” a new ten-part series from directors Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos that centers on the story of Steven Avery, a Wisconsin man “from the wrong side of the tracks” who was convicted of a brutal rape and later exonerated after spending 18 years in prison. But the case took a shocking turn when, in the midst of bringing a multi-million dollar civil case against local law enforcement, Avery was arrested and charged with the murder of a local woman.
I don't use the term “guilty pleasure” lightly, but “Making a Murderer” — or really, any program that packages real-life pain and suffering for our entertainment — certainly fits the bill. These kinds of programs appeal to our basest instincts, and I'm not sure how to feel about that. But god help me, I'm probably going to watch this.
“Making a Murderer” debuts on Netflix December 18.