Television series
Unsolved
Unsolved is a lean, propulsive documentary series where two journalists investigate real crimes that the system failed to solve or properly examine. Each 18-minute episode is a masterclass in constraint—enough time to hook you on a mystery, not enough to bore you. Made for people who want their true crime compressed, urgent, and actually about the work of investigation rather than spectacle.
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Making a Murderer2015
Two seasons of meticulous true-crime investigation that follow journalists and lawyers unpicking a case that may have gone very wrong. It's mesmerizing filmmaking about how systems fail. If you loved the momentum of Unsolved, this has it in spades.
But It's 20 hours total. The pacing is deliberate and sometimes frustratingly slow; some viewers find themselves losing patience with the depth over speed.
I'll Be Gone in the Dark2020
A true-crime limited series built around a journalist's obsessive hunt for a serial killer, mixing investigation with real character study. It moves fast, stays focused, and has the same sense of 'we might actually find something' that makes Unsolved compelling.
But The subject matter—serial murder and home invasion—is genuinely distressing. Some episodes can feel exploitative of real victims' trauma despite good intentions.
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show1950
A brilliant podcast series (often available in video form) where a journalist digs into contested political history. Same DNA as Unsolved: case-by-case investigation, tight storytelling, that feeling of watching someone find threads nobody else bothered to pull.
But If you're not interested in Watergate, Radicalized 80s politics, or American political scandal, the premise won't grab you no matter how well it's made.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Unsolved
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst2015
Both use journalism as active investigation rather than passive narration; the reporter is part of the story, and their work changes outcomes in real time.
An HBO six-part investigation into a man suspected of multiple murders, but structured like a mystery thriller rather than a documentary. It builds narrative tension while doing real investigative journalism. The connection to Unsolved is structural: both are about journalists using their reporting to crack open closed cases.
But It's slow-burn prestige TV, not the tight 18-minute sprints of Unsolved. Some viewers find the dramatization off-putting, and the ending will leave you arguing about conclusions rather than satisfied.
More like this (6)
The Keepers2017
A four-part docuseries investigating a nun's murder in 1960s Baltimore and the institutional cover-ups that followed. Combines tight investigation with genuinely important moral stakes. It has Unsolved's hunger but sustains it across four focused episodes.
But Heavy themes: abuse, corruption, and the Catholic Church. It's not light viewing, and some find it more accusatory than conclusive, which can feel unsatisfying.
Trigger Warning with Killer Mike2019
A limited docuseries where a journalist investigates real murders alongside the actor, digging into cases of Black victims ignored by mainstream media. Sharp, fast-moving, and covers ground most true crime won't touch.
But If you came for true crime as entertainment rather than as urgent journalism about systemic failure, the political edge might feel like an agenda rather than context.
Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes2021
A journalist investigates predators in media and entertainment. Combines reported investigation with the urgency of breaking news. It's lean, angry, and moves like Unsolved but with higher personal stakes for everyone involved.
But Sexual assault allegations are the core subject. It's not easy to watch and deals explicitly with abuse. Some find it heavy-handed about the networks it criticizes.
Our Cartoon President2018
Wait—different energy entirely, but bear with me. It's a fast-moving satire that investigates power and institutions the way Unsolved investigates crime. Episodes are short, sharp, and designed for viewers with short attention spans who want intelligence.
But If you hate political comedy or you're burnt out on Trump-era satire, this will feel pointless. It's also not a mystery in any traditional sense.
Dirty Money2018
A docuseries of unrelated financial crimes and corruption, each episode a self-contained investigation. It has Unsolved's episodic structure and the same satisfaction of watching journalists find what powerful people wanted hidden.
But Financial crime is less gripping for many viewers than violent crime. If you're not fascinated by fraud and corruption, the stakes won't feel real enough.
My Brother's Keeper2021
Both treat investigation as an active, uncertain process rather than a solved mystery being retold; both suggest the camera itself might be changing what we can know about the crime.
A German feature film where two actors recreate testimony from a real murder case, blending documentary interviews with scripted reenactment. It's investigative journalism in a completely different medium—visual, formal, disorienting in the best way. Does what Unsolved does but throws the camera at the mystery from an entirely new angle.
But It's experimental and formally challenging. If you want traditional documentary clarity, this deliberately withholds it. Also a feature film, so much longer than Unsolved's model, and some find the mixing of document and fiction philosophically confusing.
