Criminal Adaptations

In part-two of our season finale, we peel back the layers of Austin Peters’s Skincare (2024), the darkly comedic thriller inspired by the bizarre real-life scandal in the Los Angeles beauty industry. Staring Elizabeth Banks as a celebrity aesthetician, the film follows a successful skincare guru whose life begins to unravel amid allegations, sabotage, and paranoia. But how much of this strange sto...

In part one of our season finale, we dive into the celebrity obsessed work of Sofia Coppola’s The Bling Ring (2013), a stylish crime drama based on the real group of teenagers who burglarized the homes of Hollywood’s biggest stars. The film follows a crew of fame hungry teens who break into the houses of celebrities like Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and Orlando Bloom – but how accurately does it p...

In this episode, we examine Kimberly Peirce’s Boys Don’t Cry (1999), the powerful and heartbreaking film based on the life of Brandon Teena. Widely praised for its performances and emotional impact, the movie brought national attention to a tragic story of violence, identity, and transphobia. But how closely does the film follow the real events that inspired it? We explore the true story of Brando...

This week we tackle our third Aaron Sorkin film, The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), the acclaimed courtroom drama about one of the most explosive political trials in American history. The film follows a group of anti-war activists charged with conspiracy and inciting riots following the violent clashes at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. But how accurately does the movie portray...

This week we descend into the foggy streets of Victorian London to compare Albert and Allen Hughes’s From Hell (2001) to the real story of possibly the most notorious serial killer of all time, Jack the Ripper. Starring Johnny Depp and based on the acclaimed graphic novel, From Hell offers a dark and conspiracy filled interpretation of the infamous Whitechapel murders – but how much of its story i...

This week we travel back in time to one of the most famous courtroom battles in American history as we compare Stanley Kramer’s Inherit the Wind (1960) to the Scopes “Monkey” Trial. The film presents a dramatic showdown between science and religion, featuring unforgettable performances from Spencer Tracy and Gene Kelly – but how closely does it follow the events the inspired it? We examine the tru...

In this episode, we step into the ring with Norman Jewison’s The Hurricane (1999), the powerful biographical drama starring Denzel Washington as boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter. The film tells the story of Carter’s rise in the boxing world, his controversial conviction for a triple murder, and the decades long fight to clear his name. But how much of what actually happened do we see on screen? We b...

Michael Chaves’s The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) tells the chilling story of a murder allegedly connected to demonic possession – but how much of it actually happened? In this episode, we separate fact from fiction as we dive into the real-life case of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, the first in US history to attempt a legal defense based on demonic possession. We explore the infamous posses...

In this episode we take a deep dive into Cherry (2021) - directed by the Russo brothers and starring Tom Holland – and compare it to the true story that inspired it. From the realities of military service and PTSD to addiction, crime, and redemption, we separate Hollywood dramatization from real-life events. How closely does Tom Holland’s portrayal match the experiences of Nico Walker, the real-li...

In this season’s bonus episode, we’re taking a deep dive into the life of everyone's favorite astronaut and toolman, Tim Allen. Best known as the wisecracking star of Home Improvement and the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story franchise, Allen became one of the biggest comedy stars of the 1990s. But long before Hollywood fame, he was at the center of a major drug trafficking case that c...

In this episode, we dive deep into Derek Cianfrance’s Roofman (2025), staring Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst, the film inspired by the bizarre crime spree of Jeffrey Manchester. We break down how the movie portrays Manchester’s string of rooftop break-ins, his time living inside a Toys R Us, and the cat-and-mouse game with law enforcement that captivated the public. From Manchester’s motivations...

This week we dive into the dark, drug-fueled world portrayed in James Cox’s Wonderland (2003), staring Val Kilmer, and compare it to the chilling real-life story of John Holmes and the infamous 1981 Laurel Canyon Murders. The film presents a stylized, fragmented, multi-perspective account, primarily told by two unreliable narrators, begging the question – who can be believed? Along the way, we bre...

In this episode, we take a deep dive into the true story behind the criminally underrated Owning Mahowny (2003). Portrayed by Philip Seymour Hoffman in one of his most understated performances, Dan Mahowny aka Brian Molony is a quiet, unassuming man living a double life – trusted bank manager by day, high-stakes compulsive gambler by night. But how close does the film stay to the truth? We break d...

In the season premiere of our sixth season, we tackle Steven Soderbergh’s Academy Award winning film Erin Brockovich (2000), starring Julia Roberts and Aaron Eckhart. We break down the true events behind the water contamination in Hinkley, explore the legal battle that became one of the largest settlements of its kind, and examine how Brockovich’s role in the case compares to the version brought t...

Season 6 of Criminal Adaptations is almost here. This season, we’re diving deeper into the real crimes behind the movies. Unpacking the true stories, the courtroom drama, the scandals, and the cinematic twists that brought them to the screen. From shocking real-life cases to the films that reimagined them, Season 6 explores how Hollywood transforms crime into culture. Subscribe now and get ready....

Two films, one real-life National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower, and a story that blurs the line between truth and fiction. In part two of our season finale, we dive into two very different films: Reality (2023), the HBO American crime drama directed by Tina Sater and staring Sydney Sweeney, and Winner (2024), the black comedy directed by Susanna Fogel, staring Emilia Jones, Connie Britton,...

The movie Snowden (2016) presents the protagonist as a reluctant whistleblower who sacrifices everything to expose government surveillance – but how closely does the film match the real man and case? In part one of our two-part season finale, we break down Oliver Stone’s biopic, staring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Shailene Woodley, alongside the true story of Edward Snowden, the former National Secur...

If the rage, grief, and unanswered questions at the heart of Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) felt almost too real – that’s because they were. In this episode we start by discussing McDonagh’s critically acclaimed and Oscar winning film, which also happens to be one of co-host Ashley’s favorite movies. Next, we compare the case to the still-unsolved 1991 murder of...

In 2016, Jeff Nichols’ Loving , staring Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton, brought the quiet, intimate story of Richard and Mildred Loving to the big screen – but just how closely does the film reflect the real case that changed American history? In this episode, we compare Loving (2016) to the true events of Loving v. Virginia , the landmark 1967 Supreme Court decision that struck down laws banning in...

In this episode we dive into the wild, chaotic world of Bronson (2008), the stylized film starring Tom Hardy, and unravel how it compares to the real-life story of Michael Gordon Peterson, better known as Charles Bronson. We break down what the movie got right, what it exaggerated, and what was left out entirely. From Bronson’s early life and first arrests, to the decades he spent in solitary conf...

In this episode, we dive deep into the shadows of Savannah to uncover the truth behind Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997). The bestselling book and Clint Eastwood’s film adaptation, staring John Cusack and Kevin Spacey, turned the city’s notorious murder case into a cultural phenomenon – but how closely does Hollywood’s version match reality? Join us as we unravel the real story of Jim...

“You can’t handle the truth!” – the line that echoed through theaters and cemented A Few Good Men (1992) as a Hollywood classic. But behind the sharp uniforms and courtroom tension lies a real story far darker than what is portrayed on screen. In 1986, a Marine was brutally hazed by his unit at Guantanamo Bay – an act that sparked a court-martial and inspired Aaron Sorkin’s legendary script. The f...

In our first ever western episode, we dive into the legend behind Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) – the classic film starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford that turned the two outlaws into folk heroes. How close did Hollywood get to the real story of Robert LeRoy Parker (Butch Cassidy) and Harry Longabaugh (Sundance Kid), and where did the truth get lost? We’ll unpack the infamous train...

This week we conclude our Halloween bonus series on Ed Gein by talking about episodes five through eight of Monster: The Ed Gein Story. How did this season compare to the last two and what creative liberties were taken to bring Ed Gein’s story to our TV screens? Listen now to find out. You can stream the full season of Monster: The Ed Gein Story on Netflix. Instagram: @CriminalAdaptations Email us...

This week we continue our Halloween bonus series on Ed Gein by diving into the first four episodes of season three of Netflix’s horror anthology series Monster. Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the series explores real-life infamous crimes through a dramatized lens. Season three focuses on convicted murder and graverobber Ed Gein, played by Charlie Hunnam. How will this season compare to th...