Murder Made Fiction

Welcome to Murder Made Fiction, a podcast that analyzes fictional adaptations of true crime. From the direct adaptations, to the loose inspirations, join host Amanda Jane Stern as she dives into the wide world where true crime meets fiction. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern (BlueSky, Instagram, TikTok) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/MurderMadeFiction) for the full-length primer and even more exclusive Bonnie and Clyde coverage. Host: Amanda Jane Stern Producers: Amanda Jane Stern & Julian Seltzer Editor: Mae Shults Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our Patreon episode on Bonnie and Clyde: The Musical (2024) with special guest director Nick Winston. Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today! Host: Amanda Jane Stern Producers: Amanda Jane Stern & Julian Seltzer Editor : Mae Shults Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonnie and Clyde month comes to a close this week with the most recent movie in the cannon: The Highwaymen (2019). Christopher James of I Love Horror joins Amanda to talk through whether telling this story from the posse's perspective was the right choice. Spoiler alert: it wasn't. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern (BlueSky, Instagram, TikTok) > Christopher: @i_love_horror_podcast (Instagram, TikTok) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/MurderMadeFiction) for the full-length primer and even more exclusive Bonnie and Clyde coverage. Host: Amanda Jane Stern Producers: Amanda Jane Stern & Julian Seltzer Editor: Mae Shults Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our Patreon episode on Bonnie and Clyde vs Dracula (2008) with special guests Michael Varrati (Midnight Mass) andTiffany Shepis (Casualty Friday) Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today! Host: Amanda Jane Stern Producers: Amanda Jane Stern & Julian Seltzer Editor : Mae Shults Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonnie and Clyde month continues with the David DeCoteau output Bonnie & Clyde: Justified. Yes, that is the man who directed A Talking Cat!?! and Voodoo Academy, so be prepared for hunky men. Joining Amanda on the episode is David DeCoteau expert (kinda), Jarrod Hornbeck of Puppet Masters/Castle Freaks. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern (BlueSky, Instagram, TikTok) > Jarrod: @_giallo_jarrod (Instagram) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/MurderMadeFiction) for the full-length primer and even more exclusive Bonnie and Clyde coverage. Host: Amanda Jane Stern Producers: Amanda Jane Stern & Julian Seltzer Editor : Mae Shults Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our Patreon episode on Teenage Bonnie and Klepto Clyde (1993) with special guests Eli Bosnick (God Awful Movies) and Kolleen Carney (For Unlawful Cinematic Knowledge) Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today! Host: Amanda Jane Stern Producers: Amanda Jane Stern & Julian Seltzer Editor : Mae Shults Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonnie and Clyde month continues with the most famous movie of the month: Bonnie and Clyde (1967). Amanda is joined by special guest, historian and archivist, Erik Rebain to breakdown this movie. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern (BlueSky, Instagram, TikTok) > Erik: @erik_rebain (Instagram) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/MurderMadeFiction) for the full-length primer and even more exclusive Bonnie and Clyde coverage. Host: Amanda Jane Stern Producers: Amanda Jane Stern & Julian Seltzer Editor : Mae Shults Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bonnie and Clyde month continues with our first movie: The Bonnie Parker Story (1958). This movie made the baffling choice to change Clyde's name to Guy. To unpack this baffling decision, Amanda is joined by special guest Caitlyn of the North from Pleasers & Punishers. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern (BlueSky, Instagram, TikTok) > Caitlyn: @caitlynofthenorth (Instagram, Threads) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/MurderMadeFiction) for the full-length primer and even more exclusive Bonnie and Clyde coverage. Host: Amanda Jane Stern Producers: Amanda Jane Stern & Julian Seltzer Editor : Mae Shults Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between 1932 and 1934 outlaws Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Champion Barrow traveled the American West, robbing small stores, filling stations, banks and shooting anyone who got in their way. The duo had the press and the public enthralled with their crimes. Even to this day, Bonnie and Clyde live on in infamy. Tune in to learn all about this killer couple. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern (BlueSky, Instagram, TikTok) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/MurderMadeFiction) for the full-length primer and even more exclusive Bonnie and Clyde coverage. Host: Amanda Jane Stern Producers: Amanda Jane Stern & Julian Seltzer Editor : Mae Shults Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our month of John List coverage wraps up with Taye Diggs in the Tubi title Stepfather (2026). Aside from a great lead performance, this one is a dud. Not only is it strangely more of a remake of the 2009 film, but it reverts back to problematic/inaccurate depictions of mental health and features way too many shitty cop characters who add nothing to the film! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for full-length primer and episode by episode coverage of Ryan Murphy's Netflix series, The Watcher (2022) Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our second John List title is Nelson McCormick's 2009 remake, The Stepfather starring Dylan Walsh and (often shirtless) Penn Badgley. It's bigger and longer and gender swaps the teen character...but curiously doesn't do anything with the newfound male energy. Plus: queer connections; questioning Walsh's casting; and joking about how 2000s era this film is. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for full-length primer and episode by episode coverage of Ryan Murphy's Netflix series, The Watcher (2009) Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our month of John List titles begins with the original The Stepfather (1987). Starring a magnetic Terry O'Quinn, this Reagan-era slasher film is the perfect takedown of outdated "father knows best" patriarchal beliefs. Plus: a debate about 'teenage' nudity; appreciating the production design; a gory opening; and a film where the dog doesn't die. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for full-length primer and episode by episode coverage of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan's The Watcher. Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our all new Patreon episode on Episodes 1-2 of Ryan Murphy's The Watcher limited series. Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!  Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In November, 1971 mild-mannered accountant John List murdered his entire family. He then fled town and started a brand-new life in a whole new State. How long did he get away with his crimes? Tune in to find out. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media  (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/MurderMadeFiction) for full-length primer and a month of  The Westfield Watcher coverage Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer/director Matt Ruskin's Boston Strangler (2023) stars Keira Knightley and Carrie Coon as the Record American reporters who covered the infamous case. Too bad this one is such a snooze! In addition to being too long and drab, the film fudges plenty of facts and has no perspective other than "being a lady reporter is hard". It's a miss! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for full-length primer and our episode by episode coverage of Hulu's The Girl From Plainville. Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Four years after the last fictional adaptation, Compulsion director Richard Fleischer delivered a new fresh take on the case with 1968's The Boston Strangler. While Edward Anhalt's script uses the same tired pop psychology to excuse DeSalvo's crimes, cinematographer Richard H. Kline and editor Marion Rothman use split screens and transitions in an incredibly exciting way. Plus: charismatic Tony Curtis and interrogating queerness (with a bisexual-coded Bottomly?) Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for full-length primer and episodic coverage of The Girl From Plainville Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our coverage of The Boston Strangler kicks off with Burt Topper's The Strangler (1964). We've got 60s pop psychology, indistinguishable cops, and a leading performance from Victor Buono that steals the movie. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media  (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/c/MurderMadeFiction) for full-length primer on this case and a month of The Girl from Plainville Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amanda and Joe begin their coverage of Hulu's limited series The Girl from Plainville. Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today! Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amanda and Joe begin a new month dedicated to the murder spree that gripped Boston in 1963 as 13 women were strangled to death in their own homes. This month we're discussing Albert DeSalvo, The Boston Strangler. If you want to hear the full story, join us on Patreon (⁠patreon.com/murdermadefiction⁠) for the full-length primer as well as episodic coverage of the Hulu miniseries, The Girl From Plainsville, starring Elle Fanning. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amanda and Joe look back at their coverage of Leopold and Loeb and discuss their favorite adaptations, least favorite adaptations, and possible new ways to adapt the story today. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media  (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for full-length primer and a month of Leopold and Loeb titles, including Rope, Swoon, Scream, and Funny Games (2007) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After using his work extensively to fact check texts throughout the month, Amanda and Joe sit down with author and archivist Erik Rebain to discuss his fascination with the case, his favorite fictional adaptations and why Ryan Murphy should (or shouldn't) make a TV series. Erik's website: The Lives and Legends of Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for full-length primer and a month of Leopold and Loeb titles, including Rope, Swoon, Scream, and Funny Games (2007) Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our all new Patreon episode on Funny Games (2007), that's right, the English-language remake. Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!  Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our coverage of Leopold and Loeb wraps up on the main feed with Barbet Schroeder's Murder By Numbers (2002), which consists of two different films smashed together into one. On one side, we have a police procedural involving Sandy B's detective and her traumatic past. On the other side, we have a pair of queer-coded teen boys (Ryan Gosling and Michael Pitt) obsessed with executing the perfect murder. It doesn't take much math to figure out which one is more successful! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for full-length primer and a month of Leopold and Loeb titles, including Rope, Swoon, Scream, and Funny Games (2007) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our all new Patreon episode on Scream (1996), the Wes Craven meta-slasher. Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!  Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our all new Patreon episode on Swoon (1992), the only queer-directed text in our Leopold and Loeb coverage. Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!  Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first title in our Leopold and Loeb coverage is Compulsion, written by Richard Murphy and based on Meyer Levin's 1956 novel. Richard Fleischer's film is notable for casting Orson Welles, who delivers an impassioned speech against the death penalty in the finale. Plus: a weakened Hays Code; beautiful Dean Stockwell; and the decision to keep the murder offscreen. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for full-length primer and a month of Leopold and Loeb titles, including Rope, Swoon, Scream, and Funny Games (2007) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our all new full length Patreon episode on Alfred Hitchcock's Rope (1948) Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!  Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Chicago 1924, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb attempted to commit "the perfect murder" by killing 14-year-old Bobby Franks. They were caught almost immediately in what became known as "the trial of the century." Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for full-length primer and a month of Leopold and Loeb titles, including Rope, Swoon, Scream, and Funny Games (2007) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe welcomes new co-host Amanda Jane Stern with an interview to explore her background, her history with true crime, her likes and dislikes, and recent titles that have caught her attention. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Amanda: @amandajanestern > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for full length primers, and a month of Leopold and Loeb titles, including Rope, Swoon, Scream, and Funny Games (2007) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenn and Joe wrap up coverage of Netflix's limited series, Unbelievable, with the cathartic final episode. Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!  Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In twelve seasons of his anthology show, Ryan Murphy has tackled his share of true crime. To conclude our coverage of the murder of Elizabeth Short, we’re revisiting a pair of episodes featuring Mena Suvari as the famous young woman: Murder House - S1 Episode 9: “Spooky Little Girl” and Apocalypse - S8 Episode 6: “Return to Murder House.” Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for more than 150 hours of content including a full primer on the Black Dahlia case and episode by episode coverage of the Netflix series Unbelievable.   Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joe and Jenn have reached the most mainstream fictionalized depiction of Elizabeth Short's murder: Brian De Palma's 2006 title, The Black Dahlia. Criticized for its poor casting and convoluted narrative, the film is reminiscent of several other crime entries, notably L.A. Confidential. Despite this (and the 2 hour runtime), the cast is hot, Hilary Swank and Fiona Shaw are having a blast, and that fountain scene is pretty amazing! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for individual discussions on all of Netflix's eight episodes of Unbelievable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ulu Grosbard’s True Confessions is a star-studded neo-noire following Robert Duvall and Robert De Niro as brothers caught in the corruption of post-WWII LA. But how does it fare as a Black Dahlia text? Does it present a faithful or sensitive version of the tragic murder of Elizabeth Short? Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for more than 145 hours of content including a full primer on the Black Dahlia case and episode by episode coverage of the Netflix series Unbelievable.   Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our all new Patreon episode on Episode 2 of the Netflix limited series, Unbelievable (2019) Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!  Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our coverage of The Black Dahlia kicks off with the 1975 made-for-TV movie, Who Is The Black Dahlia? Director Joseph Pevney and screenwriter Robert W. Lenski's film presents Elizabeth Short as an aimless, unknowable figure (possibly even to herself). As played by Lucie Arnaz, the movie is well researched and actually gives Short much more screen time than we expected, but it doesn't entirely satisfy. As a kick off, this is solid, but inessential. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for a full-length primer on Elizabeth Short, as well as episode by episode coverage of Netflix's sexual assault series Unbelievable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenn and Joe sat down with non-fiction author William J. Mann to discuss his recent novel, Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters, and Madness in Midcentury Hollywood, which acts as the source material for our episodes all month long. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for full-length primers on The Black Dahlia and episode by episode discussion of Netflix's Unbelievable. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This month, we’re covering films based on one of the most famous unsolved crimes in American history. To kick things off, Jenn and Joe discuss the gruesome murder of Elizabeth Short and the many salacious rumors that rose in its wake. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for more than 145 hours of content including a full primer on the Black Dahlia case and episode by episode coverage of the Netflix series Unbelievable.   Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Due to a technical snafu, we're unable to release our episode on Bad Education, so accept our apologies with an episode on Brad Parker's delightfully silly B-movie Chernobyl Diaries (2012), which we programmed as part of our Chernobyl coverage on Patreon. Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!  Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Week three of 'Whistleblower' month looks at Todd Haynes' 2019 film, Dark Waters (2019), adapted from the New York Times article "The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare." Starring a fantastic Mark Ruffalo, the film follows Rob Billott a lawyer who takes on DuPont chemicals for polluting the water in West Virginia. Topics include: the long drawn out legal battle; character actors Bill Camp and Mare Winningham; and misusing Anne Hathaway as the "bitchy" wife. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for episode by episode coverage of HBO's miniseries Chernobyl and a pair of Fukushima texts. Show Art: Travis Falligant / Theme Music: Conrad Chambers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our coverage of whistleblowers continues with Erin Brockovich, a biopic turned true crime drama about a single mother of three who uncovers a devastating environmental crime. Steven Soderbergh’s crowd-pleaser infuses life into what is essentially a story about documents while adding courtroom intrigue to a case settled without going to trial.  Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for more than 140 hours of bonus content including episode by episode coverage of HBO’s Chernobyl as well as Chernobyl Diaries, Fukushima 50, and Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare (2025   Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Nov 13, 1974, the body of Karen Silkwood was discovered in her rear-ended car in a ditch in Crescent, Oklahoma. Mike Nichols' Oscar-nominated 1983 film looks at the events preceding her death as Karen became the first woman ever elected to a Kerr-McGee bargaining committee, her increasing activism, and her attempts to sound the alarm on faulty nuclear rods before her death. The film stars Meryl Streep, Cher, and Kurt Russell and boasts a script co-written by Nora Ephron, which focuses principally on the small dramatic moments of Karen's life. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for episode by episode coverage of HBO's Chernobyl miniseries, as well as the HBO doc Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare and the fiction film adaptation Fukushima 50 (2021). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the early morning hours of 26 April 1986, the fourth RBMK reactor at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, exposing the Soviet Union to massive levels of radioactivity. The resulting cleanup would take nearly a year and wind up claiming thousands of lives. Meanwhile, scientists scrambled to understand exactly what went wrong and how to prevent Earth’s worst manmade disaster from happening again. Jenn walks Joe through the harrowing story of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for a full primer along with episode by episode coverage of HBO’s Chernobyl, The Chernobyl Diaries, and Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare. Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenn and Joe are ready to wrap up a month of Jack the Ripper texts with arguably the most famous title to date: The Hughes Brothers' From Hell (2001). This adaptation of the Alan Moore comic is 2+ hours long, stars Johnny Depp and Heather Graham (doing questionable accents) and has plenty of stylish green and red lighting. Plus: a fantastic turn by Ian Holm; cries of salacious gore from critics of the time; a revisionist ending; and a legitimate interest in the lives of Whitechapel's sex workers. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for 140+ hours of bonus content, including episode by episode coverage of S01 of AMC's The Terror. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For our second last week of Jack the Ripper texts, we're checking out made-for-TV movie The Ripper (1997) Starring Patrick Bergin, Gabrielle Anwar, and MVP Samuel West, this version of the story dispenses with the mystery and identifies The Ripper ~22 minutes in. Plus: prioritizing the romance over the investigation, Bergin as a good guy, queer coding, and why we can tell this was helmed by a female director (Janet Meyers). Wanna watch the film? Search on Daily Motion Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for episode by episode coverage of S01 of AMC's The Terror (2018). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our all new Patreon episode on Episode 6 of The Terror, "A Mercy" which features a fiery carnival. Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Caine wraps up the case in episode two of Jack the Ripper (1988). A gruesome package sent to the media contains a pivotal clue that allows our fearless detectives to identify Jack the Ripper from a bevy of suspects.  But will the world learn the identity of the notorious killer or will the truth stay buried for 100 years? Topics include: poverty in 19th century London and surprising connections to current events.  Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media ⁠@murdermfiction⁠ (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (⁠patreon.com/murdermadefiction⁠) for episode by episode coverage of S01 of AMC's The Terror Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our discussion of Jack the Ripper continues with the first of a two episode TV miniseries Jack the Ripper (1988) starring Michael Caine and Jane Seymour. This lavish $11M series was broadcast in both the UK and the US to (allegedly) big ratings, but it's the sprawling focus on the daily life in Whitechapel that has us hooked. Topics include: the many, many male suspects; beakers of milk; a desire for The Muppets; and the role of both theatrical performance and the media in hyping up the crime. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for episode by episode coverage of S01 of AMC's The Terror Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re continuing our coverage of Jack the Ripper with Hugo Fregonese’s 1953 adaptation. Jack Palance stars as a mysterious lodger who may be connected to a series of gruesome murders plaguing 1888 London. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for more than 130 hours of content including episode by episode coverage of The Terror season 1.   Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our first fictionalized adaptation of Jack the Ripper is an early Alfred Hitchcock film, The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927). In the film, a landlord couple begin to suspect that their new tenant (played by gay musical composer Ivor Novello) is The Avenger, a serial killer of blonde women, who may have his sights set on their daughter Daisy. Topics include: appreciating black & white silent movies; German Expressionism; Hitchcock trademarks; and how the film anticipates True Crime discussions we're still having 100 years later. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for 135+ hours of bonus content, including a primer on Sir John Franklin's failed 1846 expedition to find the Northwest Passage, and episode by episode coverage of S01 of The Terror, the AMC series that adapts it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re going all the way back to the 19th century to the foundations of the true crime genre. Jack the Ripper terrorized the residents of Whitechapel, London, leaving butchered bodies in the street before disappearing into the night. Carole Peters’s docuseries episode chronicles this disturbing case and its wide variety of suspected killers.  Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for more than 130 hours of content including episode by episode coverage of The Terror season 1.   Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenn and Joe wrap up Olympic Crime month with a look at Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer. On the night of Feb 13, 2013, the Olympic athlete shot and killed his model/lawyer girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, mistaking her for an intruder. The 2017 Lifetime film charts the couple's brief, but turbulent relationship, though we found the screenplay's disinterest in exploring the race, class, or celebrity aspects of the case frustrating. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for a pair of bear attack films (Grizzly Night and Cocaine Bear), plus discussions on true crime documentaries like The Perfect Neighbor, Predators, and Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our discussion of the murder of Dave Schultz by eccentric multi-millionaire John du Pont continues with the fictionalized take from 2014. Directed by Bennett Miller, the film was nominated for 5 Oscars, including two supporting actor nominations for Steve Carrell and Mark Ruffalo, as well as direction, screenplay, and make-up (which...what?) What happens when Mark Schultz (Channing Tatum) becomes the lead of the story? Apparently the queer elements are ramped up, and the murder somehow becomes anti-climatic... Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for 132+ hours of bonus content, including discussions of 2025's best true crime documentaries like The Perfect Neighbor, Predators, and Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re continuing our coverage of Olympic Crime with the strange story of John du Pont and the murder of Olympic gold wrestler Dave Schultz. Jon Greenhalgh’s 2016 documentary gives us an intimate view of life on du Pont’s Foxcatcher Farms and a dangerous quest for Olympic gold. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for more than 125 hours of content including episodes on the animal attack films Grizzly Night and Cocaine Bear and an exploration of the documentaries Predators and The Perfect Neighbor.   Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re continuing our coverage of Olympic crime with Craig Gillespie’s 2017 Oscar darling. Based on conflicting interviews with Tonya Harding and her ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, “I, Tonya” presents different versions of the infamous attack on rival skater Nancy Kerrigan, then allows the audience to suss out the truth.  Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for more than 125 hours of content including episodes on the animal attack films Grizzly Night and Cocaine Bear and an exploration of the documentaries Predators and The Perfect Neighbor.   Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenn and Joe interview podcaster Brian Raftery about his new book, Hannibal: A Life, which looks at the evolution and cultural relevance of Hannibal Lecter. It's out Feb 10, 2026 and it's well worth a read. You can also watch this interview on YouTube (youtube.com/@MurderMadeFiction) Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for other Hannibal related episodes like The Silence of the Lambs. Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Less than four months after Nancy Kerrigan was attacked by a man after coming off the ice, NBC debuted the made-for-TV movie Tonya & Nancy: The Inside Story (1994). The self-aware film acknowledges its intent to capitalize on the lurid sensationalism of the crime, but also explores the class and gender issues that contributed to the hype. Plus: A Greek Chorus of talking heads, breaking the fourth wall, and Heather Langenkamp?! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for a pair of bear attack films (Grizzly Night and Cocaine Bear), plus discussions on true crime documentaries like The Perfect Neighbor, Predators, and Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Winter Olympics just around the corner, we’re exploring some of sport’s most notorious crimes, beginning with the 1994 attack on Nancy Kerrigan. This episode of the ESPN docuseries 30 for 30 begins with Tonya Harding’s troubled childhood then follows her rocky figure skating career and controversial quest for Olympic gold.  Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for more than 125 hours of content including episodes on the animal attack films Grizzly Night and Cocaine Bear and an exploration of the documentaries Predators and The Perfect Neighbor.   Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're checking out director Burke Doeren and writers Katrina Mathewson & Tanner Bean's Grizzly Night (2026) based on the August 13, 1967 bear attacks in Granite National Park. If you want to hear more , including our spoilery discussion, join the Patreon (⁠patreon.com/murdermadefiction⁠) where we're also tackling Cocaine Bear, as well as 2025 documentaries like Predators, The Perfect Neighbor and Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Show art: IBTrav Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re wrapping up our patreon coverage of Mindhunter season 1 with a chat about our favorite characters, story arcs, and episodes. What do we long for in season 2 and how does David Fincher’s masterful show subvert a well-trodden subgenre? Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for more than 125 hours of content including episode by episode coverage of the Netflix series Mindhunter.  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For our second week of Richard Speck adaptations, we're checking out director Denis Héroux's Born For Hell (1976), which is sometimes also known as Naked Massacre. This international co-production relocates the narrative to Belfast and weaves in Speck's story with the Troubles and the Vietnam War. Plus: comparisons to Violated Angels; and why this is such a hard watch, even if we can't just dismiss it. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for more than 128 hours of content including episode by episode coverage of the Netflix series Mindhunter.  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we continue our coverage of Mindhunter season 1, we’re traveling across the world to discuss Kôji Wakamatsu’s Violated Angels.  Inspired by the crimes of Richard Speck, this controversial Pink Film is a powerful and disturbing blend of true crime and political commentary.  Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for more than 125 hours of content including episode by episode coverage of the Netflix series Mindhunter.  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To tie into our coverage of Mindhunter on Patreon, we're discussing fictional adaptations of the killers interviewed on the series. First up: director Chad Ferrin's Ed Kemper (2025) which shares a screenwriter with 2000's Ed Gein in Stephen Johnston. Sadly this plays like a lazy, salacious cash-grab. Despite a committed performance by lead Brandon Kirk, there's not much to recommend here. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for a full-length primer on profiler John Douglas and individual episode by episode discussion of S01 of Netflix's Mindhunter. Watching ahead? Look for the Japanese Richard Speck film Violated Angels on the Internet Archive (link) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When John Douglas first joined the FBI in 1970, criminal investigation was ineffective at best. Over the next quarter century, he would pioneer the art of criminal profiling and create the Bureau's Behavioral Analysis Unit alongside colleagues Robert Ressler and Dr. Ann Burgess.  Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for a episode by episode coverage of the Netflix series Mindhunter.  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenn and Joe celebrate a year of fictionalized true crime in a number of different categories (thanks to Patron Kelly for a few suggestions!) Here's what we're discussing: Fave 2025 Fictionalized Text Most Accurate to Real Life Fave 2025 True Crime Title We Didn't Cover Best Conversation Starter Best Use of Music Best Performance Best Individual Episode of a Series; and Most Anticipated (2026 and Beyond) Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for episode by episode coverage of The Staircase docuseries, and S01 of Netflix's Mindhunter in January Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Antonio Campos' fictionalized take on The Staircase comes to a close with episodes 7 & 8. Expect plenty of overlapping and blurring of timelines as Kathleen Peterson lives out her final days in 2001; Michael is released from prison in 2011; and his relationship with editor Sophie implodes in 2017. It's a perfect opportunity to compare/contrast with Lestrade's docuseries and wrap up our thoughts on what the HBO miniseries is doing. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for episode by episode coverage of the docuseries, as well as Netflix's Mindhunter S01 starting in January. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Antonio Campos’ fictionalized adaptation of The Staircase continues with an exploration of bias behind the scenes of the original docuseries. The Petersons suffer through a stressful Thanksgiving while Kathleen’s neighbor comes up with a surprising explanation for her mysterious death.  Topics include: Alford pleas, film scoring, and the owl finally makes an appearance.  Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for episode by episode coverage of the 2004 docuseries The Staircase. Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Antonio Campos’ fictionalized adaptation of The Staircase continues with an alternative theory for how Kathleen Peterson may have died.  Topics include: rapid pacing, homophobia, and a bombshell revelation about Michael’s third wife.  Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for episode by episode coverage of the 2004 docuseries The Staircase. Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Dec 9, 2001, Michael Peterson made a frantic 911 call to report the accidental death of his wife, Kathleen. What followed is one of the most sensational true crime cases of all time: did Kathleen die in a fall down the stairs...or was she murdered by her husband? In 2022, showrunner Antonio Campos debuted his 8 episode HBO limited series, starring Colin Firth & Toni Collette and based on the 2004 docuseries. Here's our take on episodes 1-2. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for episode by episode coverage of the the entire The Staircase docuseries (13 episodes between 2004 & 2013) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ron Howard’s emotional film chronicles the risky and controversial mission to save twelve young soccer players and their coach from the rapidly flooding Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand. Topics include: claustrophobia, star power, and white savior narratives. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for episode by episode coverage of Netflix’s The Monster of Florence and Hulu’s Murdaugh: Death in the Family.  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Director Charlie Shackleton makes lemonade out of lemons after losing the rights to adapt Lyndon Lafferty’s 2012 true crime novel The Zodiac Killer Cover-up AKA The Silenced Badge. From the ashes of his abandoned documentary rises a fascinating exploration of the genre itself. Against the backdrop of gorgeous cinematography from Xenia Patricia, Shackleton talks us through his original plans, revealing deft commentary on true crime storytelling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the night of April 20, 2010, over the span of nine minutes, the oil rig Deepwater Horizon experienced a cataclysmic explosion that killed 11 men and spilled an estimated 210 million gallons of oil into the Gulf over a period of 87 days. It is the worst oil disaster in US history. Peter Berg's 2016 aquatic disaster movie documents the fateful day the well blew, following a handful of individuals who managed to survive against all odds. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for episode by episode discussions of Netflix's The Monster of Florence, and Hulu's Murdaugh: Death in the Family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On December 26, 2004, a massive underwater earthquake off the coast of Sumatra sent a devastating tsunami roaring through the surrounding coastline. J.A. Bayona’s The Impossible is the story of one family’s survival.  Topics include: baby Tom Holland, tearjerker phone calls, and looking for the helpers Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for episode by episode coverage of Netflix’s The Monster of Florence and Hulu’s Murdaugh: Death in the Family.  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On February 24th, 2019, Mallory Beach was killed while boating with her friends on the Beaufort River in South Carolina. Her tragic death kicked off snowballing investigations that would take down one of the state's most prominent family dynasties. Jenn walks Joe through the shocking story of the Murdaugh family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In October 1991, the Andrea Gail was caught in what meteorologist Todd Gross described as "The Perfect Storm" and all members of her crew were lost at sea. Wolfgang Peterson's 2000 film adaptation of Sebastian Junger's book recreates the events of the disastrous fishing expedition and features an all-star cast that includes George Clooney, John Hawkes, John C. Reilly, William Fichtner and Diane Lane. What's true and what's made up? And what is the appeal of disaster films like this? Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for 107 hours of bonus content, including episode by episode coverage of Netflix's The Monster of Florence and Hulu's Murdaugh: Death in the Family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between the years of 1968 and 1985, 16 people were murdered while parking on rural roads in the Tuscan countryside surrounding Florence, Italy. Their killer has never been conclusively identified. Jenn walks Joe through this series of brutal murders and the bizarre investigation that followed. Wanna hear more about the Monster? Join us on Patreon (⁠patreon.com/murdermadefiction⁠) for episode by episode coverage of Netflix's The Monster of Florence, as well as Hulu's Murdaugh: Death in the Family. Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenn and Joe wrap up our second month on Ed Gein with a look at Chuck Parello's 2000 fictional adaptation Ed Gein (sometimes also referred to as In The Light of the Moon). Featuring two stand-outs performances from Steve Railsback and Carrie Snodgress, this film may be the closest approximation of the true story. Plus: character study vs gore, the confusing relationship between Collette and Brian, and why does this film feel a bit dry and sedate? Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for 100+ hours of bonus content, including episode by episode coverage of Ryan Murphy's Monster: The Ed Gein Story and Peacock's Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff Gillen and Alan Ormsby take an interesting approach to adapting the story of Wisconsin's Ed Gein. Deranged takes a faithful approach to historical fact while changing a handful of names and descriptions. Jenn and Joe continue their coverage of the Butcher of Plainfield with this bizarrely entertaining film. Discussions include: Seance sex scams, paint-like blood, and a slowly evolving male gaze. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for episode by episode coverage of Monster: The Ed Gein Story and Peacock's Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In anticipation of Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, the new Peacock series, Joe gives Jenn an overview of the history of the "Killer Clown." C/W: sexual assault Want to hear the full primer, as well as our episode by episode coverage of the show (and Netflix's Monster: The Ed Gein Story)? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time for another season of Ryan Murphy's Monster as the Netflix true crime series tackles The Ed Gein Story. Starring Charlie Hunnam and Laurie Metcalf, episode one "Mother!" introduces the Gein family before speeding through the plot, including the deaths of older brother Henry and Augusta. Topics include: an unexpected connection to the Nazi 'Bitch of Buchenwald'; CGI fire; real life suitor Adeline Watkins; and discussion about how the series is addressing queerness. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna hear more on Monster? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for episode by episode coverage of all three seasons, as well as Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we prepare to discuss Monster: The Ed Gein Story episode by episode on Patreon (⁠patreon.com/murdermadefiction⁠), here's the full version of last year's Primer. Jenn walks Joe through the the disturbing details of Ed Gein’s life and crimes, including his uncomfortably close relationship with his mother Augusta, the mysterious death of his brother Henry, and the house of horrors uncovered with his arrest.  C/W: graphic descriptions of murder and desecration of corpses Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our all new Patreon episode on the finale of The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, "Libertá" Like what you hear? Head on over to ⁠www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction⁠ and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today, including episodic coverage of Netflix's Monster: The Ed Gein Story and Peacock's Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy. Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re concluding our coverage of the Weeping Woman with Jayro Bustamante’s La Llorona. This haunting film repackages the eerie legend of a woman driven to drown her kids as a damning indictment of dictatorial rule and the Mayan Genocide in Guatemala. Topics include: pathetic men, complicit women, and the inescapable consequences of large-scale violence.  Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for full continued coverage of Ed and Lorraine Warren including the Netflix documentary The Devil on Trial, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, and The Conjuring: Last Rites as well as episode by episode coverage of The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our all new Patreon episode on The Conjuring: Last Rites.  Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our month of La Llorona coverage continues with Michael Chaves' feature directorial debut, The Curse of La Llorona (2019) starring Linda Cardellini. This film finally (!) includes water, but we're unsure what message it is making about motherhood and white saviors. Topics include: wasting Cardellini and Patricia Velásquez; bad parenting; questions about race; and connections to Annabelle Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for coverage of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It and Last Rites, as well as Netflix doc The Devil on Trial, TV movie The Haunted, and episodic coverage of Hulu's The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our all new Patreon minisode on the 1991 made-for-TV movie The Haunted, which explores the same case that's tackled in The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025). Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today, including our episode on Last Rites!  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenn and Joe spend another week investigating Mexican La Llorona films with a look at Rafael Baledón's The Curse of the Crying Woman (1963). This 80-minute black and white film is a pretty bad adaptation, but this Mexican Gothic film has a Universal meets Hammer vibe that we adore. Plus: vampires, werewolves, trap doors, nods to Bava's Black Sunday, and an utterly perfect Rita Macedo. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for coverage of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It and Last Rites, as well as Netflix doc The Devil on Trial, TV movie The Haunted, and episodic coverage of Hulu's The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our first text on La Llorona takes us back to Mexico for Ramón Peón's 1933 film La Llorona or The Crying Woman (Watch on YouTube here). C/W: suicide This is the oldest movie we've covered on the pod to date, but there's plenty to discuss, including issues of race, class, and gender, especially across the film's three generational storylines. Plus: secret passageways, birthday parties and weddings, and ties to historical figures...but no water?! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction⁠ for continuing coverage of Ed and Lorraine Warren including the Netflix documentary The Devil on Trial, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, and The Conjuring 4: Last Rites as well as episode by episode coverage of The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenn and Joe celebrate one year of Murder Made Fiction with a look back at the many titles and topics we’ve covered, including our faves from the Main Feed, Patreon, and which titles we wanna cover in the future! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for full continued coverage of Ed and Lorraine Warren including the Netflix documentary The Devil on Trial, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, TV movie The Haunted, and The Conjuring 4: Last Rites as well as episode by episode coverage of The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Throughout Mexico and Central America, children grow up fearing La Llorona. Also known as the Weeping Woman, this menacing figure is said to lurk near various bodies of water, crying for her missing sons. Some believe she intentionally drowned her children while others claim their deaths were caused by the negligence of a shameless seductress. But where did this frightening legend begin and does La Llorona still haunt the modern world? Jenn walks Joe through the tale’s many variations and the controversial woman who inspired it all.  Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for continuing coverage of Ed and Lorraine Warren including the Netflix documentary The Devil on Trial, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, and The Conjuring 4: Last Rites as well as episode by episode coverage of The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our all new Patreon episode on Episode 3 The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, ““The Guardian of Perugia” Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenn and Joe continue our discussion of The Warrens with a look at James Wan's The Conjuring 2 (2016) which moves the action to London. The film purports to tackle the Enfield haunting, but the narrative is much more fictionalized than the first film, largely in service of Bonnie Aarons' The Nun/Valak. Plus: evangelizing the Warrens, Amityville connections, changing hair and wardrobes, and Jenn's philosophy on sequels. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for episode by episode coverage of The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ron Howard is in his "no f*cks given" era with Eden (2025) in which an all-star cast lead by Jude Law, Vanessa Kirby, and (secret MVP) Ana de Armas try to survive without killing each other on a rugged island in the Galapagos in the 1930s. It's campy and surprisingly entertaining! If you want more on the film, including spoilers, join us on Patreon (⁠patreon.com/murdermadefiction⁠) where we're also tackling Hulu's The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, episode by episode. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before we tackle The Conjuring 2, let's discuss The Enfield Poltergeist (2023) which covers the same events...minus Ed and Lorraine Warren. The four part Apple TV limited series boasts a fascinating conceit: the show consists of actors lip synching to tape recordings collected by Maurice Grosse of the Society for Psychical Research between 1977 - 1978. It's the most well documented poltergeist case in history...or is it? Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for episode by episode coverage of The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, as well as Apple TV's serial arsonist show Smoke. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we gear up for Hulu's The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, Joe tells Jenn the story of the titular woman, who was accused and later convicted of murdering her flatmate Meredith Kercher in Italy in the late 2000s. What follows is a long, bizarre, and frustrating story, so strap in! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Like what you hear? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for episode by episode coverage of Hulu's new Amanda Knox series. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1971, the Perron family moved into a rambling farmhouse in rural Rhode Island. They immediately sensed a supernatural presence and, after months of torment, contacted Ed and Lorraine Warren. Their story remains one of the scariest accounts of a real life haunting while inspiring the opening chapter of one of horror’s most successful franchises. Jenn and Joe tackle the true story of the Perron haunting and James Wan’s cinematic adaptation. Discussions include: witches, mother, and a demon doll. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for a bonus primer on the Annabelle story and the Snedeker haunting as well as episode by episode coverage of Apple TV's Smoke and Hulu's The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Caissie’s No Tears in Hell tells the true story of of Alexander Spesivtsev, also known as the Siberian Ripper. Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world of ghost hunting and paranormal investigation in the second half of the 20th century was dominated by one power couple. Demonologist Ed Warren and his clairvoyant wife Lorraine traveled the world investigating cases they would later make famous. But were they devout researchers dedicated to helping others or opportunistic grifters out to line their own pockets? Jenn walks Joe through four decades of supernatural scamming from the couple’s humble beginnings to an ever-increasing cinematic universe.  Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for a full-length primer on the Warrens, as well as episode by episode coverage of Apple TV's Smoke and Hulu's The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our all new Patreon episode on Episode 7 of Smoke, “Whitewashed Tombs” Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our all new Patreon episode on Backdraft. Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices