It seems Netflix fans are turning to true crime to fill that timeless gap between Christmas and New Year.
After weeks of festive classics and Hallmark favourites, a very different kind of show has soared into the streaming giant’s top 10 daily rankings in the UK.
With Stranger Things still holding the top spot – followed by Captivated, Emily In Paris and Man vs Baby – Death Cap: The Mushroom Murders rounds off the top five.
‘When an Australian family meal ends with three guests dead, the case sparks a global obsession,’ the synopsis reads. ‘This documentary series investigates the mushroom murders.
The series follows the high profile case of Erin Patterson, who was convicted of murdering three relatives – and attempting to kill a fourth – back in 2023 by lacing a beef Wellington with the highly toxic mushrooms.
Get personalised updates on all things Netflix
Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you.
Fans clearly can’t get enough of the dark documentary, even though it ‘started off a bit slow’ for some viewers.
‘I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to watch the whole thing,’ admitted @SpiritualTraffic857 on Reddit. ‘But by episode 2 I was gripped and loved it.’
Another Reddit user, @Nilmah1316, added: ‘I really enjoyed the way they painted the picture of what the small town is like, using perspectives of neighbours, journalists, one of her defense attorneys etc’
And @Youngfolk21 wrote: ‘I found it interesting watch. It was insane what she did. I’m glad one of the diners survived. I feel for her kids so much.’
Who is Erin Patterson and what happened to her?
Erin Patterson, 50, was jailed for life in September after poisoning four of her estranged husband’s family members.
She murdered her husband Simon’s mum Gail, dad Don and material aunt Heather Wilkinson after they ate a poisoned meal at her home in July 2023.
Heather’s husband Ian survived after weeks in hospital, but he has suffered lasting damage.
Where are death cap mushrooms found?
According to the Woodland Trust, death cap is ‘fairly common in most parts of the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe’.
It’s often found in ‘widely spaced groups’ under oak and beech trees.
It’s a type of mycorrhizal fungi, which ‘largely lives off the roots of trees, releasing nutrients back into the soil for reabsorption by plants’, meaning it actually plays a key role in the ecosystem.
She served the group a homemade lunch, which she had secretly laced with foraged death cap mushrooms.
There was a huge amount of interest in the case, and Australia’s Supreme Court allowed the sentencing hearing to be broadcast live on television for the first time.
Patterson was convicted in July this year of murdering three people and attempting to murder a fourth.
She was sentenced to life with a non-parole period of 33 years, which is backdated until November 2 2023, when she first entered custody.
While it wasn’t disputed that she served the mushrooms or that her pastries killed the guests, the jury had to decide if she knew the death caps were in the lunch, as well as her intention.
Prosecutors did not offer a motive for the killings – and judge Justice Christopher Beale would not speculate – but they had pointed out strained relations between Patterson and her estranged husband, and frustration that she had felt about his parents in the past.
The case turned on the question of whether Patterson meticulously planned a triple murder or accidentally killed three people she loved, including her children’s only surviving grandparents.
Beale told the Victoria state Supreme Court: ‘Your victims were all your relatives by marriage. More than that, they had all been good to you and your children over many years, as you acknowledged in your testimony.’
He added: ‘[You] cut short three lives and cause[d] lasting damage to Ian Wilkinson’s health, thereby devastating extended Patterson and Wilkinson families.’
Death Cap: The Mushroom Murders is available to stream on Netflix.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
