Parents' Guide to

The Innocent Man

By Mark Dolan, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Unfocused series will appeal most to true crime fans.

The Innocent Man Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

age 18+

Based on 1 parent review

age 18+

Sex Talk

Pls be mindful that several "police" recordings are used and explicit sexual situations are talked about. Christians should avoid this doc. It becomes too titillating and disgusting.

This title has:

Too much sex

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Less dramatic and twisty then many recent true crime documentaries, The Innocent Man comes off as a somewhat perfunctory entry in this genre. Due to its examination of two different crimes with two different suspects, the narrative focus isn't all that clear in the first few episodes. Only after the DNA testing is introduced at the end of episode three does the audience get a sense of where this story is headed. Once the creators introduce the idea that there may be a pattern of misconduct by the local police and prosecutor, there is a noticeable increase in the momentum of the show.

Yet as new investigators and journalists and experts are brought in help exonerate the men who have now been incarcerated for more than 30 years, viewers can't be blamed for feeling a bit of true-crime fatigue. At what point do these shows and films stop being about educating the public about the flaws of the American justice system and simply become exercises in exploitation?

TV Details

  • Premiere date: December 14, 2018
  • Network: Netflix
  • Genre: Reality TV
  • TV rating: TV-MA
  • Last updated: February 18, 2023

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