Arts·Commotion

Netflix's Worst Ex Ever is 'an anthology series about domestic violence'

Culture critics Niko Stratis and Alison Herman discuss the concerns being raised around the new true crime docuseries' integrity as the genre's popularity continues to grow.

Culture critics Niko Stratis and Alison Herman share their concerns about the true crime docuseries

An animated image of a woman looking up at a man who appears to be angry with her in front of others, outside.
A still from Worst Ex Ever Season 1. (© 2024 Netflix, Inc.)

Worst Ex Ever is a four-part docuseries, akin to Netflix's previously successful show Worst Roommate Ever. It promises "shocking tales of betrayal, violence, and deceit," and relays four different true crime stories using a mix of testimonials, bodycam footage and animated reenactments.

But as the show shoots up Netflix's Top 10 list, concerns are being raised about how well the series treats the victims at the heart of these stories, and whether it serves any greater purpose than simply rehashing tales of trauma.

Today on Commotion, culture critics Niko Stratis and Alison Herman join Elamin to discuss the show, and what is lost when true crime documentaries are churned out as frequently as they have been in recent years.

WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube (this segment begins at 11:18): 

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.


Panel produced by Ty Callender.