Based on a True Story

Based on a True Story offers a fun deconstruction of the genre that also forces the audience to question their own attraction to serial killers.

Based on a True Story is a very guilty pleasure.

A grisly good time had by all. [12 Jun - 2 Jul 2023, p.6]

Sharp writing and keen comedic timing by the show’s main players make “Based on a True Story” an amusingly disturbing journey into the world of true-crime fandom and the queasy worship around homicidal maniacs like Dennis Rader, better known as “BTK,” and John Wayne Gacy.

The high concept, darkly comedic “Based on a True Story” takes two overly long episodes to set up its premise, but once it does the right-sized 30-minute episodes that follow have a blast satirizing true crime stories and those who love them. It’s an entertaining yarn that taps into the American bloodlust for true crime tales.

Breezy, sex-obsessed and pleasingly perverse, “Based on a True Story” is the satire the true crime media business deserves.

Ava and Nathan's coterie of friends feel like a distraction, there to stretch out the plot rather than provide worthwhile color. It's far more compelling to watch two semi-hapless people realign their world now that there's a serial murderer in it. Fortunately, most episodes don't run longer than 25 minutes. It never takes much time to get to the good stuff. And there's a lot of good stuff.

The premise of Based On A True Story is definitely absurd and by the end of the first episode, we’re not sure where it’s going to go. But Messina and Cuoco’s performances are more than enough to keep our attention while the show figures itself out.

Like a good, however flawed, podcast, there’s a bunch you might wish you could skip over, but it still leaves you curious and impatient for the next episode.

Kaley Cuoco continues to burnish her post-“Big Bang Theory” credentials as a streaming queen with “Based on a True Story,” a twisty, darkly comic series with strong echoes of two Netflix shows, “You” and “Dead to Me.” The series likely won’t rival either on Peacock – a service that tends to fly under the radar – but those who find it won’t be disappointed.

If you can forgive these massive plot holes every time they pop into your brain (which is exceedingly often, given how much the podcast’s popularity is referenced), Based on a True Story will prove to be some fun, breezy fare.