Joshua T Craig

Real talk: Everyone basically has a favorite true crime podcast or Netflix series at this point, right? Or if you say you do not, I don’t believe you. All of us all have much more information about at least one murder case than we would like to acknowledge. What is it that keeps us all wanting more of these real-life, dark stories?

For a start, humans are just naturally inquisitive. We are curious about why folks act but specifically when folks behavior is now out of range of ordinary behavior. True crime, when done well, feels like sitting inside the brain of a person who’s lost when everything short-circuits. Now we wonder, “What could possibly make a person snap like that?” and “Did I miss the red flags?” Some of it is morbid curiosity, some amateur detective work.

Then there’s the mystery factor. It does not matter that the case is over 20 years old, and we all know how it ends, every twist and turn will have you waiting in anticipation. It turns into a puzzle we force ourselves to figure out in our mind. We’re picking up the leads, questioning the witnesses, giving side eye to the husband (because come on, statistically speaking it’s always the husband), and just waiting for that grand reveal.

And the weirdest part, listening to true crime actually makes you feel secure. I realize that sounds backwards, nevertheless hear me out. Sitting on a couch watching serial killers documentaries is like riding a roller coaster, you get the adrenaline and suspense without all of the actual danger. Besides, many people are saying that it makes you more cautious in real life. And that seems to be a human inclination, the more “she didn’t lock her door” stories you hear and you will start locking your door.

Finally, there’s the justice angle. And we love it when the “bad guys” get their due. When it does not, it bothers us, we just cannot scratch that itch in our brain. In true crime, we root for the detectives or the journalists (sometimes ordinary folks who helped cracked a case wide open).

No, but really: It plays to the human psyche, mystery, security and that yearning for justice. It’s frightening, but it feels… familiar. Because, let’s face it, you can’t look away.