Common Sense Media Review
By Tom Cassidy
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
True crime series shows bloody recreations of murder cases.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Homicide City
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Each episode of HOMICIDE CITY focuses on a high-profile murder in Philadelphia. The crime is recreated by actors and retold by the real-life detectives who worked on the case and the victim's friends and family.
Is It Any Good?
Since the explosion of podcasts' popularity, one of the most devoured genres is true crime. Homicide City is a reminder of why these stories work well in audio format. The interviews with the detectives who solved the cases are fascinating. The interviews with the victims' friends and family are often heartbreaking. However, the dramatized recreations of their lives feel like a TV relic from the pre-podcast or Netflix special era of true crime entertainment. Each episode features a new case and new "characters." But the the acting verges on funny and the mismatched tones are exposed when the actor is replaced by a relative of a real-life murder victim.
The trashy voiceovers don't help, either. Lines such as, "Patty realizes that instead of planning a wedding, she'll be arranging her fiancée's funeral," feel icky and, to some extent, disrespectful to the victims and their families. Tonal mess aside, the show presents a series of murders that have interesting stories. These allow for a "whodunnit" guessing game, as each case unfolds and the detectives get closer to catching the criminal and revealing their motives.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the appeal of true crime TV shows like Homicide City. What do you think makes people interested in hearing about real-life murders and the stories behind them? How did this show make you feel?
How did the detectives show perseverance, compassion, and empathy? Why are these such important character strengths to have? Can you think of a time when you've demonstrated these traits?
Discuss the recreations of violence in the show. Did they feel realistic? Did you think it was disrespectful to the victims or was it necessary to tell the story?
TV Details
- Premiere date : January 1, 2018
- Cast : Zeus Campbell , Douglas A. Robbs , Valerie Brookshire
- Network : Discovery+
- Genre : Reality TV
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Empathy , Perseverance
- TV rating :
- Last updated : August 23, 2022
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