USA TODAY International Edition

True crime stories aren’t just TV fodder

- Kelly Lawler Columnist

I think it was seeing the truck. An early scene in Hulu’s drama “The Girl From Plainville,” a series based on the death of a teenager by suicide in 2014, shows a black pickup truck similar to the one in which Conrad Roy III died. We see the police approach the vehicle as the young man’s body lies inside. We see his mother worry from afar, and his family arrives at the scene. Roy’s death is brought to life in excruciati­ng detail, and it’s only the first of eight hourlong episodes about his suicide and the eventual involuntar­y manslaught­er conviction of his girlfriend Michelle Carter ( Elle Fanning), who encouraged him to take his life.

Roy’s story is tragic and upsetting. It already has played out in public twice before: first in the media frenzy around the so- called “texting suicide” case and then in the 2019 HBO documentar­y, “I Love You, Now Die.” Seeing it again in “Plainville” is nothing but an unpleasant, unnecessar­y experience.

True crime is a popular, pervasive TV genre. It’s on every streaming service and every network. But unlike superhero movies or fantasy epics, there’s a responsibi­lity that comes with putting tragedies on screen. And that’s especially true when those real stories are fictionalize­d, as in “Plainville” or Hulu’s new miniseries “Under the Banner of Heaven,” about a double murder in the Mormon community, where there’s a great risk of exploitati­on. “Plainville” and “Banner” cross the line more than once, and are two recent examples of a troubling trend. Many true- crime dramas have done the same, and it’s time Hollywood producers questioned the ethics of turning these stories into entertainm­ent.

This isn’t an argument about the quality of any true- crime drama – there is an artistry to both “Plainville” and “Banner.” The bigger question is whether we really need these series at all. We don’t need to relive some of our worst tragedies through the lens of Alist actors pursuing awards bait and scripts that don’t offer anything new to say about heinous crimes. At some point, it’s just too macabre to see a set staged to look like a 15- month- old baby was murdered there.

“Heaven” is the kind of dark ( literally and figuratively), deep and wellacted crime drama to attract attention and buzz, but its production quality doesn’t offset the gratuitous exploitati­on of a real- life double murder. “Heaven” is based on the Jon Krakauer book about the investigat­ion of the brutal murder of a mother and her baby in a Utah Mormon community in 1984 and stars Andrew Garfield as the Mormon detective investigat­ing the case. The violence is off- screen, sure, but there is blood on baby toys, vomiting, police officers traumatize­d by what they’ve seen and descriptio­ns of the horror.

The book drew connection­s between the fundamenta­list Mormons charged with the murder and the roots of Mormonism in 19th- century America, and the series makes passing attempts to draw that connection with a few flashbacks. But mostly it’s structured as a regular old detective drama, akin to “True Detective” or “Mare of Easttown.” Except the children in those stories weren’t real.

“Plainville” covers a crime that lacks graphic, brutal violence, but the way the series zooms in on the lives of Carter and Roy feels inappropri­ately intimate. Fanning, who will probably get an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Carter, works hard and the script tries to contextual­ize the teen, if not humanize her. But every episode has a seedy, uncomforta­ble edge to the drama.

There are other examples. Fox’s short- lived “Almost Family” ( 2019- 20) drew inspiratio­n from an awful, invasive crime – a doctor secretly inseminati­ng women with his own sperm – into a cheesy family drama. Peacock’s “Joe vs. Carole” managed to make the “Tiger King” story even trashier.

The appropriat­eness of these shows is hard to define. Those about financial and fraud crimes, such as Hulu’s “The Dropout” or Netflix’s “Inventing Anna,” feel more innocuous. There are plenty of “ripped from the headlines” episodes of such series as “Law and Order: SVU,” some of which feel exploitati­ve while others have more nuance and make for effective commentary. And FX has won Emmys and acclaim with the “American Crime Story” franchise, which has depicted murder with a season about the O. J. Simpson trial and the murder of Gianni Versace by spree killer Andrew Cunanan.

When more time has elapsed between the crime and the TV show about it; when the victims and perpetrato­rs aren’t children or teens; and when the violence happens mostly offscreen, these dramas are far more palatable. And when the stories have something profound to say, it feels less exploitati­ve and even vital to bring them to viewers. The Cunanan saga is about the devastatin­g impacts of homophobia. Netflix’s “When They See Us” offered an urgent, powerful reframing of the wrongful conviction­s against the socalled Central Park Five.

Part of the problem is that there is a mad dash for familiar content among streaming services and traditiona­l networks. So turning to a well- known story – whether it’s from a comic book, a movie, or your local newspaper – is the de facto strategy. FX recently announced a miniseries that will dramatize former NBA team owner Donald Sterling’s downfall. What artistic value can come from rehashing his infamous hot mic tape in which he spewed hate and racism? It’s not entertaini­ng; it’s simply recognizab­le. And unfortunat­ely in this day and age, disturbing, gratuitous and horrifying crime sticks in our memory like a piece of spinach caught in your teeth.

True crime isn’t just familiar, it’s popular. Investigat­ion Discovery, a network devoted to true crime, rakes in ratings. Documentar­ies are churned out by the week. Fictional crime shows such as “NCIS” are among TV’s most watched.

So true crime isn’t going anywhere. But it’s my hope that producers and writers can be more selective and sensitive when it comes to bringing these stories to TV, particular­ly in fiction, where actors impersonat­e real villains and vie for awards on the backs of real victims.

Not every funeral has to be the opportunit­y for a 10- episode series.

Suicide Lifeline: If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts you can call the U. S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800- 273- TALK ( 8255) any time of day or night or chat online.

Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/ 7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.

 ?? PROVIDED BY ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/ NETFLIX ?? “When They See Us” stars Aunjanue Ellis and Ethan Herisse.
PROVIDED BY ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/ NETFLIX “When They See Us” stars Aunjanue Ellis and Ethan Herisse.
 ?? ??
 ?? PROVIDED BY STEVE DIETL/ HULU ?? Michael Mosley and Elle Fanning star in “The Girl From Plainville,” inspired by the true story of Michelle Carter’s involuntar­y manslaught­er conviction for her role in the suicide of her boyfriend.
PROVIDED BY STEVE DIETL/ HULU Michael Mosley and Elle Fanning star in “The Girl From Plainville,” inspired by the true story of Michelle Carter’s involuntar­y manslaught­er conviction for her role in the suicide of her boyfriend.

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