Netflix's latest docu-series is a binge-worthy true crime case you haven't heard of

American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders is a new documentary series streaming on Netflix that explores a wild conspiracy theory.

Netflix has become a prominent go-to destination for documentary enthusiasts to devour a wealth of content. The streamer has covered everything from high-profile true crime cases to some of the most obscure stories that are now widely known—just look at the Tiger King phenomenon. On Wednesday, February 28th 2024, we welcome a must-see and bingeworthy new TV documentary to the service, American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders…

American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders on Netflix

American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders is a brand-new four-part documentary series that re-examines a story most audiences won’t even be aware of.

The project dives into the case of Danny Casolaro, a journalist who was found dead at a hotel in August 1991. The scene officials encountered at the Sheraton Hotel in West Virginia was grisly but Casolaro’s death was ruled a suicide. Although the ruling was reached, those close to the man were skeptical, largely because of the case he was working on at the time of death.

Casolaro was investigating the story of a dispute between the Department of Justice and the tech company INSLAW based in DC, which developed a software in the 1980s called PROMIS. The company alleged that the software was stolen by the US government.

Congressional investigations were launched looking into the validity of the claims. However, it was essentially claimed that the software was being used in a way to affect international relations, apparently allowing monitoring from the US.

Casolaro met with a man called Michael Riconosciuto who claimed he was the one who put a back door in the software that made the monitoring possible.

As the documentary illustrates, Casolaro went deeper down the rabbit hole, leading to him and Riconosciuto becoming increasingly suspicious and later convinced of a cabal of eight leaders (the Octopus of the title) controlling the world through illegal means.

The narrative explored throughout the documentary touches on espionage, politics, and more. We follow a photojournalist, Christian Hansen, digging up Casolaro’s findings and bringing compelling new information to light.

Once you start, you’ll be tempted to binge the entire four episodes in one sitting. It’s compulsive viewing, alright.

10 must-see Netflix documentaries

American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders isn’t the only documentary that makes for essential viewing on Netflix, and I’ve hand-selected 10 you should also make a note to check out:

American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders is now streaming exclusively on Netflix.