Search icon

Movies & TV

05th Jun 2018

Netflix’s new true crime documentary has been described as “an astonishing piece of work”

Paul Moore

The Staircase Netflix

Your next addiction is sorted.

With news that the creators of Evil Genius are seriously considering a return to that case, it appears that Netflix’s streak of making quality true crime documentaries that are embraced by the public is showing no signs of slowing down.

As reported previously, the online streaming giant recently revealed details about their upcoming slate of true crime documentaries and our interest was piqued by the fact that they’re continuing the story that was originally portrayed in The Staircase.

As many of you will know, The Staircase aired in 2004 but the documentary will return with three brand new episodes to compliment the original feature.

When the series lands on Friday, viewers will get to see the original eight episodes of the acclaimed documentary. Aside from this, two of the episodes from 2013 will also be available.  The last three episodes are “new.”

Oscar-winning director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade is the man that’s responsible for introducing viewers to the 13-episode case that revolves around the crime novelist and accused killer, Michael Peterson.

On December 9th, 2001, Kathleen Peterson was found dead at the bottom of a staircase.

The documentary chronicles Peterson’s battle to clear his name and the first reviews of The Staircase have just been released.

In terms of its approach, the documentary is more akin to The People vs. O.J Simpson than Making A Murderer, but there’s plenty for true crime fans to delve into.

After seeing the trailer, we were curious if it could live up to the hype. Well, the first reviews are in and they’re glowing.

In fact, The Guardian have already hailed it as “an astonishing piece of work” that can teach you a “few chilling lessons about the world we live in.”

Here are some of the other reviews.

New York Times – “So brilliantly conceived, reported, filmed and paced that you may come to wish it were twice as long.”

The Guardian -“It’s an astonishing piece of work, a painstaking examination of a fascinating case, with brilliant characters and a few chilling lessons about the world we live in. ”

Daily Beast – “A binge-watcher’s dream come true: an absorbing epic that echoes its own subject matter—at first intriguing, then suspenseful and infuriating, and finally wearying and depressing, given what it has to say about the possibility of attaining justice and truth. Netflix’s ‘The Staircase’ Is the True-Crime Epic of the Summer.”

Inverse – “De Lestrade cares less about “what happened” than “what happened next,” focusing instead on the grim, fascinating truth of these peoples’ lives in the wake of tragedy.”

The Staircase is available to watch from Friday 8 June.

LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Conor Sketches | Tiger Woods loves Ger Loughnane and cosplaying as Charles LeClerc 

Topics:

Netflix,TV