Making a Murderer is a 10-hour documentary on Netflix. Although a long documentary may sound boring, this show is the complete opposite; it’s an engaging show that will deeply absorb you. The trick is to stick it out through the first three episodes, after which you will be entirely sucked into the show.

Making a Murderer follows the story of Steven Avery, a man from Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for a sexual assault crime that he did not commit. After Avery spent 18 years in jail, the DNA from the crime scene was tested and proved that he was in fact innocent. Once he was released, with help from an organization called The Innocence Project, Avery filed a law suit for $36 million against Manitowoc Country and several officers who were involved in his case. Shortly after filing the law suit, however, Avery was accused of the disappearance and murder of a photographer, Theresa Halbach, who had been last seen on his property.

This documentary has been one of the most surprising, frustrating, and entertaining shows I have watched in a while. The first episodes go by slowly, and there are a lot of legal terms that can be hard to follow. My one piece of advice is to continue watching, because the show is amazing, especially if you’re the kind of person who enjoys crime shows or documentaries.

Without giving too much away, I will say that Making a Murderer will surprise and captivate you in one way or another. For one, the way the Manitowoc County police treat Avery is shocking. It seems as though the law enforcement in the town have a personal vendetta against him. They also seem to force confessions out of people, like Avery’s cousin, that may or may not be true. The accusations and cases made against Steven Avery made me want to keep watching to see if he was innocent or guilty of the murder.

The show is filled with real interrogations that were filmed during the investigation, as well as actual court room scenes. The show also includes a number of interviews with Avery’s family members and several police officers who were involved with his cases.

This documentary will most likely frustrate you as well. There is some evidence against Avery, making him look guilty, but there is a lot of speculation as to whether or not the police officers planted the evidence. I found myself going back and forth, never really deciding if I thought Avery was innocent or guilty of the murderer. Another frustrating factor about this show is the fact that it was created by Avery’s lawyers, so it comes off as a little biased.

The effect of this documentary has been huge. It is said that a juror has come forward and said that they do not think that Avery is guilty, and that they want Avery to get a retrial, because they believe he is innocent. Some of the police officers in Manitowoc County want their side of the story to be released, because in the documentary it seems as though they framed Avery for the murder.

Making a Murderer is a brilliant and unusual show and a good look into the reality of law enforcement. If you’ve been on the fence about watching it, you definitely should, and you will not be disappointed.