Nothing More to Tell

True crime is a nonfiction genre of literature, film, television, podcasts, and more that explores actual crimes. Often, true-crime shows (and books, podcasts, etc.) focus on violent crimes, especially murders. Some shows focus on murders or crimes that have already been solved, explaining why and how they occurred, as well as what the wide-ranging repercussions were. Other shows focus on crimes that have not been officially solved by police, exploring the reasons why crimes are left unsolved as well as speculating about potential culprits. At times, true-crime shows resemble documentaries, incorporating interviews with witnesses and other people involved, as well as dramatic reenactments of scenes featuring actors. Other times, the shows are based on real crimes but are entirely made up of reenactments done by actors. These may or may not be entirely factual—some are more informative, whereas others are more for entertainment purposes and take liberties with the plot. Examples of true-crime television shows include Forensic Files, Unsolved Mysteries, and Dateline.

The true-crime genre is widely popular but is also the focus of criticism due to ethical issues that can arise within the genre. One issue is that consumers of true-crime content have different expectations about what “true crime” means, and viewers are sometimes misled by shows that are based on real crimes rather than shows that present completely real crimes. Another issue is that these shows risk glamorizing crime, which is upsetting for people who have experienced crime in real life, especially family and friends of murder victims. Some shows also approach crimes from the perspective of the perpetrator rather than the victim(s) and/or survivor(s) and their families. Although some viewers find it interesting and informative to know about murderers’ motives and methods, others believe this point of view sympathizes with the culprits rather than treating murders as the tragedies that they are. Additionally, for crimes that have already been solved and put to rest, true-crime shows stir up old problems in ways that are not always productive for the people closest to the problems.

Despite the widespread criticisms of the true-crime genre, it is still widely popular, and there are even arguably some benefits to the genre besides just its entertainment value. Some consumers find true-crime shows useful because they feel like they’re learning how to protect themselves and others against crimes. Additionally, by seeing which cases go unsolved and why, people can learn how to be a better witness, and which things to pay attention to or make sure to mention to the police. At its best, theoretically, true-crime journalism could be capable of solving crimes that the police couldn’t solve. This is what Brynn and Carly try to do in Nothing More to Tell. True-crime shows often have more money and resources than the police. This gives them an opportunity, similar to private investigators, to sometimes solve things the police didn’t solve. However, this is not actually very common, and not all true-crime shows even focus on unsolved crimes.