'The Case Against Adnan Syed' Trailer: The Story That Inspired 'Serial' Goes Back Under The Microscope
In 1999, high school student Hae Min Lee was murdered. Her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed was convicted of the crime, and the case faded into relative obscurity to the outside world. That all changed in 2014, when the podcast "Serial" brought the story to public attention, with hosts Sarah Koenig and her team asking: was Adnan Syed innocent? Now, the story is being looked at with fresh eyes – those of documentary filmmaker Amy Berg. Berg's new 4-part documentary series The Case Against Adnan Syed delves into the same questions as "Serial"...but may not come up with the same answers. Watch The Case Against Adnan Syed trailer below.
The Case Against Adnan Syed Trailer
Is Adnan Syed an innocent man? That's what the first season of "Serial" suggested, and many felt it made a convincing argument. But since the podcast blew up into a cultural phenomenon, others have criticized the show's approach. In any case, in 2016, a judge vacated Syed's conviction and ordered a new trial, and last year, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals upheld the decision. An appeals panel of seven judges heard oral arguments in November in 2018, and has until August 2019 to publish their decision.
In the meantime, questions remain, and director Amy Berg is attempting to find answers in her new documentary The Case Against Adnan Syed. Berg directed the West Memphis Three doc West of Memphis, and here she helms a 4-part documentary series for HBO that re-examines the case. As the official synopsis says, "there is more to the story" than what was revealed on "Serial."
The Case Against Adnan Syed will bring a "fresh eye to the case and offers interviews with key players, many of whom were not featured in the original podcast. Bringing the story to life visually, she revisits the crime and follows unfolding developments from 2014 to today. The series presents new information that questions the state's case, and draws on exclusive access to essential characters, including new audio recordings of Syed from prison, the defense team, the Syed family, friends and teachers of Hae Min Lee, private investigators and members of Baltimore City law enforcement, examining how Syed's trial and subsequent conviction in 2000 raised as many questions as they answered."
True Crime-related subject matter is in the midst of a boom – a boom that was kicked-off, ironically, by "Serial." To be clear, the subject matter has been around forever, but "Serial" turned it into a cultural phenomenon, paving the way for Making a Murderer and more. Now it's almost as if things have come full-circle with The Case Against Adnan Syed.
The Case Against Adnan Syed debuts Sunday, March 10 on HBO.