You Can’t Make This Up

Netflix

The incredible real stories behind the making of the biggest documentary series & films on Netflix. Host Rebecca Lavoie leads in-depth interviews with creators and subjects, exploring how these stories are produced & their impact, while uncovering new information. New episodes every Wednesday. "You Can't Make This Up" is a co-production of Netflix and Partners in Crime Media.

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331 episodes
Updated April 22

Episodes331

Newest first

Jun 10, 2020 · 23 min
I Am A Killer Season 2
Ten inmates, ten lifelong sentences, ten episodes featuring prisons across the United States. In season 2 of the docuseries I Am A Killer, streaming on Netflix, every episode recounts one prisoner’s memories of the events that led to their crime, underlying motivations, and how they make sense of their lives now. Interviews with victims, their families, and detectives uncover multiple layers to the stories and reignite the debate about rehabilitation and restitution in America’s criminal justice
May 27, 2020 · 30 min
Filthy Rich: Jeffrey Epstein
Jeffrey Epstein is a name that has been attached to headlines for years. Billionaire, American financier, convicted sex offender, now a dead man. Streaming on Netflix, the docuseries Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich focuses on the survivor's perspectives as we hear their painful stories. The series also examines how Epstein evaded the law with his wealth, powerful connections, and network of co-conspirators. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with director Lisa Bryant and
May 20, 2020 · 34 min
Trial By Media
Were these six highly televised and dramatic cases defined by headlines, or determined by them? Now streaming on Netflix, the docuseries Trial by Media explores how news coverage and public conversation around high profile crimes have had a lasting impact on United States criminal justice systems and culture. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On…) speaks with CNN’s Chief Legal Analyst, staff writer for the New Yorker, and Executive Producer of Trial By Media, Jeffrey Toobin. There
May 6, 2020 · 34 min
The Innocence Files: The Prosecutor
In the final episode of our miniseries about The Innocence Files, host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Academy-award winning director, Alex Gibney (Going Clear; The Inventor). Alex’s episodes focus on how individual prosecutors can corrupt the whole justice system, examining cases from Philadelphia, Houston, and rural Michigan.
Apr 29, 2020 · 28 min
The Innocence Files: The Witness
This is the second episode in the miniseries about the Innocence Files. Host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On..) speaks with returning guest Academy-Award nominated director Liz Garbus (Lost Girls). Liz's block of episodes investigates the misuse of eyewitness testimony and how a person can be swayed into pointing to an innocent bystander.
Apr 22, 2020 · 30 min
The Innocence Files: The Evidence
This is the first episode of a mini-series about The Innocence Files, a documentary series about wrongful convictions, made in consultation with the Innocence Project. Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with Academy-award winning director, Roger Ross Williams (God Loves Uganda, Music By Prudence). He directed the first three episodes about bite mark evidence and exonerees Levon Brooks, Kennedy Brewer, and Keith Harward.
Apr 8, 2020 · 32 min
How to Fix a Drug Scandal
After nearly a decade of working for Massachusetts State Drug Testing labs, two chemists were found to have tampered with evidence connected to tens of thousands of cases against people accused of drug trafficking and possession. How To Fix a Drug Scandal, which is now streaming on Netflix, brings to light the investigation behind the corruption and cover-ups of these cases. In this episode, Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers on…) speaks with Director and Producer Erin Lee Carr about why she chose t
Mar 24, 2020 · 34 min
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness
In 2013, Joe Exotic had two husbands, a dedicated staff of misfits, and over 200 tigers in his private zoo. But Joe also had a rivalry with fellow big cat owner, Carole Baskin. When their feud spun out of control, Joe found himself in a cage of his own. In this episode, host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On…) will be speaking with co-directors Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin. There will be spoilers so make sure you’ve watched all 7 episodes! A note to listeners, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, t
Mar 18, 2020 · 26 min
Lost Girls
Kevin Flynn (Crime Writers On..) talks with director Liz Garbus about her film Lost Girls. Based on the book Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker. The film follows Mari Gilbert (Amy Ryan) as she searches for her missing daughter Shannan. Meanwhile, the police uncover four more bodies and suspect a serial killer is on the loose. There will be spoilers, so make sure you've watched the whole film before pressing play.
Feb 28, 2020 · 36 min
The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez
Host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On..) talks with director Brian Knappenberger and journalist Garrett Therolf about “The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez”. In this episode, they’ll be talking about the various trials of following Gabriel's death, the responsibilities of the social workers involved, and how a child like Gabriel became the victim of a broken system. There will be discussions of child abuse. Please listen at your own discretion.
Feb 12, 2020 · 24 min
The Pharmacist
In 1999, Dan Schneider was a small-town pharmacist in Louisiana. But after his son was killed in a drug-related shooting, he becomes obsessed with getting justice. In the Pharmacist, Dan investigates his son's murder, a local pill mill, and the drug crisis sweeping through his community. Host Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On...) speaks with directors Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason (Time: The Kalief Browder Story and Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story).
Jan 21, 2020 · 30 min
Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez
Kevin Flynn and Rebecca Lavoie (Crime Writers On....) interview sports writer Dan Wetzel and filmmaker Geno McDermott about their docuseries, Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez. They'll be talking about Aaron's upbringing, his friendship with criminals like Alexander Bradley, and the murder of Odin Lloyd. This episode will also discuss Aaron's suicide. If you or someone you know needs the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the number is 1-800-273-8255.
Dec 19, 2019 · 31 min
Don't F**k With Cats
Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer, follows a team of armchair detectives searching for an anonymous cat killer before he can escalate to something worse. Crime Writers On… host Rebecca Lavoie talks with director Mark Lewis about the rise of online sleuths, his choice to show segments of the animal abuse videos, and whether the audience should also be complicit in the crimes of Luka Magnotta.
Dec 11, 2019 · 32 min
The Confession Killer
We have hosts Kevin Flynn and Rebecca Lavoie (of the Crime Writers On...podcast) to speak directors Robert Kenner (Food Inc.) and Taki Oldham about their new series The Confession Killer. They'll be deep diving the story of Henry Lee Lucas, a man who confessed to hundreds of murders that spanned the country.
Nov 20, 2019 · 28 min
Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator
This month, we have a documentary film following Bikram Choudhury, the man who popularized yoga in America. Returning hosts Kevin Flynn and Rebecca Lavoie speak with director Eva Orner and lawyer Micki Jafa-Bodden about the rise and fall of a yoga guru who preyed on the very women who trusted him.
Oct 23, 2019 · 31 min
The Laundromat
In Steven Soderbergh's new film, "The Laundromat" he explores the world of offshore banking and the international crises caused by the Panama Papers. Screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, and journalist Jake Bernstein sit down with Soderbergh to talk tax evasion, casting Meryl Streep and to look at how they took a real-life scandal and adapted it into a feature film.
Sep 18, 2019 · 40 min
Unbelievable
The original series "Unbelievable" follows two policewomen (Toni Collette and Merritt Wever) trying to capture a serial rapist, and one girl (Kaitlyn Dever) who may, or may not, be a victim. It just depends on who you believe. For this episode, we have Kate Wells and Lindsey Smith (hosts of the podcast Believed) speaking with writer/director Susannah Grant and Executive Producer Sarah Templeton about how they adapted the true story into a series, and what steps can be taken to take these crimes
Sep 11, 2019 · 1 min
Introducing From Where She Stands: The OITNB Podcast
From Where She Stands: The OITNB Podcast is a new show that connects the storylines from Orange Is The New Black with the stories of real women whose lives have been impacted by prison. Hosted by Piper Kerman (author of the book "Orange In The New Black: My Year In A Woman's Prison"), each episode will feature an exclusive interview with a cast member from OITNB and will dive into the real stories from women navigating the prison system in America. Subscribe now so you don't miss an episode.
Aug 28, 2019 · 27 min
The Great Hack
Remember back in 2016 when Cambridge Analytica admited to "hacking" Facebook? In this episode, Aminatou Sow (Call Your Girlfriend) talks with the directors of The Great Hack, Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer. They get into data rights, persuadable social media and how one company used personal information as a means to a political end.
Jul 17, 2019 · 34 min
The Staircase (Revisited)
One year ago, Netflix released all 13 episodes of The Staircase, a documentary series that follows the trials of Michael Peterson. In this month's episode, we revisit the landmark series. Aaron Lammer (host of the Longform podcast) spoke with director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade to discuss the making of The Staircase and its legacy.

You Can’t Make This Up

I Am A Killer Season 2

Filthy Rich: Jeffrey Epstein

Trial By Media

The Innocence Files: The Prosecutor

The Innocence Files: The Witness

The Innocence Files: The Evidence

How to Fix a Drug Scandal

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness

Lost Girls

The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez

The Pharmacist

Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez

Don't F**k With Cats

The Confession Killer

Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator

The Laundromat

Unbelievable

Introducing From Where She Stands: The OITNB Podcast

The Great Hack

The Staircase (Revisited)