'The Act' trailer is here and it's had 10 million views already
What with season two of the Netflix thriller Dirty John, the new Madeleine McCann docuseries, and the fifth instalment of cop drama, Line of Duty, all coming to our screens soon, it's safe to say 2019 is spoiling us with true-crime drama.
Get ready for your next TV obsession though, because Hulu is preparing to release a brand new series, The Act, based on the real-life story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who made headlines in 2015 when her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, was found stabbed to death at their home in Springfield, Missouri.
The murder trial gripped America as it emerged that Gypsy's mother had convinced her daughter that she was terminally ill. For years, Gypsy has been treated for problems related to muscular dystrophy, undergone invasive surgeries linked to leukemia, asthma, and brain damage, and fed through a tube - even though she was completely healthy.
It's believed that Dee Dee had Munchausen by proxy, a syndrome in which someone fabricates an illness for someone else to receive sympathy and attention. The web of lies worked: Dee Dee received substantial donations from Ronald McDonald House, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Habit for Humanity, who built Gypsy a pink, wheelchair-accessible home.
After suffering years of abuse, Dee Dee was murdered by Gypsy's boyfriend Nick Godejohn, whom she had met online. 24 hours after Dee Dee’s body was discovered, Gypsy and Nick were arrested on suspicion of murder in Wisconsin, and later charged for Dee Dee’s death. Godejohn received a life sentence, while Gypsy was sentenced to ten years in prison for second degree murder at the Chillicothe Correctional Center in Missouri.
In Hulu's new trailer, based on Michelle Dean’s 2016 in-depth reported story for BuzzFeed, “Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter to Be Sick, Gypsy Wanted Her Mom Murdered," we meet Gypsy (played by Joey King) and Dee Dee (played by Patricia Arquette) who convinces her daughter that she suffers from a range of serious ailments.
In an interview with Teen Vogue, King said that she wanted to draw out Gypsy's humanity in the new adaptation.
"I just want to make sure that if [Gypsy] ever sees the show one day, I want her to know that we wanted to do right by her," she said. "The story is so messed up and there are so many layers, and it's so, so heavy. I never want it to feel like we're making fun of the story or we're doing anything to romanticize it."
The Act premieres on Hulu on March 20.
Scroll down for the best true crime documentaries to watch right now...
NetflixMonsters Inside: The 24 Faces Of Billy Morgan
This Netflix documentary looks at the true story of Billy Morgan, who was arrested for multiple rape allegations on students at Ohio State University in the 1970s. While Morgan was diagnosed with a disorder that had given him multiple personalities, a debate began as to whether not he himself was "guilty", and whether he belonged in jail or a psychiatric facility. Chilling.
I Am A Killer
There’s something fascinating, albeit terrifying, about what goes in the mind of a murderer, and that’s exactly what I Am A Killer depicts. The series features in-person interviews with death row inmates convicted of capital murder, who give their account of their crime.
Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story
Cyntoia Brown is a criminal justice reform advocate who was released from prison in 2019, after it was decided she wasn’t guilty of killing a man, and therefore wouldn’t need to complete her life sentence. This eye-opening documentary tells her life story, from the time she was sex-trafficked as a teenager, then to being tried in court at 16 years old, and finally being freed from prison as a grown woman.
American Murder: The Family Next Door
American Murder: The Family Next Door tells the story of the 2018 Watts family murders, which took place in Colorado. It features real life archival footage including social media posts, court hearings, text messages and home video footage. It’s CHILLING.
NetflixMemories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes
Coming to Netflix on 18th August 2021, this will reveal never-before-heard information on serial killer Dennis Nilsen. After his death in 2018, Netflix gained access to his private collection of recordings that were left in his cell. They've informed this doc.
ShutterstockMonster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
We aren't sure of when this will hit Netflix, but it's one to keep an eye out for as it's likely to be big. Currently in development, the 10-part series will look at the murders committed by one of American's most notorious killers. Over a number of years, Jeffrey Dahmer killed 17 boys and men.
Ryan Murphy is behind the series which is also why it's set to be big - he's the creator of American Horror Story and Glee, to name but a few.
NetflixMurder Among The Mormons
The latest extraordinary true crime story that is sending social media into a frenzy, Murder Among The Mormons explores the 1985 bombings in Salt Lake City, the implications it had on the Mormon Church, and the involvement of document dealer Mark Hofmann, who begins the series as a victim, but is slowly revealed to be its prime suspect.
The Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer
Following the investigation of detectives solving crimes of rape, murder and kidnappings all over LA. As the serial killer goes on a murder spree, police start connecting the dots, they realise that it was all in fact done by the same one man, and the city goes on an eery standstill.
NetflixThe Ripper
Using interviews with investigators and witnesses, this new four-part documentary examines the impact of the Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, who killed 13 women between 1975 to 1980.
How To Fix A Drug Scandal
In documentary filmmaker Erin Lee Carr's four part docuseries, we follow the story of 35-year-old crime drug lab chemist Sonja Farak, who was arrested in 2013 for tampering with evidence, alongside colleague Annie Dookhan – and that is only the beginning of this astonishing tale.
The Innocent Man
A documentary adaption of John Grisham's only non-fiction work, The Innocent Man raises concerns about two murder cases in Oklahoma – Ron Williamson and Dennis Fritz, two men who were wrongly convicted in the 1982 murder of Debbie Sue Carter, and Tommy Ward and Karl Fontenot – who were convicted in the 1984 murder of Donna Denice Haraway, but maintain their innocence to this day.
Room 2806: The Accusation
This documentary examines the sexual assault case levelled against French politician Dominique Strauss-Kahn, at the height of his career.
Trial By Media: The Truth Behind The Crimes
This fascinating docu-series examines famous court cases, whose outcomes may have been affected by the extensive media coverage they received.
Unabomber In His Own Words
With footage from a rare interview, this documentary traces the Unabomber's – Ted Kaczynski's – campaign of terror from 1978 to 1985, from childhood to young intellectual, to one of the most-feared terrorist's in history.
Unsolved Mysteries
Netflix's latest chilling doc has seen such a surge in popularity that authorities have reportedly already received what producers feel are 20 credible tips toward solving some of the mysteries, which range from disappearances to murders to paranormal experiences.
NetflixTiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness
You won't even believe your eyes as this is truly wild. The lastest Netflix true-crime series comes from the makers of the infamous Fyre festival. The series traces the story of the eccentric zoo owner, Joe Exotic who owns a collection of wild cats with his two husbands. Tragically when an animal rights activist starts to campaign for the animals release, Joe has her murdered...
NetflixDon't F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer
A twisted killer's gruesome videos that begin with cat murders and move onto gruesome human murders - where victims are lured by internet posts - lead to a collection of amateur online detectives launching a highly dangerous manhunt that brings them into the dark underbelly of the internet.
Delhi Crime
The shocking real-life story about a young women who was gang raped on a bus in Delhi.
Lorena
This four-part series explores the famous 1993 court case between John Wayne and Lorena. After suffering years of physical and emotional abuse in their marriage, Lorena cuts off her husband’s penis leaving him mutilated. During the infamous court case, the media failed to mention the years of abuse Lorena endured, instead focusing on the crime she committed against John. This series – premiering on Amazon prime – sheds a necessary light on the racism, misogyny and biased reporting Lorena suffered from.
Abducted in Plain Sight
Literally everyone is talking about this mind-blowing documentary about an Idaho family whose sociopathic neighbour becomes fixated on their 12-year-old daughter. Very creepy, very gripping.
Murder Mountain
Hunboldt County in California runs a big business of legal marijuana, attracting vistors from all around the world. However, many are never seen again.
Dirty Money
This compelling Netflix Original documentary, directed by Oscar award-winning director, Alex Gibney, explores corporate greed. Each episode covers a different business and its controversies with episode one kicking off with the 2015 Volkswagen emissions scandal. Warning: this will leave you raging.
NetflixMaking A Murderer Part 2
The documentary that lit the fuse on our true crime obsession? None other than Making a Murderer. Three years later, it's back for Part Two. Following on from Part One, a ten-part masterpiece looks at the almost unbelievable case of Steven Avery, who is freed from prison after being wrongly convicted of rape, only to be arrested for the murder of another woman. For Part 2, Steven and his nephew Brendan are still trying to clear their names with new legal representation and it's just as addictive as ever. If you haven't seen it, you ok hun?
NetflixI Am A Killer
This documentary series follows real inmates, who have been sentenced to death. They talk about their lives and the crimes that led them to be behind bars. Each episode looks in depth at a different inmate who speak frankly about the motivations that led them to commit their crimes — all as they wait on their own
execution dates.
Getty ImagesEvil Genius
Evil Genius might be one of the most twisted documentaries to join our list. It tells the story of pizza delivery man, Brian Wells, who literally blew up while in police custody for bank robbery. Wells had had a bomb locked around his neck by someone (the list of suspects is interesting, to say the least) and was tasked with going on a criminal scavenger hunt in search of the key. There are just four short episodes to the series, and you'll be hooked from the get-go. The best thing about this one? You'll get a full resolution at the end - that's right, we actually find out who did it.
NetflixWild Wild Country
Rural Oregon is not quite the place you would have assumed played host to a 'utopian city' founded by 'religious guru' Baghwan Shree Rajneesh and his group of loyal followers. But Rajneeshpuram defies all of your expectations. Enter the world of Wild Wild Country to discover the fascinating story behind this religious group who found fame in America in the 1980s for their conflicts and alleged bioterror attacks on the local community and the extremely divisive personality Ma Anand Sheela. Trust us, it's as wild as it sounds.
NetflixThe Staircase
The Staircase follows the case of convicted crime author, Michael Peterson, investigating whether he was really culpable for the death of his late wife, Kathleen, who was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in their family home. The original documentary was aired in 2004, but now there are three new episodes, which uncover further information about the case and whether Michael was actually guilty.
NetflixThe Confession Tapes
The Confession Tapes focuses on six separate homicide cases where the prosecution got a conviction primarily based on taped confessions that the suspects claim were coerced. It consists of seven episodes made up of a mix of archival footage and interviews with suspects, their families and the detectives who worked on the case. The docu-series sheds light on the ways in which brutal police interrogations can shape the way a suspect thinks and, ultimately, manipulate them into admitting to something they may not have done.
The Keepers
Sister Cathy Cesnick, a 26-year-old nun from Baltimore, was murdered in the 60s and the case remains unsolved. The Keepers suggests she may have been about to expose a paedophile ring involving the Catholic church.
Audrie & Daisy
An important, and timely, documentary about two teenage girls - from different parts of America - who passed out from drinking alcohol, and were sexually assaulted by men they thought were their friends. Afterwards, both girls discovered that their assaults were recorded on mobile phones - then circulated, a nightmare that pushed them both to suicidal thoughts. The feature length documentary, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival, is not an easy watch, but intelligently and sensitively made.
Interview With A Serial Killer
In a jailhouse interview, the Genesee River Killer, aka Arthur Shawcross, confesses to his crimes in gruesome detail. It’s bleak viewing, of course, but a rare and unnerving glimpse into a psychopath’s mind.
NetflixCaptive
This documentary series compiles some of the most complex and high stake hostage situations in history. Made up of eight episodes, it features victims from eight different countries recounting their experiences in interviews and looks back at archival footage.
Movieclips Trailer Vault/YoutubeDeliver Us From Evil
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, it focuses on the life of Irish Catholic priest Oliver O'Grady, who admitted to widespread sexual abuse of children in California from the 70s to 90s. He spent seven years in prison, during which time the director, Amy J/Berg, interviewed him. The film also examines whether the Catholic Church tried to cover-up the abuse. In the aftermath of the documentary’s original release, O’Grady was ‘outed’ in the Dutch village where he had relocated.
NetflixConversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
Using a mix of archive footage and present day interviews, this gives a rare and shocking glimpse into the life of a serial killer. Ted Bundy started to confess to his crimes in the days before his execution in Florida, and some of that is shown in the documentary. It's chilling.
NetflixAthlete A
Larry Nassar will now forever be known as an evil abuser who used his position to harm many young female gymnasts. This story looks at those survivors and how there plight came to international news.
NetflixCrime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel
Elisa Lam went missing in the formerly "grand" Cecil Hotel, after being spotted in an elevator thanks to footage. This looks at the hunt to try and find her.
