Criminal Adaptations

In our season five premiere, we put Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can (2002) under the microscope and compare it to the real-life story of Frank Abagnale Jr., the infamous con man whose wild exp…

In part two of our season four finale, we unpack Spike Lee’s Malcolm X (1992), starring Denzel Washington, and examine how it compares to the real-life story of one of American’s most influential and…

In part one of our two-part season four finale, we dive deep into the chilling parallels between the critically acclaimed film American History X (1998) and the real-life story of Frank Meeink, a for…

In this episode, we dive into the chilling “Kurim case,” the twisted true tale that inspired Jaume Collet-Serra’s Orphan(2009). After dissecting the movie, which includes a clever nod to Leonardo DiC…

In this gripping episode we drive deep into the chilling true store behind Bully (2001), directed by Larry Clark and based on the murder of 20-year-old Bobby Kent. We explore the disturbing dynamics …

If you were living in Texas and looking for a hit man in the 1990s, Gary Johnson was your man. He was willing to take jobs from just about anyone. From scorned lovers to teens seeking revenge, no req…

Brandon Lee was more than the son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee – he was an artist searching for his own voice in a world that never let him forget his father’s name. For this season’s bonus episo…

Charlize Theron transformed herself and won an Oscar for her portrayal of Aileen Wuornos in Monster (2003). She managed to bring a side of humanity to a woman who was a societal outcast and brutally …

On November 18, 1978, Jim Jones convinced over 900 members of People’s Temple to commit mass suicide in the country of Guyana. This tragedy inspired Ti West to write, direct, and edit The Sacrament (…

In this episode, we break down Ridley Scott’s star-studded biographical crime drama House of Gucci (2021). How accurately does the movie portray the rise and fall of the Gucci empire? What really hap…

In October 2015, Aziah “Zola” King posted a 148 tweet Twitter thread that took the world by storm. #TheStory trended worldwide and became the inspiration for Janicza Bravo’s second feature film Zola …

On December 9, 1980, Mark David Chapman assassinated one of the most famous musicians to ever live, John Lennon. Nearly 30 years later, director Jarrett Schaefer cast Jared Leto to portray Chapman’s …

Before he won his Academy Awards for the smash-hit Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), Daniel Scheinert directed the dark comedy The Dead of Dick Long (2019), inspired by the death of Kenneth P…

For our season four premier, we take a deep dive into the dazzling world of Rob Marshall's Academy Award winning musical Chicago (2002) and compare it to the gritty crimes that inspired it. Behind al…

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Theme: DARKNESS (feat. EdKara) by Ghost148

For our two-part season finale, we are unpacking movies about two men who smuggled cocaine for the Medellin Cartel into the states, largely by air. In our second episode, we dive into the thrilling w…

For our two-part season finale, we are unpacking movies about two men who smuggled cocaine for the Medellin Cartel into the states, largely by air. In our first episode, we dive into Ted Demme’s Blow…

In this episode, we dive into Paul Schrader’s Auto Focus (2002), a darkly fascinating film about the life and career of TV star Bob Crane, best known for lead his role on Hogan’s Heroes. We discuss t…

This week we examine Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World (2017), the thrilling drama based on the infamous 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III, the grandson of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty. We d…

What if the bright lights of Hollywood couldn't mask the darkest shadows of a child's life? This episode takes you on an emotional journey through the brief, yet impactful life of Judith Barsi, whose…