Jean-Xavier de Lestrade’s 2004 docuseries The Staircase begins with the mysterious death of Kathleen Peterson, followed by the protracted legal battles of her husband, Michael, in Durham, North Carolina. Despite maintaining his innocence, the author was convicted of Kathleen’s murder in 2003 and sent to prison for eight years before prosecutorial misconduct opened the door for a new trial. Told almost entirely from Michael’s point of view, de Lestrade’s lauded documentary tells a much more sympathetic version of his story than what played out in local media. 

Nearly...