Miranne Khaled
Immersing ourselves in our favourite TV shows and movies has always been a great way to unwind. Ever since Netflix’s streaming services came into being, we’ve got a lot more options to pick from. One of the best things Netflix has done is that it brought back some nostalgic TV shows and movies, and it has offered us more diversity in terms of genre choices. Aside from the great series and movies that have been dropping in the past few years, we can’t help but notice a pattern that Netflix follows with every original production. A lot of these productions focus on murder stories and gruesome content, aka Netflix murder TV shows.
Almost every murder tale features a fascinating character as the killer who’s a victim of their own destiny and, despite their innocent appearance, is capable of spine-chilling acts. Some might consider Netflix’s murder documentaries a glorification of heinous murderers, portraying their crimes as a result of their past traumas as a form of justification.
Here are some of the most trending Netflix murder shows portraying lots of gruesome scenes and dangerous yet beautiful killers.
1. YOU
Okay, we got to say that Joe Goldberg can be charming, but he has a weird way of solving his problems. Joe’s primary language is murder. It’s how he makes his problems disappear. What does he do when he dislikes someone? He murders them. When he loves someone so much but can’t have them, murder is also his solution. His new love interest has an ex? Well, let’s murder him too.
And guess what? He never gets caught. Although he clearly belongs in jail, yet his character is portrayed as deceptively charming, someone who could never hurt a fly. Maybe that’s the thing with most sociopaths; they don’t seem like dangerous people.
Again, Joe isn’t a victim of his childhood. Saying the opposite sends a message that everyone who grows up in a dysfunctional family or has an abusive childhood is excused for whatever horrendous acts they do. It also makes viewers compassionate towards these characters, thinking they had terrible lives and were victims when they were not.
2. Dead to Me
Dead to Me is another great Netflix hit that has trended since its first release until its third and final season. The story starts utterly normal with a grieving widow, Jen Harding, whose husband died in a hit-and-run. She befriends Judy Hale, unaware that she is responsible for her husband’s murder.
Judy is portrayed as a sweet person who can be easily manipulated, which explains her toxic relationship with her ex-fiance, Steve. The dark comedy series took a weird turn when Jen, the sorrowful widow, suddenly transformed into a killer, sending Steve to his grave after a dispute at her house. She had Judy help her cover for her crime, and they continued to live together despite their differences.
We could notice that Jen had anger problems, but we don’t believe this would lead a person to murder someone. This twist in events portrayed Jen as a sociopath who could bury a body and then drive home to make lunch for her kids. No doubt, the storyline is quite engaging and exciting, but we can’t help but notice the running theme of victims turning into murderers.
3. Ginny & Georgia
Ginny and Georgia is a Netflix series about a fifteen-year-old girl and her single thirty-year-old mother who yearn to settle down after years of running from one place to another. It’s that same old story of a single mother who flees town when things don’t go her away, unaware of the consequences on her children.
Georgia had been through a lot during her childhood and teenage years. She had been involved with murder multiple times. The first time was accidental: she poisoned her husband, Anthony Greene, before running away with her baby girl, Ginny. We know she was young, but does that justify her other crimes?
Georgia also poisoned her second husband, Kenny, after seeing him molest her young girl. This has filled her with rage and anger, especially since she suffered sexual abuse. No one can deny Georgia’s tragic life; she was a victim. Yet again, was there ever a time when someone had a terrible past and decided to lead a better life without having to murder anyone along the way?
4. 13 Reasons Why
13 Reasons Why has gained popularity among a vast segment of people, including teenagers. The series was adapted from Jay Asher’s 2007 novel of the same name. Despite its huge success, the series received backlash, given its central theme, teenage suicide. Critics believed Netflix’s take on the drama was irresponsible, dramatising murder and self-harm.
Suicide is a sensitive matter that many viewers thought Netflix tackled with indifference. Even fans commented that the series had taken a nose dive following the second season, sending the wrong message. Murder is not the only problematic topic but also negatively tackling other sensitive and troubling issues like sexual assault.
Although murder isn’t precisely the main theme of this series, it still wrongfully glorifies suicide among teens. The harsh criticism has forced Netflix to add disclaimers before every episode that those with suicidal thoughts are advised to seek professional help. Eventually, the series falls into a controversial grey area where viewers split into two teams with different opinions.
5. A Plethora of Documentaries About Serial Killers
Netflix has offered a lot of great originals that we hold close to our hearts. Again, we can’t just avoid the heavy usage of murder tales featuring cruelty and brutality. Besides all the great shows Netflix has produced, we’re still questioning its ‘true crime’ section, featuring documentaries and docu-series about serial killers.
Publishing such content has paved the way to popularising horrendous fiction. Even more terrifying, the release of Jeffrey Dahmer’s story has stirred up a lot of questions. The series is based on a real story of a psychopathic murderer who enacted heinous crimes from the late 1970s to the early 1990s.
The problem arose when social media trends started using content from these shows for entertainment. Young girls took to their TikTok and Instagram accounts, imagining how Dahmer would take out the lives of their past partners that hurt them. Such content became a norm among the younger generations, painting murder fantasies as seemingly entertaining content.
Although many of these series have enjoyable storylines and great actors, Netflix really needs to adjust its portrayal of murder and send the right message.