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WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for the first season of the Hotstar series ‘Only Murder in the Building’.
IIf you are into true crime series, documentaries on OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hotstar, and feel a bit lighter Burari Deaths And ted bundy tapesAnd don’t speak. What could be better than Steve Martin, John Hoffman, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez parodying the crime genre better? only murders in the building, which concluded its first season this Wednesday, is a consistently entertaining satire of true crime podcast and fanbase obsession, often worth watching for the dialogue alone.
The true crime frenzy in the streaming age has spiraled out of control in recent years, with fans vying for the next real-life murder mystery or the mystery behind an old one, and filmmakers, companies, and content creators trying to meet that demand. Took all the stops. . As a result, I’ve always felt uncomfortable by global true crime fans for a variety of reasons, such as an insatiable passion for murder cases, gore, or disappearances for entertainment and unverified speculation.
Thankfully, comedian Steve Martin and writer-producer John Hoffman shared some of my sentiments and decided to tease out many aspects of the genre and its fan base, while also being a fan of myself with a healthy dose of references, Sidharth. A killer soundtrack composed by Khosla and an unexpected guest appearance from an old popstar.
Martin and Hoffman’s new mystery-comedy series only murders in building There’s a fairly simple premise – three lonely and true crime lovers who live in the same building and take the same elevator daily decide to start their own podcast after an unpopular resident of their building is found dead under mysterious circumstances. are found.
While the finale didn’t completely satisfy me and some elements were too telegraphed and cliche, Hulu’s only murders The smelly pool of crime shows is a breath of fresh air.
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The Problems With True Crime Style
like a documentary kidnapping in plain sight And Burari deaths or podcasts like my favorite murder And crazy about crimeOf course, the vast majority of true crime genres today exhibit deep, fundamental flaws.
Any pretense of sensitivity to victims, responsible crime reporting and truth-seeking, not drama, in all its potential nuance and complexity, goes out of the way in these shows and podcasts.
Some, like novelist and stabbing survivor Emma Berquist, would even say the genre is rotting our brains. I’m inclined to agree, because the ways in which true crime is promoted today reminds me of the media coverage of the Noida double-murder of Aarushi Talwar and Hemraj Banjade in May 2008. Voyeur, Horrible Passion, and Drama on Investigation
“Crime stories are a fundamentally conservative way of looking at the world… the reactionary premise of true crime is how you do with liberal podcast hosts defending the death penalty and arguing against double-threat avoidance. ends,” Berquist wrote in an op-ed for Gawker, As she described the repercussions to the media after her own traumatic experience, as well as other recent cases.
“I’ll be stabbed again soon, before anyone does a podcast about me,” she wrote.
While his overall argument is very US-centric, it holds true when applied to true crime followers and content creators around the world.
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‘Only murders’ as an antidote to insanity
a particularly amusing running lie only murders This is when one of the protagonists, cash-strapped theater director Oliver Putnam (played excellently by Martin Short) repeatedly pulls out a hard boom mic, whenever his new friend, potential witness or suspect turns away from anything. interesting from, and ask them to repeat their comment on Create a soundbite for the podcast.
Putnam’s requests are often accompanied by unsolicited advice and ‘notes’ to her fellow co-hosts Charlie (Steve Martin) and Mabel (Selena Gomez) during recording sessions, a clear indication that the success of the podcast is more important than seeking justice. It’s for the man killed, Tim Kono.
“You’re Making a Murder Mystery, Not Playing DJ at a Hobbit’s Wedding,” of Poonam Retort One of the early episodes for Charlie depicts a level of fun and chemistry that lasts throughout the 10 episodes.
Poonam earlier has been equally acrimonious towards podcast fans, openly raving them and questioning whether they live real life. However, the writers also tip their hat to the dedication and research done by some fans as Putnam ends up helping her fictional podcast followers solve the Kono murder case.
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scratch itch
Having an affinity for murder mysteries and unsolved cases is not inherently unhealthy, especially in fiction, as Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Michael Connelly spent long, prolific careers building on their ability to write compelling stories in this genre. constructed.
But when it comes to true crime fiction, there exists a fine line between sensitive coverage and tabloid-style bloodthirsty commentary. So much material either clumsily skirts the line or goes completely in the tabloid direction, which is why Martin and Hoffman’s only murders A much needed counter-punch.
Verdict, excluding satirical elements, comic dialogue and references only murders Really good ultimately rests on the main plot of the murder case. Unfortunately, this is where most of the show’s missteps go. The final resolution and the criminal’s motive are quickly and underdeveloped, with some loose ends serving as a cliff-hanger finale to set up the second season.
In other words, don’t go into this show expecting a core plot to equalize true Detective Or BOSCH, and this a . not hilarious like knives out or a psych one of two.
but only murders True Crime is a cleverly crafted dispatch of the genre and licks the itch for me while I wait for the next psych Film. If nothing else, see Sting as the prime suspect initially for questioning.
Thoughts are personal.
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