The genre of 'true crime' has continued to ride a wave of success these last few years like few could have predicted. From hugely popular podcasts like Serial and Last Podcast on the Left, to documentaries like Making a Murderer, and adaptations like The Act (which dramatised the well-known case of Gypsy Rose Blanchard), it seems that our fascination with the macabre knows no limits.

We've had Zac Efron as Ted Bundy, and Evan Peters as Jeffrey Dahmer. We've had Quentin Tarantino give us his satirical twist on the Manson murders, and TikTok has doubled-down on the cathexis with millions of dedicated true-crime accounts.

The streaming platform Netflix, however, have always been at the fore of the genre's popularity, so it's little wonder that their newest docuseries American Nightmare, is catching the eye of true crime aficionados around the world.

 

What is American Nightmare on Netflix about?

The limited series follows Denis Huskins and her now-husband Aaron Quinn as they recount the story of Huskins' kidnapping from their Quinn's Vallejo, California home in the early morning of March 23, 2015.

What really elevates the story from your average true crime story is what follows though, an investigation that immediately treated Huskins and Quinn as suspects instead of victims. It shows how true crime audiences became complicit in a media storm that accused them of a Gone Girl-esque scheme, and undermined a very real and very traumatising encounter.

 

Is it a true story?

Yes, the story of Denise Huskins is a true one. Most of the series is retold through grainy real-life footage, news report clips, face-to-camera interviews, and re-enactments. The perpetrator, Matthew Muller, eventually pleaded guilty to his crimes.

 

When and where can I watch American Nightmare?

The three-part American Nightmare series is now available to stream exclusively on Netflix.

 

You can watch the trailer for American Nightmare below