Netflix and HBO may need to be vigilant. Despite the fact that 2023 has only just begun, three ambitious real crime documentaries have already released, with at least two more to be released in the coming weeks. It’s a rare decision for Hulu, and it suggests that the streaming service may be taking true crime more seriously.
There have been so many streaming real crime documentaries that it is possible to build a shorthand for them. Netflix is a good source for mediocre documentaries that are always too long and slightly biased. Meanwhile, HBO is the benchmark. And there’s always discovery+ for those who prioritize quantity over quality. However, Hulu has barely dabbled in this space. Since 2011 when the streaming service began producing original material, only five true crime docuseries have been released: Sasquatch, Wild Crime, City of Angels: City of Death, The Murders Before the Marathon, and Where Is Private Dulaney? Two of the five debuted last year. This list does not include any of the docuseries that FX has produced over the years, so A Wilderness of Error, Children of the Underground, and The New York Times Presents, which often focuses on crime, are not included.
Hulu will treble its output of true crime documentaries in 2023 alone. Death in the Dorms, an investigation of six murdered college students across the United States, How I Caught My Killer, a deep dive into homicide cases, and Web of Death, a six-part series about internet sleuths, have previously been released by the streaming service. In early February, Colin Kaepernick’s Killing County and the expected Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult will premiere at Sarah Lawrence. The February 3 premiere of Killing County will examine the case of Jorge Ramirez, a parent who worked as an informant for the Bakersfield Police Department, the same department that eventually killed him in a gunfight. Meanwhile, Stolen Youth will use first-person interviews to examine the cult Larry Ray founded on the campus of Sarah Lawrence, a terrible story that The Cut extensively covered. This will debut on February 9th.
It is too early to predict whether Hulu will maintain this pattern. Streaming services are frequently unpredictable. Sometimes it is customary to produce an excessive number of documentaries about Fyre Festival. Occasionally, the cool kids decide to eliminate massive animation divisions into which they have invested millions over the years. In addition, it is impossible to compare Hulu to its competitors in terms of these types of projects. Simply said, there have not been enough of them to tell. Regardless, it is worth mentioning. Don’t discount Hulu the next time you’re in the mood to learn about a tragic case that will make you rethink your trust in humanity.
»Netflix and HBO, Watch Your Backs: Hulu Is Going Big on True Crime«