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Murder Calls

Murder Calls

2017–2018Ended3 seasonsRenewedSeason 4 upcoming25 episodesTV-14Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

Base line reenactments of people being murdered while being on the phone with 911 services.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Murder Calls?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Murder Calls streaming on discovery+, HBO Max, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free).

Subscription

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Highlights

What stands out about Murder Calls?

Murder Calls earns 2 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Haunting.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is Murder Calls worth watching?

Murder Calls' Midcredits score is the 81st percentile of all shows, from 496 ratings across 2 sources. 82% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

81st percentile

Better received than 81% of shows

74th percentile among Documentary79th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)80th
Approval (how many liked it)77th

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

78 /100

80th percentile of all shows

71st percentile among Documentary79th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

82% liked it

77th percentile of all shows

72nd percentile among Documentary75th percentile among 2010s
82% rated it 7–1018% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

37th percentile

482 ratings across platforms

62nd percentile among Documentary44th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 11% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The show centers on real 911 calls as its defining hook, blending reenactments with interviews of those involved.

Fans praised

  • innovative use of real 911 calls
  • haunting and personal victim perspective
  • effective mix of reenactments and real footage

Detractors panned

  • exploitative and titillating treatment of tragedy
  • repetitive, manipulative re-editing of 911 calls with sound effects
  • cheap, half-baked production beneath the genre's potential

What stands out

OriginalityDivisive70

novel real-call hook vs. gimmicky conceit

AtmosphereDivisive65

haunting and freaky vs. spooky and exploitative

Emotional impactDivisive55

empathetic draw vs. titillating scare

Plot and storyDivisive55

detailed investigation vs. manipulative re-editing

Sound and music35

overused sound effects to heighten spookiness

Episodes

3 seasons

Season 3 · 2018 · 12 episodes

  • S3E1
    S3E1

    Tears For My Mother

    Apr 19, 201843 min
  • S3E2
    S3E2

    The Slender Man

    Apr 26, 201843 min
  • S3E3
    S3E3

    No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

    May 3, 201843 min
  • S3E4
    S3E4

    The Silencer

    May 10, 201843 min
  • S3E5
    S3E5

    Hearts Of Darkness

    May 17, 201843 min
  • S3E6
    S3E6

    The Devil's Voice

    May 24, 201843 min

Watch experience

What is Murder Calls like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, dark and intense — an even-paced watch that leaves you haunted.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
DreadTense
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Procedural · 7% of showsStatus quo each season
ToneThe series treats real crimes with a respectful, solemn seriousness, using reenactments and interviews to convey gravity without irony.
The rideThe series maintains a consistent atmosphere of dread and tension as each episode revolves around the harrowing reality of emergency calls and subsequent investigations.
StructureEach episode follows a conventional case investigation structure: the 911 call is introduced, evidence is explored, and the resolution is revealed.
Episode formatEach episode presents a self-contained case, with the 911 call acting as the central clue that investigators must unravel.
Season formatSeasons follow the same format and are interchangeable; any episode serves as an entry point to the series.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Haunting · 9% of showsUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe real 911 calls and tragic stories leave a haunting and unsettling impression that lingers after each episode.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThis is a non-narrative true-crime documentary series; each episode presents a self-contained case rather than following a single plot archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11% (this title): Justice 14% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% (this title) · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% (this title) · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 14% of showsTruth · 6% of showsMortality · 2% of shows
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series explores the pursuit of justice through the deciphering of 911 calls to uncover the truth behind crimes, all while confronting the reality of mortality.
StanceThe documentary observes the real-life dynamics of crime investigation without overt judgment, focusing on the immediate, personal impact on victims and investigators.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
AmbientElectronicSupportive music · original score
SettingVarious real-life crime scenes and the emergency call centers that received the 911 calls.
MusicThe score underscores the tense, investigative mood without drawing attention away from the central 911 recordings.

Content guide

Is Murder Calls okay for kids?

TV-14

Murder Calls is rated TV-14.

Rated TV-14 for v.

Ratings in 11 other countries
  • Canada14+
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • Ireland16
  • Denmark15
  • Netherlands12
  • Poland16
  • Portugal12AP
  • Spain13
  • SwedenFrån 15 år
  • Türkiye13+

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Murder Calls have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Murder Calls?

Cast

Daniel Lukes
as 911 Dispatcher
Tommy Campbell
as Airline Passenger
Rachel Stacy
as Brittany
Wendy Bowerman
as 911 Operator
Kacy Tiller
as 911 Operator
Betty Krachey
as Bystander
Limitless James-Arthur Williams
as 911 Operator
Aria Seymore
as Young Monique
Cedric Greenway
as Detective Snipes
Neftali Hernandez
as Alberto

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TMDB's suggestions for shows like Murder Calls include Homicide Hunter (2011), See No Evil (2014) and Catching Killers (2021).

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What other shows share a tag with Murder Calls?

1.5K other shows share the rarest tag below, kind of show: true crime. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.