The Staircase

A slow, absorbing plunge into a real murder case, where courtroom strategy and family fractures keep you unsettled and guessing.

Created by

Jean-Xavier de Lestrade

Genres

Documentary, Crime

Starring

Michael Peterson, Ron Guerette, Tom Maher

Overview

Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, presents a gripping courtroom thriller, offering a rare and revealing inside look at a high-profile murder trial. In 2001, author Michael Peterson was arraigned for the murder of his wife Kathleen, whose body was discovered lying in a pool of blood on the stairway of their home. Granted unusual access to Peterson's lawyers, home and immediate family, de Lestrade's cameras capture the defense team as it considers its strategic options. The series is an engrossing look at contemporary American justice that features more twists than a legal bestseller.

How it feels

Tense, dark, melancholic and cynical. Slow-burning and needs your attention.

About

Justice, deception, family, betrayal

Content

Mild violence, gore, sexual content and language.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Watch the trailer on YouTube (opens in a new tab)