true crime drama
Factual murder television
A true crime drama is a film, television series, or other dramatized work depicting real criminal cases—typically murders, kidnappings, or major frauds.
The genre reconstructs events through actors and scripted scenes rather than documentary footage, though it aims for factual accuracy: The true crime drama about the Menendez brothers won three Emmys.
The form has surged in popularity through streaming platforms.
- murderDeliberate unlawful killing
- mysterySomething unexplained or unknown
- investigationFormal examination of facts
- detectiveProfessional crime investigator
- police proceduralCrime fiction emphasizing investigation
prime suspect · victim · suspect · forensic · circumstantial evidence · podcast · documentary · cold case · serial killer · body count · evidence · justice · courtroom · confession · alibi · witness · interrogation · obsession
- true story TVdocudrama, reenactment
- dramaacting, playwright, character study, acting class, character development
- true story filmsbiopic, reenactment
- dramatizationsenactment, reenactment, recreation, stage play, theatrical production
- creative libertiesartistic license, poetic license, liberties, creative liberties, fictionalization
- docufictiondocudrama, mockumentary, reenactment
true crime dramacrime fiction
Genre about solving crimes
fantasy · science fiction · speculative fiction · fictional narrative · fairy tale
true crime dramaromantic comedy
Humorous love story genre
sitcom · slapstick · musical comedy · children's programming · screwball comedy
true crime dramaromantic comedy
Humorous love story genre
sports documentary · nature documentary · celebrity profile · travel show · children's programming
true, truths, truthfulness, untrue, truer, truest, crime, crimes, criminal