To think some crimes should not be turned into a drama

Mtngfres · 2023-10-13T22:07:48+00:00

Flicking through Netflix and came across 'Maxine'. Realised to my horror that it was a true crime drama about Maxine Carr and the Soham murders 20 years ago. Think it was on TV last year but never heard about it. I actually felt quite sick and no way I would be able to watch it. I have watched True crime dramas in the past - The Sixth commandment for example was well done and you could tell it had been done with information and consent of families too. It was still hard to watch. However, Crime dramas about child murder that many of us still remember on the news just feels too much. Not sure what consent was obtained from victim families either but it just feels wrong to dramatise. I know it's all about viewing figures though and people always watch these programmes so I won't be surprised if they dramatise other terrible crimes that are best left alone.

Gggttt · 13/10/2023 23:47

I sort of get where you are coming from, OP. In a similar way, I usually love Steve Coogan in anything, but I couldn't face watching the Savile drama on the BBC.

However, I am on the fence about whether these shows should be made or not. I can't stomach watching them personally, but if these dramas do a good job of portraying red flags, etc. then maybe they are doing something good.

Pigeonqueen · 13/10/2023 23:49

If you actually watched it you might feel differently. I found it really interesting and not gory or glorifying things at all.

ITriedToStopSwearingButICunt · 14/10/2023 00:03

Well, such cases shouldn’t be glamorised or exploited for the sake of entertainment. But then again it’s important that some crimes are not forgotten. There are always lessons to be learnt - be they of a psychological, sociological, or crime prevention or detection nature. Awareness helps to protect against future reoccurrences.

A sensitively made programme that is respectful of victims and their families is OK, I think.

snowbird21 · 14/10/2023 00:10

I agree as I think merging truth and fiction in a drama distorts the reality, I have reflected and think now it's the passage of time that is relevant. In a way lots of dramas are based around real life events ie WW1 and WW2 but they aren't specific. A drama based on a crime 100 years ago is different in my view to a crime committed say 10 years ago. I think the problem for me is where to draw the line.

junbean · 14/10/2023 00:14

Oftentimes people will commit horrific crimes because they know they'll be made famous for it, even if they intend to not survive the crime itself, i.e. most of the school shooters in the US. I think the guy who stabbed the college students in Ohio was after the same. I don't understand the fascination with "true crime" at all. I sometimes have a morbid curiosity, and maybe watching a movie about something that happened a long time ago and has an interesting story is okay. But most of the stuff I've seen lately is focused on the criminal, their backstory, etc. I find that really damaging to society. We shouldn't forget, but it's the victims and their families we should respect and remember right?

CeeceeBloomingdale · 14/10/2023 00:25

It's a good watch, you're making assumptions. Also remember Maxine was in an abusive relationship and her crime was giving a false alibi yet the public treated her akin to Myra Hindley and she was granted life long anonymity due to the public's reaction.

XenoBitch · 14/10/2023 00:31

YABU

Such dramas help some people understand. I could read umpteen articles about some horrific thing, and it would have little/no impact on me as to shock value etc. But that is how my brain works.
A good example is the Jimmy Saville thing out at the moment. Reading about it had little impact on me, but watching it as a drama did.

And you are superBU for saying you wont watch, so they should not be made to start with. I think Love Island is an abomination and should not be made. You do you.

2021x · 14/10/2023 00:53

I used to listen to true-crime podcasts a lot during the pandemic, but when I listened to the "My Favourite Murder" episode of Milly Dowler and was overwhelmingly disgusted with myself for consuming this story as a way to distract myself from cleaning or in the gym. I can't tell you why exactly that episode got to me, as it was much more focused on how those events were part of the newspaper hacking scandal.

I still believe that it is important that the stories are told especially about cultish behaviour and people like Saville who played the whole system. Now, however, I try to only to consume any type of true that have some input or featured the loved ones of the victims who want the story to be told.

RhymesWithTangerine · 14/10/2023 00:58

YABU. You haven’t seen it. Fair enough to complain if it was in bad taste.

saltinesandcoffeecups · 14/10/2023 01:00

If you watch any of these you’re a ghoul. You get your jollies from other’s murder. Yes think about that…you can dress it up however you want but someone died for your entertainment. You might as well watch a snuff film.

And no @Mtngfres you don’t get to occupy the moral high ground because you had this epiphany.

XenoBitch · 14/10/2023 01:03

saltinesandcoffeecups · 14/10/2023 01:00

If you watch any of these you’re a ghoul. You get your jollies from other’s murder. Yes think about that…you can dress it up however you want but someone died for your entertainment. You might as well watch a snuff film.

And no @Mtngfres you don’t get to occupy the moral high ground because you had this epiphany.

FFS, a snuff film is made for entertainment. A dramatization of a real life case is not the same. Someone has to be interested in such things or no one would want to work in policing or forensics.

starray · 14/10/2023 01:06

I would be devastated if my loved one's murder ended up on Netflix as someone's Saturday night entertainment. Imagine if it were your child that was murdered and their murder was turned into a "good" and entertaining watch on TV.

saltinesandcoffeecups · 14/10/2023 01:12

XenoBitch · 14/10/2023 01:03

FFS, a snuff film is made for entertainment. A dramatization of a real life case is not the same. Someone has to be interested in such things or no one would want to work in policing or forensics.

Show quote history

Yeah.. fuck the victims…screw the families. Other people have ‘interest’

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/jeffrey-dahmer-netflix-tv-show-victim-family-speaks-out-1235228196/

Jeffrey Dahmer Victim’s Family Speaks Out About Netflix Series

Rita Isbell, who is portrayed in 'Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,' writes in an Insider essay: "It's sad that they're just making money off of this tragedy."

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/jeffrey-dahmer-netflix-tv-show-victim-family-speaks-out-1235228196/

CurlewKate · 14/10/2023 04:41

I agree. I've already been told of on another thread for objecting to the Saville drama. A well researched documentary is fine if there is a danger of a case being forgotten. A drama with "made up bits" is simply prurience. You only have to look at the armchair detectives and psychiatrists that swarm round any ongoing incident that's publicised on the TV.

duchiebun · 14/10/2023 07:42

I would be devastated if my loved one's murder ended up on Netflix as someone's Saturday night entertainment. Imagine if it were your child that was murdered and their murder was turned into a "good" and entertaining watch on TV.

Thsts what I struggle with. I think if victims families are involved & the story is focused on them it’s different. Many don’t & aren’t always 100% factually.

duchiebun · 14/10/2023 07:44

You only have to look at the armchair detectives and psychiatrists that swarm round any ongoing incident that's publicised on the TV.

Good point, the Nicola Bully threads were shocking imo. So many seemed to want her to be a murder victim & thought there were amateur sleuths.

koalaknickers · 14/10/2023 07:47

I have watched some true crime which isn't really my nature. Wish I hadn't! BTK, particularly.

Catalwaysasleep · 14/10/2023 07:50

Yes I agree. Like the Saville programme. I feel like the idea glorifies the person who commits the crime. And I don't think entertainment should be made of such suffering. Either it will be gory or it isn't the whole truth, so that's misleading.

I wouldn't watch such a thing.

Beargrumps22 · 14/10/2023 07:53

If it is done more as a documentary style programme which will educate people to the warning signs or red flags then that is acceptable. it is important that society learns about how these people got away with crimes and how to stop it happening again.
on the other hand if it is done just as a ghoulish entertainment that is wrong.

Catalwaysasleep · 14/10/2023 07:54

saltinesandcoffeecups · 14/10/2023 01:00

If you watch any of these you’re a ghoul. You get your jollies from other’s murder. Yes think about that…you can dress it up however you want but someone died for your entertainment. You might as well watch a snuff film.

And no @Mtngfres you don’t get to occupy the moral high ground because you had this epiphany.

I don't watch them but I don't agree with this.

I got obsessed with reading news of celebrities splitting up - a bit sad I know. I wasn't happy it happened - I was curious.

We get a lot thrown at us in the news. I think people can get obsessively curious or interested in something they'd prefer didn't happen. Also some people want answers and hope the TV drama will help. Though I fear this could be misleading.

Neriah · 14/10/2023 08:01

I haven't watched it so I can't comment on the content. Neither have you, so neither can you. Like anything else on TV, you can choose to watch it or not. But you are being unreasonable if you think your choices should dicatte other people's available content. I hate films/ programmes about wars. I generally don't watch them. That doesn't mean that I have a right to tell others that they aren't allowed that content. Yes, there should be sensitivity shown, and programmes should not set out to glorify perpetrators (my main objection to all things "war" being that they often do glorify war), but I cannot see how it is realistically possible to ban such things.

Witchcraftandhokum · 14/10/2023 08:05

saltinesandcoffeecups·

If you watch any of these you’re a ghoul. You get your jollies from other’s murder. Yes think about that…you can dress it up however you want but someone died for your entertainment. You might as well watch a snuff film.

And (having actually seen some)I think anyone who is entertained by soaps or reality shows is as thick as mince.

BethDuttonsTwin · 14/10/2023 08:15

saltinesandcoffeecups · 14/10/2023 01:00

If you watch any of these you’re a ghoul. You get your jollies from other’s murder. Yes think about that…you can dress it up however you want but someone died for your entertainment. You might as well watch a snuff film.

And no @Mtngfres you don’t get to occupy the moral high ground because you had this epiphany.

What a ridiculous post 🙄

Zebedee55 · 14/10/2023 08:39

Catalwaysasleep · 14/10/2023 07:50

Yes I agree. Like the Saville programme. I feel like the idea glorifies the person who commits the crime. And I don't think entertainment should be made of such suffering. Either it will be gory or it isn't the whole truth, so that's misleading.

I wouldn't watch such a thing.

It didn't glorify him, and Coogan played the part well. It made him the creep he was.

Many of the child victims, adults now, had cameo "clips" in it, so that people heard from them. They were happy about it being shown.

Programmes on TV are a choice, and no one has to watch anything.

LakeTiticaca · 14/10/2023 08:52

CeeceeBloomingdale · 14/10/2023 00:25

It's a good watch, you're making assumptions. Also remember Maxine was in an abusive relationship and her crime was giving a false alibi yet the public treated her akin to Myra Hindley and she was granted life long anonymity due to the public's reaction.

Spot on. She was obviously terrified of him, nasty piece of work that he is .
I always felt a small pang of sympathy for her and I hope she has managed to rebuild her life, wherever she is x