7 Shows Like The Girl From Plainville You Must See

‘The Girl from Plainville’ delves into the “texting-suicide” case, following the events surrounding the tragic death of Conrad Roy III. The Hulu miniseries depicts Conrad’s relationship with Michelle Carter, the messages they exchange, and how the girlfriend ultimately plays a role in his suicide.

Based on the Esquire article of the same name by Jesse Barron, the show dramatizes some intriguing real-life events. It also details the landmark case against Michelle, in which prosecutors tried to prove that she was involuntarily responsible for Conrad’s death. If you’re after similar true crime stories that center on some truly remarkable cases, we’ve picked the best ones out! You can watch most of these shows similar to ‘The Girl from Plainville’ on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.

7. Inventing Anna (2022)

We’ll start off relatively light with the remarkable case of Anna Sorokin AKA Anna Delvey, who swims into New York high society and almost gets approved for loans worth millions of dollars. As expected, Anna is revealed to be a fraud, but uncovering her true identity and backstory is a convoluted rabbit hole that is as revealing as it is audacious. Based on the 2018 New York magazine article by Jessica Pressler, the show is an intriguing “ripped-from-the-headlines” tale like ‘The Girl from Plainville.’

6. The Moorside (2017)

‘The Moorside’ is a two-part British television drama that follows another intriguing case. The show covers the 2008 disappearance of Shannon Matthews, who is subsequently rescued by the authorities. What makes the narrative truly gripping is the shocking involvement of the mother in the whole affair. Like ‘The Girl from Plainville,’ this show is also set in a quiet community and delves deep into the social dynamics of the central characters.

5. The Thing About Pam (2022)

‘The Thing About Pam‘ is another intriguing tale that traces a case that baffled authorities and the public. The limited series follows the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria, for which her husband is quickly deemed guilty and (wrongfully) convicted. However, questions begin to arise, and it soon becomes clear that the case is not as open-and-shut as deemed earlier. Slowly, the shocking role of the victim’s best friend, Pam Hupp, comes into focus, making for some serious, unexpected twists. This Renée Zellweger-led story is as convoluted as ‘The Girl from Plainville,’ though we admit the slightly tongue-in-cheek tone of the narrative might throw you off.

4. Unbelievable (2019)

‘Unbelievable‘ is based on the 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning article ‘An Unbelievable Story of Rape’ by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong and their subsequent book titled ‘A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America.’ The miniseries follows a series of rapes in Washington State and Colorado while focusing on a teenager charged with falsely claiming to have been raped, only to be proved right. The detectives who finally untangle the case go on a bewildering path during the investigation, making this critically acclaimed show as enthralling as ‘The Girl from Plainville.’

3. When They See Us (2019)

This four-part Netflix miniseries follows the 1989 Central Park jogger case. It delves into the stories of the five Black and Latino suspects who were falsely accused and charged in connection with the rape and assault of a woman. The narrative is heartbreaking and reveals some serious missteps by the legal system. While ‘The Girl from Plainville’ is a nod toward the additional attention that mental health issues need in general, ‘When They See Us‘ is a stark reminder of how racism can sometimes overpower even the country’s legal system.

2. The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016-)

One of the most famous cases in the last few decades leads to one of the most intriguing and well-made true-crime drama series. Based on Jeffrey Toobin’s book ‘The Run of His Life: The People v. O. J. Simpson,’ the first season of the FX true crime anthology television series ‘American Crime Story’ follows the murder case against sports legend O.J. Simpson which gripped the nation for months.

The details of the case are extensively presented in the news, but the show does an incredible job finding the nuances and convoluted personal dynamics involved. The real-life story and legal case that inspired the series is one that is as layered and complex as the one at the center of ‘The Girl from Plainville.’

1. Making a Murderer (2015-2018)

One of the most bizarre and heartbreaking true crime stories to be put to screen, ‘Making a Murderer‘ follows Steven Avery, who is wrongfully convicted of murder and imprisoned for eighteen years only to then be convicted of another murder. The case is even more disturbing because Avery’s (then) 16-year-old nephew Brendan Dassey is also convicted as an accessory to the crime.

Over two seasons, the show explores how Brendan’s confession is potentially coerced out of the young boy and the mission to have his sentence repealed. If the story of ‘The Girl from Plainville’ haunted you, this one will keep you pondering for days over the complexities of trying a minor on the cusp of adulthood for murder.