Murder Made Fiction

Ron Howard’s emotional film chronicles the risky and controversial mission to save twelve young soccer players and their coach from the rapidly flooding Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand. Topics include: claustrophobia, star power, and white savior narratives. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for episode by episode coverage of Netflix’s The Monster of Florence and Hulu’s Murdaugh: Death in the Family.  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Director Charlie Shackleton makes lemonade out of lemons after losing the rights to adapt Lyndon Lafferty’s 2012 true crime novel The Zodiac Killer Cover-up AKA The Silenced Badge. From the ashes of his abandoned documentary rises a fascinating exploration of the genre itself. Against the backdrop of gorgeous cinematography from Xenia Patricia, Shackleton talks us through his original plans, revealing deft commentary on true crime storytelling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the night of April 20, 2010, over the span of nine minutes, the oil rig Deepwater Horizon experienced a cataclysmic explosion that killed 11 men and spilled an estimated 210 million gallons of oil into the Gulf over a period of 87 days. It is the worst oil disaster in US history. Peter Berg's 2016 aquatic disaster movie documents the fateful day the well blew, following a handful of individuals who managed to survive against all odds. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for episode by episode discussions of Netflix's The Monster of Florence, and Hulu's Murdaugh: Death in the Family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On December 26, 2004, a massive underwater earthquake off the coast of Sumatra sent a devastating tsunami roaring through the surrounding coastline. J.A. Bayona’s The Impossible is the story of one family’s survival.  Topics include: baby Tom Holland, tearjerker phone calls, and looking for the helpers Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for episode by episode coverage of Netflix’s The Monster of Florence and Hulu’s Murdaugh: Death in the Family.  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On February 24th, 2019, Mallory Beach was killed while boating with her friends on the Beaufort River in South Carolina. Her tragic death kicked off snowballing investigations that would take down one of the state's most prominent family dynasties. Jenn walks Joe through the shocking story of the Murdaugh family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In October 1991, the Andrea Gail was caught in what meteorologist Todd Gross described as "The Perfect Storm" and all members of her crew were lost at sea. Wolfgang Peterson's 2000 film adaptation of Sebastian Junger's book recreates the events of the disastrous fishing expedition and features an all-star cast that includes George Clooney, John Hawkes, John C. Reilly, William Fichtner and Diane Lane. What's true and what's made up? And what is the appeal of disaster films like this? Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for 107 hours of bonus content, including episode by episode coverage of Netflix's The Monster of Florence and Hulu's Murdaugh: Death in the Family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between the years of 1968 and 1985, 16 people were murdered while parking on rural roads in the Tuscan countryside surrounding Florence, Italy. Their killer has never been conclusively identified. Jenn walks Joe through this series of brutal murders and the bizarre investigation that followed. Wanna hear more about the Monster? Join us on Patreon (⁠patreon.com/murdermadefiction⁠) for episode by episode coverage of Netflix's The Monster of Florence, as well as Hulu's Murdaugh: Death in the Family. Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenn and Joe wrap up our second month on Ed Gein with a look at Chuck Parello's 2000 fictional adaptation Ed Gein (sometimes also referred to as In The Light of the Moon). Featuring two stand-outs performances from Steve Railsback and Carrie Snodgress, this film may be the closest approximation of the true story. Plus: character study vs gore, the confusing relationship between Collette and Brian, and why does this film feel a bit dry and sedate? Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for 100+ hours of bonus content, including episode by episode coverage of Ryan Murphy's Monster: The Ed Gein Story and Peacock's Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff Gillen and Alan Ormsby take an interesting approach to adapting the story of Wisconsin's Ed Gein. Deranged takes a faithful approach to historical fact while changing a handful of names and descriptions. Jenn and Joe continue their coverage of the Butcher of Plainfield with this bizarrely entertaining film. Discussions include: Seance sex scams, paint-like blood, and a slowly evolving male gaze. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for episode by episode coverage of Monster: The Ed Gein Story and Peacock's Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In anticipation of Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, the new Peacock series, Joe gives Jenn an overview of the history of the "Killer Clown." C/W: sexual assault Want to hear the full primer, as well as our episode by episode coverage of the show (and Netflix's Monster: The Ed Gein Story)? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's time for another season of Ryan Murphy's Monster as the Netflix true crime series tackles The Ed Gein Story. Starring Charlie Hunnam and Laurie Metcalf, episode one "Mother!" introduces the Gein family before speeding through the plot, including the deaths of older brother Henry and Augusta. Topics include: an unexpected connection to the Nazi 'Bitch of Buchenwald'; CGI fire; real life suitor Adeline Watkins; and discussion about how the series is addressing queerness. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna hear more on Monster? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for episode by episode coverage of all three seasons, as well as Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we prepare to discuss Monster: The Ed Gein Story episode by episode on Patreon (⁠patreon.com/murdermadefiction⁠), here's the full version of last year's Primer. Jenn walks Joe through the the disturbing details of Ed Gein’s life and crimes, including his uncomfortably close relationship with his mother Augusta, the mysterious death of his brother Henry, and the house of horrors uncovered with his arrest.  C/W: graphic descriptions of murder and desecration of corpses Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our all new Patreon episode on the finale of The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, "Libertá" Like what you hear? Head on over to ⁠www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction⁠ and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today, including episodic coverage of Netflix's Monster: The Ed Gein Story and Peacock's Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy. Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re concluding our coverage of the Weeping Woman with Jayro Bustamante’s La Llorona. This haunting film repackages the eerie legend of a woman driven to drown her kids as a damning indictment of dictatorial rule and the Mayan Genocide in Guatemala. Topics include: pathetic men, complicit women, and the inescapable consequences of large-scale violence.  Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for full continued coverage of Ed and Lorraine Warren including the Netflix documentary The Devil on Trial, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, and The Conjuring: Last Rites as well as episode by episode coverage of The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our all new Patreon episode on The Conjuring: Last Rites.  Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today!  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our month of La Llorona coverage continues with Michael Chaves' feature directorial debut, The Curse of La Llorona (2019) starring Linda Cardellini. This film finally (!) includes water, but we're unsure what message it is making about motherhood and white saviors. Topics include: wasting Cardellini and Patricia Velásquez; bad parenting; questions about race; and connections to Annabelle Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for coverage of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It and Last Rites, as well as Netflix doc The Devil on Trial, TV movie The Haunted, and episodic coverage of Hulu's The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a sneak peek at our all new Patreon minisode on the 1991 made-for-TV movie The Haunted, which explores the same case that's tackled in The Conjuring: Last Rites (2025). Like what you hear? Head on over to www.patreon.com/murdermadefiction and become a Patron for more exclusive bonus content today, including our episode on Last Rites!  Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenn and Joe spend another week investigating Mexican La Llorona films with a look at Rafael Baledón's The Curse of the Crying Woman (1963). This 80-minute black and white film is a pretty bad adaptation, but this Mexican Gothic film has a Universal meets Hammer vibe that we adore. Plus: vampires, werewolves, trap doors, nods to Bava's Black Sunday, and an utterly perfect Rita Macedo. Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon (patreon.com/murdermadefiction) for coverage of The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It and Last Rites, as well as Netflix doc The Devil on Trial, TV movie The Haunted, and episodic coverage of Hulu's The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our first text on La Llorona takes us back to Mexico for Ramón Peón's 1933 film La Llorona or The Crying Woman (Watch on YouTube here). C/W: suicide This is the oldest movie we've covered on the pod to date, but there's plenty to discuss, including issues of race, class, and gender, especially across the film's three generational storylines. Plus: secret passageways, birthday parties and weddings, and ties to historical figures...but no water?! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (BlueSky & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote / @joelipsett (BlueSky) Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction⁠ for continuing coverage of Ed and Lorraine Warren including the Netflix documentary The Devil on Trial, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, and The Conjuring 4: Last Rites as well as episode by episode coverage of The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jenn and Joe celebrate one year of Murder Made Fiction with a look back at the many titles and topics we’ve covered, including our faves from the Main Feed, Patreon, and which titles we wanna cover in the future! Wanna connect with the show? Follow us on social media @murdermfiction (Twitter & Instagram) or send us an email: murdermadefiction@gmail.com > Jenn: @jennferatu > Joe: @bstolemyremote Wanna support the show? Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/murdermadefiction for full continued coverage of Ed and Lorraine Warren including the Netflix documentary The Devil on Trial, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, TV movie The Haunted, and The Conjuring 4: Last Rites as well as episode by episode coverage of The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. Theme Music: Murder on the Artlist Express Like the show? Please rate, review and subscribe! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices