Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
I watch a lot of TV while working, so when it’s time to wind down in the evening, I do my best to turn something on Netflix This is fun and helps me relax my mind. Well, it happened on Real crime The franchise recently, surprisingly, fits the bill. Given the subject matter – especially in his latest entries, which gets quite gruesome in the back half – it’s puzzling that these have become my bedtime offerings.
The Worst Neighbor Ever is the latest release from Blumhouse’s anthology The Worst Neighbor Ever. Worst ex ever and Worst roommate ever are the previous titles in the series, and like the new show, they explore true horror tales involving victims getting involved with people they were never supposed to trust.
Worst Neighbor Ever contains four episodes, each exploring a story of unimaginable violence committed by one community member against another. I won’t analyze each episode in detail, as that would detract from the viewing experience. But like the previous two installments in the series, the series digs itself in some way with each episode, revealing just how corrupt people can be, especially when broken justice and mental health systems intersect.
Read more: New on Netflix in July 2026: ‘Enola Holmes 3,’ Will Ferrell’s golf comedy ‘The Hawk,’ and more
Now look, I admit that watching true murder shows before bed is not the smartest thing you can do, and it’s not going to be an option that everyone will like. But there’s something in the sheer insidiousness of these stories that soothes me, as if they were saying, “Your life may be a mess, but at least it’s not as bad as these.”
Almost every episode I’ve seen in this anthology follows a case that seems implausible, whether because of how brutal the people are or how badly law enforcement can screw up the investigation. That alone is a good reason to watch the show. Seeing the consequences of a broken system can help move the needle toward fixing it — or at least that’s the hopeful idea I like to hold on to.
Tony Bostic and Terrell Bostic tell their story in The Worst Neighbor Ever on Netflix.
The Worst Ex-Partner Ever and The Worst Roommate Ever features stories happening across the country. There was some comfort in watching the show knowing that none of these dastardly killings happened too close to home.
But Worst Neighbor Ever disrupted my rest with its final episode, The Executor. It revisits the crimes of Caroline Herling, a Los Angeles con artist who, in an attempt to dispose of evidence linked to a dead body, turned to the first season of Breaking Bad for inspiration. I’ll spare you most of the details, but let’s just say there was a barrel full of acid, a chainsaw, and a lot of noise coming from her apartment when the murder happened.
Yes, you read that correctly; apartment. What’s more, half of this story takes place just a few miles from where I’m writing this article.
It was definitely an annoying episode, and made me think about this unhealthy viewing habit. It’s also a stark reminder that America’s mental health crisis knows no boundaries.
One of several animated clips exploring the case of con artist Caroline Herling in The Worst Neighbor Ever on Netflix.
Blumhouse has created a strong formula with this true crime franchise. Yes, what I wrote above sounds terrible. But the narrative tools the series uses, which include animated sequences, first-person accounts, police body camera video and news footage, mold it all into something entertaining, heartbreaking, and informative.
There is a conversation to be had about the potentially exploitative nature of the worst neighbor ever. The cases he covers often involve horrific acts of violence and murder, the impact of which continues on the families and loved ones of the victims. However, I eventually came down the other side. Every survivor and witness featured in the series shares their story with the goal of honoring those lost, and I believe these first-hand accounts can also help viewers recognize potential red flags in their lives.
Something I never expected from these shows, whether they’re documenting toxic relationships gone awry, roommate disagreements turning deadly or neighborly fights becoming explosive (literally), is the resilience that shines through every time.
That glimmer of hope, which often comes in the form of courtroom footage and confirmation of justice served, comes at the end of each episode. Judgment isn’t always appropriate, and there are moments when the show leaves me stressed, angry at the law, and sad for those still coming to terms with the trauma. But I suppose that’s all there is to it.
