True Crime Culture... Why It's Time to Get Uncomfortable?

In recent years, true crime has evolved from a niche fascination into a full-blown cultural phenomenon. Whether it's gripping documentaries, dramatised retellings, or podcast-inspired series, audiences can't seem to get enough of real-life mysteries and criminal intrigue. But what is it about these stories - often dark, disturbing, and deeply human - that keeps us glued to our screens?

Here, Dr Charlotte Barnes, a researcher and lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies, believes it is time we start asking uncomfortable questions about our true crime habits. 

Popcorn media with a dark twist

“True crime has become the new ‘popcorn media”, says Dr Barnes. “People watch it without feeling like they need to critically or intellectually engage with it.” What was once shocking is now background noise – grizzly tales turned into a bizarre form of relaxation.

The genre’s evolution isn’t just in how it’s made, but how it’s marketed. Re-enactments, once used to help audiences visualise events, have morphed into storytelling tools.

“One of the key things I explore in my research is the grey space that the genre occupies between fact and fiction,” Dr Barnes explains. “We’ll never have all the facts, some things are simply unknowable, and that ambiguity gives creators room to shape the narrative.”

Dr Barnes said there can be real issue in clarity of where the truth ends and fiction begins in true crime, and this contradicts the audience’s expectation that true crime will be accurate.

Desensitisation to crime

Dr Barnes explains how true crime dramas can lead audiences to become desensitised to the true horrors of real crime, with narratives often wrapped up with romance. “There is a glistening need to put a proverbial bow on serial killers and wrap them up neatly; it’s done in a way which makes people comfortable,” said Dr Barnes. “But they’re not meant to be comfortable; that’s not the point of these stories.”

“There is a lack of emotional engagement and therefore less shock to violent crime. The themes and facts of true crime should evoke feelings of concern, worry or fear.”

She adds: “When you stop flinching, you’ve become desensitised.”

“There is less value placed on human life when victims are reduced to names and numbers. We forget they were someone’s child, parent or friend.”

True crime is everywhere, making it hard to regulate exposure. It’s watched in films, read in books, portrayed in games and popular in short form on social media platforms.

“It has become part of mass media culture,” said Dr Barnes. “I don’t think this is a passing trend. If anything, true crime is going to become more widespread.”

The problems with polishing killers

Audiences form bonds with actors, known as parasocial relationships, which can significantly shape how they perceive the characters they portray, even if those characters are real life criminals.

“This makes the audience cease to see these criminals as threats. We see them as bad people who did bad things. But they are people who did horrendous things, bad doesn’t cover it in the slightest.”

Dr Barnes highlights the Netflix drama, ‘Extremely Evil, Shockingly Wicked and Vile’, a story of Ted Bundy, which cast Zac Efron as the lead.

“An entire generation grew up knowing Zac Effron from High School Musical, and it’s hard to then separate him from that,” she says.

And while A-list stars often play the killers, victims are often sidelined. “There’s a commodification taking place about who is financially worth more in terms of expenditure and profits,” Dr Barnes explains.

Why women are the biggest true crime fans

Women are the primary consumers of true crime. “Research suggests women engage with true crime to observe where victims went wrong and to prevent their own victimisation,” Dr Barnes says.

“But I find that really anti-feminist and reductionist.”

“Women have a morbid fascination that we’re not allowed to express. It’s cultural.” Dr Barnes continued. “True crime gives us an outlet or release.”

In her research, Dr Barnes has found female psychopaths in crime fiction are not written with the same sophistication as their male counterparts. “This demonstrates a culture where women can't express rage or violence and can’t enjoy these things,” she says.

She added: “Women are allowed to take part in true crime but not real crime, unless they’re the victim; never the perpetrator.”

A call for ethical storytelling

“Part of creating true crime is educating the audience,” Dr Barnes argues. “If producers are doing it to support victims, understand criminal psychology, or show corruption, then that’s the point.”

She reflects on a recent shift in the genre, noting: “There’s definitely more ethical awareness now than five or so years ago, and there’s a growing effort to ensure victims are heard and represented ethically.”

As true crime continues to grow in popularity, Dr Barnes’ call is clear: creators must be sensitive, and audiences must stay critically engaged, “because when killers become comfortable, we’ve got a problem.”