Why Are We Obsessed With True Crime?

Since 2020, at least eight true-crime documentaries have topped the “Most Popular Series” list on American streaming service Netflix. The podcast Serial, launched in 2014, reached levels of popularity usually reserved for the screen—a testament to true crime’s ability to captivate. These days, a new true-crime podcast or docuseries seems to make a splash every week. Why is this genre so resilient, and why are audiences so obsessed? Like the narratives that arrest droves of viewers and listeners, the answer isn't so simple.

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True crime has fascinated audiences throughout history. Some considered the 1970s the “golden age” of serial killers—because a large number of them were active at the time, and because the public and media outlets raptly followed their actions. The interest in crime runs back into prehistory, though, probably because it stems from a feeling experts say is deeply psychological. The idea is that humans become calm with the knowledge that they’re not the victim of a heinous deed. By following a true-crime plot, audiences take in a tragedy that happened in the world they inhabit while simultaneously experiencing a sense of relief that they were not involved.

Safety
Beyond any instinctual reassurance true crime can offer, researchers posit that some people consume true crime to ensure they won’t become victims themselves. In 2010, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign conducted a survey of reader reviews of true-crime books. The study found that women are more likely than men to read the genre and that women were particularly interested in narratives that explored the motivations of criminals, featured female victims, and included details on how victims escaped. Not only does true crime imbue fans with the feeling that they’re safe; it may also entice with the possibility of tips on how to stay that way.

Healing
Crime survivors can be avid true-crime consumers, according to a study from the University of South Carolina. The study, which focused on female survivors of domestic violence who counted themselves as true-crime podcast listeners, found that the stories could help those survivors process their own trauma by instilling a sense of community and healing. For both victims and non-victims, true-crime stories can deliver a sense of validation and acknowledgment by articulating the details of the unspeakable.

“Never forget: Behavior reflects personality. What you see is most likely what you’re going to get.” —John Douglas

Transference
The true-crime genre was already on the rise in early 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic supercharged its popularity. The start of the lockdown coincided with the premiere of the true-crime docuseries Tiger King, which revolved around a feud between big cat conservationists that led to a murder plot. Suddenly, millions of anxious Netflix subscribers had the opportunity to demo the genre and forget about the outside world. Within 10 days, more than 34 million viewers had given the series a try. Other shows, like Dateline and 48 Hours from American broadcast networks NBC and CBS, respectively, also experienced bumps in viewership in March 2020 compared with March 2019. Those increases led to speculation that recognizable and clearly defined villains—even those who perpetuate violence—are more satisfying than nebulous adversaries like, say, a rapidly spreading virus. In sum: There’s the devil you know and the devil you don’t.

Danger
Ever craned your neck while driving to get a better view of a car accident on the side of the road? In 2021, a University of Chicago study found that participants were drawn to morbidity. Perhaps it’s because even when audiences are mucking about in a crime scene, their feet aren’t actually touching bloody linoleum floors. Just as horror movies can drop viewers into the bowels of a dungeon, and roller coasters can let people feel like they’re falling from the sky, true crime allows you to encounter a dark, menacing corner of the human experience—and then walk back out. True crime derives its stories from fact, so the experience is closer to reality than a soundstage or an amusement park, but audiences are still insulated by crafty storytelling and high production value. It’s another thrill elixir.