True crime is all the rage nowadays. Not, like, in real life of course – that’s bad – but on telly and stuff. Making A Murderer was of course the one that kickstarted the world’s interest in murder documentaries – even though they’ve been about for years, including some absolutely unmissable ones. Either way, there’s a huge, fresh obsession with them so, new and old, the floodgates are open.
And so to the latest Netflix-based serial doc, and clearly your new Netflix-based obsession – The Keepers. This seven-parter will surround the case involving the 1969 murder of 26-year-old Cathy Cesnik, a nun and teacher from Baltimore.
Netflix says it will delve into the “horrific secrets and pain that linger nearly five decades after her death.” So we’re in firm MaM territory here: little-known crime that happened years before; retrospective analysis; erm, Netflix. But that’s not all – much like MaM caused a renewed official interest into the case – it seems that The Keepers has too.
The director, Ryan White, says: “We never set out in making this to solve a murder, but what has happened through making it is it has drawn people out in a way that wouldn't have happened if there wasn't going to be such a scrutiny or risk of exposure.”
Is there the possibility of a real-life conclusion to the case? New evidence that appeared back in the nineties seems to point that way (a pupil of Cesnik’s claimed abuse at the hands of the school’s chaplain) – something which is put under scrutiny in the doc. All will (might) be revealed...
The show will pop up on Netflix on May 19, so you’ve got a little while to wait, but in the meantime, you could always check out the episode of Unsolved Podcast where they examine the case. If you like spoilers, that is – just where do you get off?
