The True-Crime Craze

“The uptick in true-crime stories is very telling about our contemporary culture,” says Eddie Muller, the host of Noir Alley on Turner Classic Movies. “In the original noir era, there was a fascination mixed with disbelief. But now when we see ‘Based on a true story,’ it’s a subtle way of saying ‘This could happen to you.’”

Check out our list of some top true-crime murder movies and TV shows—and the stars who’ve made them.

FOXCATCHER (2014) There’s a chill in the air from the opening moments of this tale of training for the 1988 Olympics. Steve Carell plays John du Pont, who invites wrestler Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) to move to his estate to train. It sets in motion a dark road that leads to a shocking tragedy. (Hulu)

MINDHUNTER (2017–19)

This expertly crafted series focuses on the team who began the Behavioral Science Unit in the FBI (and ultimately coined the phrase “serial killer.”) The main characters are fictional: Young and idealistic Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) teams up with the wise Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) in the 1970s to interview criminals in a bid to learn more about the dark inner workings of murderers. (The killers are real people, including Edmund Kemper

and Charles Manson.) (Netflix)