True crime continues to thrive on Netflix. While a documentary series about the Zodiac Killer recently climbed the streaming charts, today it is the three-part format Cold Case: Who Murdered JonBenét Ramsey? November 25, 2024 is online. It is currently in second place, leaving hit series such as the German production Achtsam morden and the video game adaptation Arcane behind.
Cold Case on Netflix: The unsolved case of a murdered girl is still a mystery
In the documentary series by Joe Berlinger (Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street) the sensational Cold case from 1996 rolled up: Six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey, who was put into children’s beauty pageants by her parents, is reported missing and found brutally murdered in the basement of her home seven hours later. A handwritten blackmail note was also discovered, which the police assumed was written by the mother, Patsy Ramsey.
Cold Case takes place in three parts: Who murdered JonBenét Ramsey? examine the case again and find out what errors were made during the investigationas well as options that could lead to the case being clarified today. The documentary is currently number 1 on Netflix in 18 countries. In this country it would still have to overtake The Empress.
However, the Cold Case series is met with criticism online. The most popular comment under the YouTube trailer says: “If they don’t provide new evidence, what’s the point? They release a new documentary on this case every five years.” And in the subreddit about the case, some people are shocked at how succinctly the parents are eliminated as suspects. The creator says that the interviewed father, John Ramsey, was neither involved nor paid (via Variety). But for those familiar with the case, it’s baffling.
As with the infamous Zodiac Murders, there is no end in sight to discussing this famous cold case. According to the Hollywood Reporter, a Paramount+ docudrama is currently in the works, in which Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen will play JonBenét’s parents.
Podcast on controversial Netflix hits: Why does everyone watch true crime?
The true crime genre is a phenomenon that has gained popularity in recent years, first through podcasts and then through films, series and documentaries on Netflix and Co. Nevertheless, it remains controversial. But what is the appeal of dealing with “true crimes”?
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We talk to a fan and a skeptic about the success of true crime entertainment. Whether it’s a thirst for knowledge or a desire for sensation: there are many reasons to (not) watch it. In addition, not every series is the same and so the best and worst representatives will come into focus.