What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedMaking a Murderer
Moira Demos · Series · 2015
If you loved Making a Murderer, start with The Thin Blue Line (Errol Morris, 1988) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to Making a Murderer across media.
What hooked you in Making a Murderer was the unsettling way legal systems can distort the truth to bury the innocent.
Books on the same thread
Homicide
David Simon · Book · 2007
Explores: Homicide Investigation, Urban Decay, Moral Ambiguity.
Much like the procedural scrutiny found in Making a Murderer, this account of Baltimore homicide investigations exposes the systemic corruption that often dictates the outcome of a criminal case.
Framed
John Grisham and Jim McCloskey · Book
Shares a thread with Making a Murderer: exoneration.
If the fight for exoneration in Making a Murderer resonated with you, this investigation into ten wrongful convictions highlights the same urgent need for systemic reform in justice.
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
David Grann · Book · 2018
Explores: Racial injustice, Corruption, Greed.
The deep-seated corruption and conspiracy that defined Making a Murderer are mirrored in this haunting account of the Osage murders, where systemic inequality allows monstrous crimes to persist.
Killers of the Flower Moon
David Grann · Book · 2018
Explores: systemic corruption, colonial exploitation, conspiracy.
You will recognize the same themes of systemic corruption and conspiracy that drove Making a Murderer in this investigation of a historical crime buried by societal indifference and greed.
Films on the same thread
The Thin Blue Line
Errol Morris · Film · 1988
Shares 2 threads with Making a Murderer: Police corruption, True Crime Documentary.
This documentary shares the same DNA as Making a Murderer by using a singular case to expose a miscarriage of justice and the unreliability of a flawed investigation.
Memories of Murder
Film · 2003
Explores: Obsession, Bureaucratic Incompetence, Social Unrest.
The bureaucratic incompetence and moral ambiguity that complicate the search for truth in Making a Murderer are central to this gripping portrayal of a small town serial killer.
Just Mercy
Destin Daniel Cretton · Film · 2019
Shares a thread with Making a Murderer: Wrongful conviction.
The struggle for exoneration depicted in Making a Murderer finds a powerful parallel in this story of a lawyer fighting to save a man wrongly condemned by society.
Mother
Bong Joon Ho · Film · 2009
Shares a thread with Making a Murderer: Small Town Secrets.
The themes of wrongful accusation and small town secrets that made Making a Murderer so compelling are echoed in this story of a mother fighting against a broken system.
Podcasts on the same thread
Forensic Files
Podcast
Explores: crime scene investigation, scientific analysis, evidence-based analysis.
If you appreciated the focus on evidence-based analysis in Making a Murderer, this series provides a similarly rigorous look at the science used to solve complex criminal cases.
Criminal
Podcast
Shares a thread with Making a Murderer: Wrongful Conviction.
Much like the investigative spirit of Making a Murderer, this podcast explores the complexities of justice and wrongful conviction by focusing on the human stories hidden behind cases.
Keep exploring
Common questions
How long was Making a Murderer in production?
Making a Murderer was filmed over the course of 10 years. This extensive production timeline allowed the filmmakers to capture the real-life progression of the case as the subject went from a DNA exoneree to a suspect in a new crime.
Is Making a Murderer based on a true story?
Yes, Making a Murderer is a real-life thriller. The documentary series follows the true story of a man who, after being exonerated by DNA evidence, finds himself accused of a new, grisly crime while simultaneously exposing corruption within the police force.
What is the primary subject of Making a Murderer?
Making a Murderer focuses on a DNA exoneree who becomes a suspect in a new crime. The series documents his legal journey over a decade while highlighting his efforts to expose corruption within the police department during the investigation.
Who created Making a Murderer?
Making a Murderer was created by Moira Demos. Released in 2015, the series is a real-life thriller that chronicles a decade of events involving a man who faces a new murder accusation after his initial exoneration through DNA evidence.