What to Watch After Netflix’s ‘Don’t Pick Up the Phone’
Netflix‘s true-crime documentary Don’t Pick Up the Phone follows the story of a mysterious caller impersonating the police to provoke fast-food managers to strip search and assault employees accused of theft. The news surrounding these sick and twisted phone calls inspired fictionalized retellings of the hoax, leaving many viewers just as shocked and appalled.
If you enjoy true crime shows and documentaries, here are some things you’ll want to watch after Don’t Pick Up the Phone:
The 2012 film ‘Compliance’ based on the events
In 2012, Compliance premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, starring Ann Dowd, Dreama Walker, Pat Healy, and Bill Camp. Available on Amazon, the movie is largely based on one of the incidents described in Don’t Pick Up the Phone that occurred in Mount Washington, Kentucky, in 2004.
Like the three-part Netflix documentary, Compliance also recognizes that similar incidents happened at other fast-food locations. Starring Ann Dowd (Hereditary, Garden State), it covers how the perpetrator got caught on security cameras.
‘Law & Order: SVU’ Season 9, Episode 17 starring Robin Williams
The late, great Robin Williams appeared on Law & Order: SVU in an episode loosely based on the events depicted in Don’t Pick Up the Phone. According to Law & Order Fandom, the episode titled “Authority” starts with a fast-food worker filing a complaint against the police after being subjected to a strip search at work.
Detectives determined a caller impersonating a police officer, played by Williams, provoked the incident. From there, the story diverts from true events, as Williams’ character is interested in disregarding rules and opposing authority. He uses the media attention surrounding his arrest to encourage the public to be more discerning of those in positions of power.
After his other crimes come to light, he kidnaps Olivia Benson, played by Mariska Hargitay, and leads the police on a pursuit that further tests and manipulates officers.
Netflix’s 2019 docuseries ‘Don’t F**k with Cats’
The three-part Netflix docuseries Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer follows the public’s manhunt for one of the world’s most depraved human beings. Luka Magnotta infuriated the world in 2010 when he posted a graphic video online of himself killing two kittens. The public responded by creating a Facebook page where people could share and gather evidence that would help authorities find Magnotta.
Throughout the true crime series, Magnotta uploads more videos, including one of him murdering Chinese international student Jun Lin, who was studying in Montreal. Ultimately, a group of amateur internet sleuths helped identify and locate Magnotta, leading to his arrest. The docuseries premiered in 2019 and is wildly infuriating yet satisfying.
Documentary film ‘Capturing the Killer Nurse’
Capturing the Killer Nurse follows an equally devious yet inconspicuous perpetrator. The true crime documentary shows how investigators were able to prove a nurse named Charles Cullen killed dozens of patients in hospitals and nursing homes across the United States. Cullen admitted to murdering more than 40 people over 16 years.
Cullen’s slayings inspired journalist Charles Graeber to write the true-crime book The Good Nurse. Later, Netflix adapted it into a film by the same name starring Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne.
British true crime documentary ‘The Tinder Swindler’
The British true crime movie The Tinder Swindler is perfect for anyone interested in watching a less violent documentary. It tells the story of an Israeli con man, Simon Leviev, who manipulated women into funding his extravagant lifestyle.
As the title suggests, he targeted his victims on Tinder, feeding them lies about needing money to evade his “enemies,” persuading them to send him upwards of $10 million. The victims depicted in the documentary are still recovering from the scam and even set up a GoFundMe page to help recover some of the money.
