Stop What You’re Doing: The Staircase Has Dropped On Netflix And You’re About To Be Hooked

Cancel your plans for the weekend because a new true crime series has just dropped on Netflix and it’s about to become your new obsession.

If you binged shows like Making A Murderer and Wild, Wild Country, you’ll devour The Staircase.

The thirteen-part documentary examines the case of author Michael Peterson who was accused of killing his wife Kathleen in 2001 when she was discovered dead at the bottom of their staircase.

Directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, The Staircase began production began shortly after Kathleen’s death, which means the cameras were there for Peter’s arrest and all the drama bombs of the 16-year courtroom battle. And boy, does this series have more twists and turns than the Riverdance.

For one, the prosecution claims that Michael is bisexual and he killed Kathleen during a row when she found out about his affair with a man, while other accounts maintain she knew about and accepted his ‘secret life’. There’s also the shocking revelation that the biological mother of Michael’s adopted child was also found dead at the bottom of a staircase in 1985, and then there’s the discovery of a fishy life insurance policy.

If you think the case sounds a little familiar, you’re right: the first eight episodes of the series were actually released in 2004, with episodes nine and ten originally appearing as a two-hour sequel movie in 2012, and the final three episodes debuting at the Tribeca Film Festival in April.

• Netflix
• The Staircase