Some of the most popular shows and movies on Netflix are crime adaptations. These shows and movies depict the story of true investigations that have taken place. Although these shows can be interesting, they are not always as accurate as it seems.
The famous crime adaptations include: Dahmer, Monster, Baby Reindeer, and etc. They are popular shows due to their captivating storytelling and because the original cases were widely known.
However, the dramatization of these shows can sometimes overshadow the accuracy of the cases, which can ultimately lead to people believing false information which can interfere with how people perceive both the case and the victims.
An example of this would be in the show Dahmer, released in 2022. The show dramatized the horrifying events of Dahmer’s killings. While the show may be similar to the original case, it still has its differences which ultimately altered certain things. In episode seven, Dahmer kills Dean Vaughn. Although the show does not follow through with his death, it can be assumed that Dahmer does kill him because of the direction the viewers were led. In reality, there is no evidence that Dahmer killed Vaughn, yet it is still an example of how these shows can lead people to believe the wrong information.
Aniyah Persaud, a junior at UACHS who also enjoys watching Netflix crime adaptations, feels that they are inaccurate at times.
“Even though I really like watching crime adaptations, I know that what I’m watching isn’t always accurate,” said Persaud. “I know they have to do it based on what really happened but there’s always gonna be a little lie to make it more entertaining.”
Despite the adaptations you watch not always being accurate, it is still important that there is a greater effort put into these shows to depict accuracy and not just entertainment. This is for both survivors of the crimes, their family members, the education, and entertainment of the audience. Just make sure to watch shows similar to those with caution and take what you see with a grain of salt.
Overall, no matter how believable and entertaining a crime adaptation may be, there’s no way of ensuring that it is 100% accurate.
