THOUGHTS & PRAYERS on HBO Max is a new HBO Documentary that is as thought-provoking as it is relevant. This is true-crime in the sense that it deals with the prevention of school shootings. Or rather, it deals with preparing for them, due to abandoning all hope of stopping them. Read our Thoughts & Prayers documentary review here!

THOUGHTS & PRAYERS is a new HBO Documentary coming to HBO Max. To me, this kind of documentary dealing with real crime is scarier than any fiction. And it is obviously terrifying to the kids in this documentary as well.

I want to say that it’s about preventing more tragedies, but it isn’t. It’s about the huge industry that is evolving in the aftermath of the many U.S. school shootings. Instead of trying to stop them via gun control, the goal is to prepare. I can’t claim to understand this because it makes no sense.

Continue reading our Thoughts & Prayers documentary review below. Find it on HBO Max from November 18, 2025.

Safety rituals instead of prevention

Thoughts & Prayers is a dark look at how schools and communities are actively engaged in training sessions to prepare for the next mass shooting. Whether that next shooting happens in a daycare center, yet another high school, or somewhere else in the local community.

This is all about preparing and learning safety rituals. Never about prevention.

We see how caregivers are getting lessons in how to block doors with cribs. High school educators are sent out to practice shooting at armed intruders – including in elaborate mock battles and VR simulations. And finally, the kids themselves have to get involved and learn how to fight back against attackers.

Whether by using everyday school objects or hiding behind the latest in bulletproof equipment. Particularly, the latter is part of a huge and growing industry. Kids are being taught to defend themselves and their friends, including first-aid skills, as if they were preparing to go to war. Not simply attending school.

In Thoughts & Prayers, we experience this crazy industry (because that’s what it has turned into) through students, staff members, and administrators from school districts in Utah, Oregon, and New York. All alongside expert personnel in weapons, military, and video simulation training, who are working to train everyone else in preparing for the next disaster.

Though there is no talk of preventing it.

Prevention is possible… if you want it!

Whether talking about seatbelts in cars, masks during an outbreak, or protection from STDs, we know that we are capable of preventing things. If we want to!

And therein lies the main issue: No one dares try to prevent it, because to stop shootings, you need to regulate those who shoot guns better. Working on this issue is a financial ruin for any (or certainly most) politicians, so instead it’s treated like a terrible tragedy that just cannot be helped.

We even hear kids saying that school shootings are treated like a tornado or a hurricane. A natural disaster that could and might happen, and which is entirely out of our human hands.

This is not true!

Prevention is obviously entirely in our hands. Just like any other crime prevention.

Sadly, rather than working with prevention, all hope of stopping school shootings has been abandoned. Instead, it’s about preparing. The rest of the world doesn’t have this same issue, and yet it’s treated like an impossible task.

It isn’t.

Watch Thoughts & Prayers on HBO Max… and take it all in!

The HBO Original Documentary THOUGHTS & PRAYERS was directed by Zackary Canepari and Jessica Dimmock. This is perhaps the most important documentary I’ve watched in a long while. The documentary filmmakers try their hardest to shine a spotlight on the huge issue of school shootings and how they’re dealt with.

Or rather, how they are not dealt with, but prepared for.

It’s been a few days since I watched it, as I needed to let it sink in before writing about this documentary. As a result, certain moments have clearly stuck with me more especially.

During one interview with someone in the “preparation” industry, a man speaks about the lack of “tribes” in modern society and people being narcissistic, as a reason for school shootings. Next, we see two kids saying that it’s obvious to them that adults value gun ownership over the safety of kids.

And there you have it; Yes, it is about narcissistic and selfish adults. Just not in any “tribal” setting, but in the simple individual wanting to have what they want, and then kids will just have to pay the price.

The kids training to prepare for a school shooting can see this. Why can’t their parents?

Thoughts & Prayers debuts on November 18, 2025, on HBO (9:00-10:25 p.m. ET/PT) and streams on HBO Max.

Plot

This documentary captures the impact of the $3 billion active shooter preparedness industry on schools and communities across America.

THE VALLECAS FILES on HBO is a docuseries exploring the famous case that inspired the Netflix horror movie Verónica. With three episodes, it’s not a long documentary series, but it isn’t a great one either. Read our The Vallecas Files series review here!

THE VALLECAS FILES on HBO is a true crime documentary series. Or rather, it’s more of a supernatural or paranormal event than a crime… or is it?! That’s part of what needs to be examined and what this docuseries explores.

The case covered in this HBO Original is the very same one that inspired the Netflix horror movie Verónica. This docuseries has just three episodes. It’s off to a somewhat rocky start, I found, but it does cover the case well overall.

Continue reading our The Vallecas Files series review below. Find it on HBO Max from November 7, 2025.

This is why I don’t mess with Ouija boards

The Vallecas Files documentary series explores the most famous (and infamous) poltergeist case from Spain. A 17-year-old girl died very suddenly and with no apparent cause of death, which sparked an investigation into the cause.

This led to the belief that a paranormal phenomenon was the root of the problem. One that began after a few teenagers played around with an Ouija board.

With this HBO Documentary, it’s now 30 years later, and the family relives the events that made the lives of the Gutiérrez Lázaro family members a nightmare. 

As a horror fan, I follow the rules made famous by horror movies. I am not about to repeat the name Candyman, I wouldn’t say “Let’s split up” or “I’ll be right back” in a sticky situation, and I would never mess around with Ouija boards.

Well, apparently, other people are more adventurous than me. Unsurprisingly, teenagers are even more ready to play with danger. For the record, I didn’t mess around with this stuff as a teenager either.

I’ve always watched horror movies, so I know to be smart about this stuff.

Which horror movie is based on The Vallecas Files case?

The Netflix release from 2018, Veronica, is based on the case from The Vallecas Files. Just like The Enfield Poltergeist was the case featured in The Conjuring 2.

For me and many others, Verónica was a horror movie that hit hard. It was very efficient and became a huge success. So much so that a prequel came out in 2023 with Sister Death.

Obviously, the parts of these true stories that are used in movies can differ quite a lot from the reality of the events. Still, the facts revealed in The Vallecas Files docuseries are very brutal. Different, in some ways, but extremely scary.

Watch The Vallecas Files docuseries on HBO Max

This original documentary series was directed by Noemí Redondo and created by Irene del Cerro and Jorge Pérez Vega. Produced by Buendía Estudios for HBO Max, this is a docuseries that audiences worldwide should want to watch.

Yes, especially due to the success of the Netflix horror movie Veronica. It feels like a shame that Netflix didn’t make its own documentary, but HBO has always been good at documentaries as well.

I have to admit that the true story told in The Vallecas Files was an absolute nightmare. Of course, it was also a case where manipulation played a much bigger role than the kids in the family had a chance of recognizing back then.

This is a three-part documentary that allows the now-adult children of the family to tell the story. A story of what they experienced and how they understand, as adults, what was all very confusing as children.

The Vallecas Files docuseries is on HBO Max on November 7, 2025.

Plot

Three decades after the mysterious death of a 17-year-old girl, her family relives the traumatic events in Spain’s most infamous paranormal case.

IT: WELCOME TO DERRY on HBO Max is a new horror series based on Stephen King’s sinister small town setting. It’s amazing – and truly terrifying. Seriously, do not watch this one with kids. Read our IT: Welcome to Derry series review here!

IT: WELCOME TO DERRY is a new HBO Original Series from Warner Bros. Television. It will debut on HBO and stream on HBO Max, but you only get one episode per week. The season has eight episodes, and from the very first one, you should be hooked.

In fact, even the intro had me mesmerized. It’s fairly long, features a very happy-go-lucky song, and the comic book-style visuals get increasingly sinister – just like the actual show. This is a brilliant horror series that should terrify many viewers!

Continue reading our IT: Welcome to Derry season 1 review below. Find it on HBO and HBO Max from October 26, 2025.

Welcome to Derry… now run!

With the HBO series IT: Welcome to Derry, we get much more backstory on the curse of what we have come to know as Pennywise. The iconic clown is ancient, and his supernatural powers exist only to terrify those around him, so he can feed on their fear.

The story plays out in 1962, but we also hear about past cycles, when this ancient fear-inducing power last haunted the town of Derry. In fact, we will go way back to get an origin story.

But all in good time.

Before we ever get that far, there’s an opening scene that sets the stage and should help you manage your expectations. This scene should also show you that IT: Welcome to Derry is not a show for kids.

Unless they really love horror – and you watch it with them.

The victims are usually kids, and it will get extremely violent. Both in physical and emotional ways. Also, we follow a few adults, who will either try to help the children or (in too many cases) refuse to believe them until it’s too late.

A Stephen King world for hardcore horror fans

Look, I recognize that plenty of horror fans will have a blast with this and not find it particularly terrifying. I also know that (many of) those very same people will jump in their seats while watching, and may even gasp a little – unless you’re a ScreamQueen like me.

Admittedly, we horror fans are a special breed.

However, I feel a well-meaning warning is in order, because IT: Welcome to Derry does hit hard. It gets downright terrifying and very early on as well. Just like with IT, you will see kids be scared out of their minds. Also, you will see children literally get torn apart.

Way before we ever see the iconic Pennywise, so much terrifying stuff has already happened. IT: Welcome to Derry may be one of the scariest horror productions in a long time. Partly because kids play the main characters – but adults aren’t safe either.

Start watching IT: Welcome to Derry on HBO and HBO Max

The new HBO series is developed for television by filmmakers Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti. Yes, the very same sibling duo who gave us  IT and IT Chapter Two. Also, Jason Fuchs, who worked on the sequel as well, serves as co-showrunner with Brad Caleb Kane.

Andy Muschietti, who directed the two IT movies, also directs multiple episodes of this new original series. While this is a new story, it’s still set in the world we’ve come to know from Stephen King’s “IT” universe.

In key roles, you can look forward to seeing James Remar (AKA Dexter‘s dad), Jovan Adepo (The Stand), Taylour Paige (The Toxic Avenger), Joshua Odjick (The Long Walk), Peter Outerbridge, and Madeleine Stowe.

Among the young actors portraying the all-important children of Derry, you may see a familiar face or two as well. There’s Clara Stack (The Naughty Nine), Amanda Christine (Black Box), and Mikkal Karim Fidler (Boy in the Walls).

Among the producers, we also find Bill Skarsgård, who reprises his role as Pennywise as well. Also, another familiar Stephen King character from both IT and The Shining will play a huge part: Dick Hallorann, now portrayed by Chris Chalk (Shining Girls).

Whatever you expect, I hope you’ll be as pleasantly (and terrifyingly) surprised as I was!

IT: Welcome to Derry debuts on HBO on October 26, 2025, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. Also available to stream on HBO Max. The season finale is on December 14.

Details

Cast: Jovan Adepo, Taylour Paige, Chris Chalk, James Remar, Stephen Rider, Madeleine Stowe, Rudy Mancuso, Bill Skarsgård

Plot

Set in the world of Stephen King’s “IT” universe, IT: WELCOME TO DERRY is based on King’s “IT” novel and expands the vision established by filmmaker Andy Muschietti in the feature films “IT” and “IT Chapter Two.”

THE ALABAMA SOLUTION on HBO Max is a new HBO documentary about the conditions for inmates in Alabama prisons. While they are obviously inmates for a reason, many prison guards should clearly also be inmates. Read our The Alabama Solution documentary review here!

THE ALABAMA SOLUTION is a new HBO documentary on HBO Max. It comes from an award-winning documentary filmmaker who manages to show the abysmal living conditions for those serving time in an Alabama prison.

The runtime is just under two hours long, and I don’t think it could have been any shorter. It is tough to watch this, as you will hear prisoners in the beginning who will not survive until the end.

Continue reading our The Alabama Solution documentary review below. Find it on HBO Max from October 10, 2025.

It all began in 2019…

The Alabama Solution is a documentary recorded over several years and working with data that is even older. It all began in 2019, when filmmakers visited an Alabama prison. Their mission was simply to film a revival meeting, but the inmates jumped at the opportunity.

While off camera, several incarcerated men managed to get an important message out: Something terrible is going on, and it’s being covered up by everyone in charge.

From this input whispered or spoken in hushed voices, the very immersive six-year investigation began. As it turned out, they didn’t even have to dig very much to discover what these prisoners were referencing.

Alabama is one of the nation’s deadliest prison systems in the U.S., and having watched The Alabama Solution, it’s easy to see why. The filmmakers made this documentary via unprecedented direct access and video shot on contraband cell phones.

Brutality and corruption

Due to the nature of Alabama prisons, getting contraband (from cellphones to drugs) is easy. The prisons are running way over capacity and are grossly understaffed. Those who do work there are part of the broken system.

Clearly, this means they are the ones bringing in drugs and other contraband items. The prison guards are just as much criminals as the prisoners they’re getting paid to watch over and rehabilitate.

The Alabama prisons are rife with brutality and corruption, which is threatening to result in a full-on collapse of the system. Especially as the inmates fight back in non-violent ways: They go on a state-wide strike as a means of resistance.

“Natural causes”?

If you’ve watched a few true crime productions, you’ll quickly realize that autopsies can have very different outcomes. In fact, the same death can have different “causes” depending on who does the autopsy. Or rather, who they do the autopsy for!

In The Alabama Solution, one particular death is ruled “natural causes,” and it should anger anyone who watches it.

First, because the prisoner who has just died would be getting released in less than one month. Second, he was a healthy young man. Third, because he bled from virtually every orifice in his body when he died.

Does that sound like “natural causes” to you? This is just one very extreme example of what happens to inmates in Alabama.

Watch The Alabama Solution on HBO Max

The HBO Original documentary The Alabama Solution is directed and produced by the Emmy®-winning filmmaker Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman. You may already be familiar with some of their previous documentaries.

They both worked on HBO’s The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, and Andrew Jarecki also directed the 2003 Oscar® nominated Capturing the Friedmans. This documentary had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

At first, I was annoyed that I wasn’t informed why these inmates were in prison in the first place. However, it didn’t take long for me to realize that this truly did not matter. They are serving time, but not eligible for these torture-like conditions.

Also, in case you were wondering, we do hear what several of them are in prison for. Trust me, when you find out, it doesn’t match the punishment… not even close. Watch this because, as human beings, we should not accept that this is happening.

The Alabama Solution debuts on HBO on October 10, 2025, at 8:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Also, it will be available to stream on HBO Max.

Photograph by Courtesy of HBO

Plot

In 2019, filmmakers visit an Alabama prison to film a revival meeting. Off camera, incarcerated men whisper a message: terrible things are going on here and being kept secret. This sparks an immersive six-year investigation to discover the reality behind the walls of one of the nation’s deadliest prison systems. Through unprecedented direct access and video shot on contraband cell phones, the filmmakers learn from the men inside about a suspicious and violent death.

TASK on HBO Max is a new crime thriller from the creator of Mare of Easttown. The story is very complete and unfolds over seven very strong episodes. The casting alone should draw you in, but the characters and plot will keep you there. Read our full Task series review here!

TASK is a new HBO limited series with seven episodes. I was very happy to binge-watch the entire thing, but I wouldn’t have minded if I could have made it last longer. With the episodes released weekly, you’ll have the chance to make it last.

This comes from the creator of the Kate Winslet series Mare of Easttown, but in this new series, there is a distinct Sons of Anarchy vibe. Once again, the casting is also brilliant, with Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey starring in the lead roles.

Continue reading our Task series review below. Find episode 1 on HBO Max on September 7, 2025.

Mark Ruffalo as FBI Agent Tom Brandis

While this is a thriller and crime series, there is much more to the story than “just” criminals and those chasing them. Mostly, we see every single character as a fleshed-out person. This includes a lot of pain and trauma.

For FBI Agent Tom Brandis (Mark Ruffalo), this includes the personal pain of having lost his wife and having a son in prison. After being assigned to attend career fairs to attract new FBI recruits, he is asked to create a new task force.

As we get to know Tom, there is so much more than meets the eye. From his career before joining the FBI to his family situation and his need to drink (a lot) every single night.

He is a mess, but he desperately wants to do good and make a difference. This is a perfect role for Mark Ruffalo, who seems to effortlessly breathe life into Tom Brandis in such a way that you root for him, even when he is an idiot.

Meet the FBI Task Force

His task force consists of three law enforcement officers from vastly different backgrounds. The three people in the Task Force are Anthony (Fabien Frankel), Lizzie (Alison Oliver), and Aleah (Thuso Mbedu).

These three characters, who all have obvious strengths and some dangerous weaknesses, will soon become a good team thanks to Tom Brandis. However, as you will see in early episodes, this team is not off to a great start.

Even their “office” is a rundown house that Tom himself needs to clean and prepare. Yeah, a Task Force may have been formed, but it doesn’t feel like the highest priority of the FBI.

The criminals hunted by the FBI

The story of Task is set in the working-class suburbs of Philadelphia, which is a perfect backdrop for the story that unfolds. The task force led by FBI agent Tom Brandis is meant to put an end to violent robberies.

These robberies have been targeting houses of other criminals and are led by the unsuspecting family man, Robbie (Tom Pelphrey). His literal partners in crime are Cliff (Raúl Castillo) and Peaches (Owen Teague).

However, the family aspect of Robbie means we also see the effect on his family, which is already a mess. His wife recently left him with their two kids, and his brother was murdered, so his niece lives with him and his kids.

This has resulted in his niece, Maeve (Emilia Jones), a very young adult herself, having become the de facto mother of the house. Not something she asked for, but she loves the kids and will do what she can for them.

Another child will also come to play a key role on a roundabout way: The sweet Sam (Ben Lewis Doherty). If that kid doesn’t soften your heart just a little bit, it must be made of stone.

The Dark Hearts

It turns out that Robbie has managed to go after some criminals affiliated with the biker gang Dark Hearts, which feels like a clone of Sons of Anarchy. And I do mean this as a huge compliment.

I have missed that show so much, so I welcomed it here.

Among the bikers in the Dark Hearts, we have characters that feel very familiar (again, if you have watched Sons of Anarchy), and they’re even portrayed by very familiar faces.

You’ll come across Jamie McShane (Wednesday), Sam Keeley (The Cured), and Colin Bates (Queer, Mayans M.C.).

Finally, as the boss of Tom Brandis and his FBI Task Force, we get the immense pleasure of seeing Martha Plimpton (Prime Target) portraying a tough-as-nails FBI agent Kathleen McGinty who always speaks her mind.

Watch Task on HBO Max

The creator of Task is Brad Ingelsby, who previously created the amazing Mare of Easttown. More recently, he also wrote Echo Valley. He also serves as the writer, showrunner, and executive producer of the series, so this truly is his project.

Also working as executive producers and directors on the seven episodes of the series are Jeremiah Zagar (We the Animals) and Salli Richardson-Whitfield. Also, yes, Mark Ruffalo is on board as an executive producer as well.

I’m not sure how to sell this HBO Max series to the ideal audience except to say that it delivers a little (sometimes a lot) of everything. It is very much about the world of crime, which results in a strong thriller plot. However, it also breaks your heart.

Task premieres on HBO Max on September 7, 2025. The episodes will release weekly, with the finale out on October 19, 2025.

Details

Creator: Brad Ingelsby
Directors: Jeremiah Zagar & Salli Richardson-Whitfield
Cast: Mark Ruffalo, Tom Pelphrey, Emilia Jones, Jamie McShane, Sam Keeley, Thuso Mbedu, Fabien Frankel, Alison Oliver, Raúl Castillo, Silvia Dionicio, Phoebe Fox, Martha Plimpton

Plot

Set in the working class suburbs of Philadelphia, an FBI agent heads a Task Force to put an end to a string of violent robberies led by an unsuspecting family man.

RUBY & JODI: A CULT OF SIN AND INFLUENCE on HBO Max is a new true crime docuseries about cults and momfluencers. There are four episodes to this series, and it escalates in crazy ways. Read our full Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence series review here!

RUBY & JODI: A CULT OF SIN AND INFLUENCE is a new ID docuseries with four episodes. This is a true crime production that deals with the concept of YouTube momfluencers and self-help cults.

Taking the step from one thing to the next is eerily easy for Ruby Franke. Then again, Jodi Hildebrandt is an expert at what she does. Watching these cult-based true crime documentary series always drives me mad. This is no exception.

Continue reading our Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence series review below. Find it on HBO Max now.

The rise of a cult through social media

This new true crime docuseries takes another look at Ruby Franke, who may just be a familiar name to fans of true crime. Back in February 2025, Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke premiered on Hulu.

However, even if you’ve already watched that one (I have, though we never reviewed it), this new release on HBO Max is also worth watching.

The latest docuseries is an Investigation Discovery production, and I have yet to watch the two final episodes, so I don’t know if I’ll be happier after watching those or not.

I will say that the focus is more on the rise of the cult than the fall of a momfluencer.

Or actually, the two are interconnected, but I do feel this one wants to look more at the cult aspect. The Hulu documentary did as well, but in a different way.

Mormons in a Cult

As someone who is not a fan of organized religion (not to be confused with having faith in something bigger than oneself), I am definitely biased when it comes to true crime involving religion and cults.

Still, I have to say that I feel it is much easier for people who have been raised with a strict religion to be easy targets for a cult.

I mean, if you’ve always been taught that you need to adhere to rules in a book as told to you by some leader, then a cult isn’t a big jump. How else can anyone justify going from being a devout Mormon to suddenly being a spokesperson for a cult?

Then again, we hear how Mormons aren’t even allowed tea or coffee (because of the energizing effect it has), yet somehow Botox isn’t a problem?!

Well, again, isn’t that always the case with religion? People pick and choose what passages from the Bible must be adhered to and which are just symbolic.

Interviews with past and present Mormons

Yeah, like I said, not a big fan of organized religion. From there, cults are just an even more extreme version of organized religion, which is what the Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence docuseries focuses on.

I also appreciate the fact that both ex-Mormons and actively practising Mormons participate in this true crime documentary production. After all, the “bad guy” of this production isn’t the Mormon Church as much as it is the cult.

Of course, my point is that one wouldn’t be able to succeed without the other, which is what I feel this production is also (at least partially) making a point of.

What can be trickier to get a feel for is whether Jodi Hildebrandt is the predator feeding on Ruby Franke’s misery or if they are equally bad. At least to a point, both women are to blame. And without doubt, they are extremely selfish.

Watch Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence on HBO Max

The YouTube channel “8 Passengers” was what made Ruby Franke a popular momfluencer, as shown in Hulu’s Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke. With this new HBO Max docuseries from Investigation Discovery, it goes wider.

Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence focuses on the self-help business of ConneXions. An organization that promoted rather extreme parenting practices along with other “life coaching” classes.

The two women were arrested in September 2023, when two children were found abused and malnourished.

As I see it, Ruby’s husband, Kevin Franke, the all-important Patriarch in the Mormon way of life, has gotten away too easily. This annoyed me with the previous Hulu docuseries as well. Ruby is the aggressor, but he is their father.

The kids, on the other hand, I do want to hear from. However, I always acknowledge their right to be as much or as little involved in these productions. Their lives have already been blasted on YouTube.

Now they get to decide for themselves.

The four-part series will air over two nights, so you can watch all four episodes tomorrow.

Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Influence premiered on Investigation Discovery and HBO Max on September 1, 2025.

Plot

Mom vlogger Ruby Franke and rogue therapist Jodi Hildebrandt preach discipline — and yet behind closed doors, their teachings fuel a cult-like system of control, isolation and abuse. When a child escapes, the truth unravels and echoes beyond prison walls.

HORSES AND HANGMEN on HBO Max is a Danish true crime documentary series told in four parts. We’re dealing with a brutal murder case where no less than four people were convicted. What I really appreciate here is that we mostly hear from people who actually knew the victim. Read our Horses and Hangmen review below!

HORSES AND HANGMEN is a new HBO Max documentary series about the murder of Frank Dan Nørgaard Jørgensen. While it’s a Danish true crime case, the series is produced by BBC Nordic for HBO Max, so the production quality has an international edge.

Fortunately, it never feels over-dramatized. After all, we’re dealing with a murder case – that’s dramatic enough on its own. Instead, the focus is on telling us about the victim through interviews with the people who loved him. I genuinely liked that approach.

Continue reading our Horses and Hangmen review below. Streaming on HBO Max from August 29, 2025.

A deeply loved man

Since this is a true crime case, the victim and the convicted are already known. Horses and Hangmen focuses on the murder itself, told through the eyes of the victim’s family and friends, along with perspectives on the four perpetrators.

The victim, Frank Dan Nørgaard Jørgensen, suddenly disappeared on a summer day in 2022. He was 40 years old, had children with different women he still got along with, and had recently started dating Rikke, who first flagged him as missing when he didn’t show up as planned.

And no, pointing out that Frank had kids with several women isn’t a negative remark. Quite the opposite. Both in the docuseries and here, the intention is to highlight that he maintained good relationships with his ex-partners.

They all describe him as a loving and present father as well as a man they trusted.

Overall, the portrait we get of Frank is that he was simply a good guy who always helped those around him. And yes, women seemed to fall for him – and care for him, even after breakups. That says a lot about his character.

One murder, four convicted

Because Frank was so kind and reliable, everyone immediately knew something was terribly wrong when they couldn’t reach him. His girlfriend, best friend, exes, and kids – nobody could get in touch with him.

Still, it took some time before the case fully unraveled.

His disappearance only lasted a few days before dark discoveries were made. His car was found burned in a forest in northern Djursland, which was obviously alarming. Not long after, his body was found wrapped in plastic in the same area.

Besides Frank’s loved ones, we also hear from people who knew the perpetrators, as well as two crime journalists, Christina Ehrenskjöld and Camilla Marie Nielsen.

The journalists provide the factual framework, while the others add the personal and emotional layers. As a result, we get the facts of the case while never forgetting the emotional impact of such a heinous crime.

Watch Horses and Hangmen on HBO Max

With Horses and Hangmen, we get a Danish Max Original series telling the story of a planned murder carried out by four people. This was a group of friends who conspired to murder a person they all knew – and who trusted them.

One seems an apparent ringleader, but they all went along with it, and everyone seemed ready to party shortly after. Yes, there is video footage of this, which they recorded themselves.

The original Danish title of the true crime docuseries is Hestepigen fra Helvede, which translates directly to “The Horse Girl from Hell”. I am not a fan of this title. Sure, it’s catchy, but it also has an odd, almost demonizing tone. These brutal acts are very human!

Also, loving horses (which “horse girl” refers to) has nothing to do with the murder. Not as the facts of the case are presented, nor in any other way.

Obviously, Horses and Handmen is not the best representation of small-town Denmark. But it is a very realistic one. I mean, this is a true crime documentary, so, unfortunately, it happened. With its mix of tragic details and reckless characters, it’s fascinating in a sad way.

The production itself is strong, well-structured, and focuses on facts that are compelling enough on their own. Most importantly, it keeps the victim at the center – reminding us who he was and how much he is missed.

The series consists of four episodes, each around 40 minutes, and it’s absolutely worth watching. Don’t miss it!

Horses and Hangmen premieres on HBO Max on August 29, 2025.

Plot

The true crime series “Horse and Hangmen” follow the horrifying story of how an ordinary man and father of four is framed for a crazy murder plot hatched by his ex-girlfriend, Maibrit. Together with four others, she kills Frank and burns his body. Afterwards, she tries to cover up her actions by lying to his girlfriend, ex-wife and friends. At the time of the murder, she is pregnant with Frank’s child, the baby dream seems to be a part of the motive for having murdered Frank. This series is the full story of the murder of Frank which was orchestrated by the scorned, conniving and manipulative woman Maibrit. The programs will include details that have never been told before, and new witnesses close to Frank and Maibrit will appear on television for the first time.

PEACEMAKER: Season 2 is starting on HBO Max, and it’s exactly as crazy (and sometimes heartbreaking) as season 1. We’re getting eight new episodes and more than one dimension. It’s pure James Gunn, in the best ways. Read our Peacemaker S2 review here!

PEACEMAKER: Season 2 is beginning on HBO Max. The second season has eight episodes, just like season 1, and we’ve watched the first five for this review. That means we’re now extremely eager to see those final three episodes of season 2.

As it’s customary, each episode is absolutely crazy. Whether in physical ways (all sorts of ways) or in the more emotional “tugging at your heartstrings” ways. I enjoy both and cannot get enough of James Gunn‘s approach to the world of DC Comics.

Continue reading our Peacemaker S2 review below. Start watching season 2 on HBO Max on August 21, 2025.

Life in another dimension

After the events of Peacemaker season 1 (which are covered in a very quick recap), everyone in the crew of misfit heroes, who have become true friends, is struggling to find their way in the world.

None more so than Chris Smith, AKA Peacemaker (John Cena).

In Peacemaker season 2, Peacemaker discovers an alternate dimension. As in an alternative universe, where life is so much better. So much of what he dreams of seems attainable (or is already happening) in this 2nd dimension.

Of course, seeing what his life could be doesn’t make life any easier in his own version of life on Earth. Instead, it will force him to once again face several traumas from his past, so he can finally shape his own future.

Okay, yes, I am oversimplifying, but anything beyond that would quickly become a spoiler, so you’ll have to see for yourself. Just prepare for some wild plot twists and crazy parties at Peacemaker’s house.

Friends to the rescue

As much as Peacemaker is hurting, his friends continue to stand by him. Some are in the open, while others need to be more secretive about it. However, you never doubt that this group of friends does and will stick together and help each other.

Adebayo (Danielle Brooks) outed her mom (Viola Davis), who put together the Suicide Squad, as the mastermind behind all sorts of sorted affairs. That means she’s out of the intelligence world and is now trying to build her own business as a freelancer.

Still working with A.R.G.U.S. [Advanced Research Group of the United States] is John Economos (Steve Agee). Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) has been blacklisted from all intelligence. She’s picking fights with every huge biker she comes across, in an attempt to feel something.

Finally, the awkward and strange, yet extremely endearing, Adrian Chase (Freddie Stroma) continues to somehow always be nearby. Always ready to share facts about any animals he has made himself a self-proclaimed expert on.

Also in the Peacemaker season 2 cast are Robert Patrick, David Denman, Sol Rodriguez, and Tim Meadows. Plus, Frank Grillo is in the show because the new director of A.R.G.U.S. is none other than Rick Flag Sr., who wants to avenge his son (Joel Kinnaman).

Watch Peacemaker: Season 2 on HBO Max

James Gunn is the writer of all eight episodes of Peacemaker: Season 2. He also directs three of the episodes, including episode 1 of season 2. And yes, it shows that James Gunn truly is the mastermind behind this HBO Max & DC show.

Along with James Gunn, we have Greg Mottola (Adventureland), Peter Sollett (Evil), and Alethea Jones (Mrs. Davis) directing episodes for this season.

The eight episodes of this new season will air weekly, which means the final episode of season 2 is coming on October 9, 2025. I cannot wait to see how it ends. If you still haven’t started Peacemaker, you have a real treat in store.

If you like The Boys on Prime Video, then you should adore Peacemaker. Personally, I think this DC series has more heart than The Boys, while being just as wild. At least! And this is coming from someone who really enjoys watching The Boys as well.

Peacemaker: Season 2 premieres on HBO Max on August 21, 2025.

Details

Creator: James Gunn
Directors: James Gunn, Greg Mottola, Peter Sollett, Althea Jones
Cast: John Cena, Danielle Brooks, Jennifer Holland, Freddie Stroma, Steve Agee, Robert Patrick, Frank Grillo, David Denman, Sol Rodriguez, Tim Meadows

Plot

In season 2, Peacemaker discovers an alternate world where life is everything he wishes it could be. But this discovery also forces him to face his traumatic past and take the future into his own hands.

THE YOGURT SHOP MURDERS is a new HBO True Crime Docuseries with four episodes that focus on both the victims and suspects. I’ve watched a lot of true crime productions, and this is definitely one of the better. Read our full The Yogurt Shop Murders series review here!

THE YOGURT SHOP MURDERS is an HBO Original True Crime documentary in four parts. I remember having heard about the four murders previously, but not being aware of too many details. Not least about the suspects and several confessions over the years.

In some ways, this reminded me of Making a Murderer in terms of focusing on both the murder victims and all the other victims; From relatives and friends of those who were killed, to the suspects and even the homicide detectives struggling with few clues.

I won’t name any of the suspects in this case, but I do want to name the victims.

THE VICTIMS OF THE YOGURT SHOP MURDERS

The four girls were Amy Ayers (13), sisters Jennifer Harbison (17) and Sarah Harbison (15), and Eliza Thomas (17).  All four were friends and were murdered at the yogurt shop, where Jennifer and Eliza worked, around closing time.

Continue reading our The Yogurt Shop Murders docu-series review below. Start watching on HBO and streaming on HBO Max from August 3, 2025.

Four teenage girls murdered in Austin, TX, in 1991

The Yogurt Shop Murders is a true crime production focusing on the murders of four teenage girls in 1991. They were murdered in an I Can’t Believe It’s Yogurt shop in Austin, Texas. The girls were shot, but the shop was then set on fire, which ruined all immediate evidence.

In 1991, the use of DNA was still fairly new, and databases were still in the very early stages. Remember, the Golden State Killer wasn’t caught until decades later, thanks to the advancement of DNA and the use of combined databases.

This documentary has a lot of new footage, which is combined with an abandoned previous documentary attempt from 2009. The documentary filmmaker from the 2009 project is also interviewed for this, and having both new and this older footage is a true gift.

Getting the actual killer vs. “solving” the case

Hearing from relatives of the four girls, who were murdered, is key. So are interviews with homicide detectives working the case, plus the suspects and their defense attorneys. So much was done wrong by several detectives working this case.

But also, I have to give credit to the very first homicide detectives who worked the case. Rarely have I experienced detectives who were so clearly focused on getting the actual murder or murderer. As opposed to just “solving” the case, I mean.

As it was apparent in Making a Murderer and is obvious in The Yogurt Shop Murders, this is not a given. Some detectives care more about having “solved” 100% of their cases than getting the right perpetrator.

Such a heartbreaking story

Watching The Yogurt Shop Murders is a heartbreaking experience due to the involvement of the relatives of the murdered girls. We observe parents and siblings interviewed multiple times over decades. They are always longing for answers and an ending to this nightmare.

The more time that passes, the more impossible it seems, but then comes DNA. Of course, it also seems quite obvious that some homicide detectives are telling the relatives that the killers have already been identified.

With this murder case, the problem is that there are many confessions. Not least, many false confessions. Not from people who get their kicks out of claiming to be guilty, but people who are “convinced” of their guilt.

Never admit a mistake

Watching the videos of these confessions, it seems so obvious that the men who confess are ultimately just trying to give the officers what they want. Practically guessing at what happened until they get it right.

Once they give a “correct” answer, the police can then say, “See, only the killer would know this”. And completely ignore that this correct answer came after increasingly creative wrong answers, focusing only on when they finally said the right thing.

I don’t know for sure that the suspects are innocent, but I do know the police officers lied to these suspects and took hours to build “correct confessions” out of them. Also, there is no physical evidence against them, and the DNA evidence does not match any of them.

And yet, as we’ve seen in so many true crime productions, neither the police nor the prosecution will ever admit being wrong. They’ll accuse more people if there’s a DNA match later, but still seem hellbound on also getting their initial suspects.

It’s wasted energy from the evidence we’re presented with… which is non-existent.

Watch The Yogurt Shop Murders on HBO Max and HBO

The new HBO Original four-part documentary series was directed by Margaret Brown (Descendant). The Yogurt Shop Murders is an A24 and Fruit Tree production, and producers include two-time Oscar winner Emma Stone.

For me, this is one of the best true crime documentaries I have watched due to covering so many aspect, and always focusing on the victims. Even managing to focus on the fact that these murders of four white teenage girls got more attention than any other murders.

We hear from the relatives in very candid and vulnerable interviews, while also hearing from homicide detectives, those who have been accused, convicted, and had their convictions overturned, along with reporters who have followed the case.

It enables us, the audience, to make up our own minds. Not that there is any right answer as the case is still not solved, but allowing for multiple points of view to be shared.

The Yogurt Murders premieres on HBO at 10 PM on August 3, 2025, and streams on HBO Max. The remaining episodes are released on Sundays.

Plot

In 1991, four teenage girls were brutally murdered at a frozen yogurt shop in Austin, Texas. What happened that night forever shook the Austin community and continues to mystify the police and haunt the families left in the wake of unthinkable loss. Including interviews with the investigative teams, the victims’ parents and siblings, and the two men who served time for the crime, the series explores law enforcement practices and raises complex questions about press coverage and the power of suggestion on memory. The series offers a unique window into the lasting effects of grief and the enduring impact of unrelenting crime coverage in mainstream media through poignant interviews with those closest to the crime and investigation.

THE MORTICIAN on HBO and Max (soon to be HBO Max, again) is a new docuseries about an infamous true crime case. The HBO Documentary has three hour-long episodes, and it is wild. Read our full The Mortician docuseries review here!

THE MORTICIAN is a new HBO Documentary series in three parts. Each episode is around one hour long, and they will blow your mind. Admittedly, I didn’t know much about this case, but even if I did, the details shocked me.

It’s quite an infamous true crime case about crimes that took place in a crematorium. Well, honestly, other areas related to funeral services were also used for crimes. I don’t know what I expected, but the crimes described in this docuseries went above and way beyond that.

Continue reading our The Mortician docuseries review below. Find episode 1 on HBO and Max from June 1, 2025.

An infamous family-run mortuary

In The Mortician, we get an in-depth look at the crimes that took place in L.A.’s most infamous family-run mortuary. And if you think the crimes that took place at the crematorium were bad (and they are awful and heartbreaking), then just keep watching.

It all begins in the early 1980s, when the next generation takes over the Lamb Funeral Home in Pasadena, California. His name is David Sconce, and he engages in some morally sickening and downright inhumane practices.

All in the name of money, as the goal was to increase his earnings. This was back in the 1980s, which was the age of “Greed is good” (not that much has changed), and David Sconce took that to extremes.

Get ready to hear details about every kind of funeral home crime, from mass cremations to stealing from the dead. And we’re talking “stealing” in all kinds of macabre ways. Needless to say, the scandal shook Southern California, as did the sentences the Lamb Family received.

Featuring an interview with the perpetrator

What makes the HBO Documentary so interesting is not only the true crime covered (though that alone would be enough), but rather who is interviewed to tell us the story. We have decent morticians, relatives of victims, and also an exclusive interview with David Sconce.

He was incarcerated when the documentary began, but as soon as he was released, he was ready to talk. And boy, does he talk. He admits to most things and clearly feels he did nothing wrong.

For someone running a fourth-generation funeral service, David Sconce seems completely oblivious to the sensitivities involved. Especially when it comes to treating the deceased with respect and delivering what the bereaved expect.

Watch The Mortician on HBO and Max

The director of The Mortician documentary series is Joshua Rofé (Out There: Crimes of the Paranormal). He also serves as an executive producer alongside Steven J. Berger, Jonah Hill (yes, the actor), and Matt Dines.

Producers on the docuseries are M. Elizabeth Hughes and Alison Goodwin. For HBO, executive producers are Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Tina Nguyen. The series premieres on HBO at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT, and will stream on Max (soon to be HBO Max, again) as well.

New episodes will debut the two following Sundays at the same time.

Watching this true crime documentary, I couldn’t help but think that if this were a horror movie, I’d think it went too far. However, this actually happened. Maybe it still happens in other funeral businesses. I hope not, but who knows?!

The ways this family business exploited the deceased to increase their own profits went above and beyond my wildest and darkest imagination. It just seems so morally wrong and downright sinister. Especially when it comes to their loved ones.

The Mortician premieres on HBO and Max on June 1, 2025.

Plot

The darkly gripping documentary series The Mortician unravels the haunting story of L.A.’s most infamous family-run mortuary. In the early 1980s, David Sconce took over the Lamb Funeral Home and engaged in morally questionable and inhumane practices to increase his earnings.