The Truth About Jim: “Creepy” documentary leaves viewers divided

The Truth About Jim, a “creepy” new HBO documentary series about a woman’s quest to uncover whether her step-grandfather was a serial killer, has been sparking a busy discussion. But viewers are divided in how they feel about it. 

Any true crime case – especially those that leave questions unanswered – is likely to get people talking, but this has reached new heights in the tech and streaming era. The accessibility and abundance of content on streaming platforms like Netflix and Max have only fueled this fascination, providing viewers with a seemingly endless array of documentaries, podcasts, and articles to devour. 

While many people might have established opinions about certain cases before they’re explored in documentaries, some offer a glimpse into far more personal, lesser-known incidents. Take Great Photo, Lovely Life, for example, an HBO film in which photojournalist Amanda Mustard delves into the decades of child sexual abuse committed by her grandfather Bill Flickinger, highlighting the damage caused by family secrets. 

Similarly personal is The Truth About Jim, a four-part docu-series in which amateur investigator Sierra Barter confronts a traumatic past and secrets that have plagued her family for generations due to her late step-grandfather, Jim Mordecai. Following its release yesterday, February 15, viewers have been sharing their thoughts. 

The Truth About Jim leaves viewers divided

As The Truth About Jim unfolds, Sierra, along with her family members, examines the parallels between Mordecai and the unsolved case of the Santa Rosa hitchhiker killer. She also considers whether he could have been the Zodiac Killer, although an expert on the infamous case suggests that it’s unlikely. 

A number of viewers have taken issue with the Zodiac discussions, with one writing on X: “I was on board with everything in #TheTruthAboutJim doc till they said the guy is the Zodiac. Like, come on…” On the other side of the fence, Sierra received praise for exploring how Mordercai’s alleged sexual abuse impacted his family, and for bringing the issue of generational trauma to light.

“I’m watching #thetruthaboutjim and I’m so proud of Sierra, pushing this into the light,” said one. “I have sexual predators on my husband’s side of the family and if JUST ONE of those people had HALF the courage and conviction that she had, the cycle could break.” Another described the details presented in the case as “creepy.”

Taking to Reddit, one viewer wrote: “The Zodiac connections explored in the documentary felt tangential, though I understand the filmmakers likely featured them to appeal to a wider audience. For me, the most meaningful parts of the series were the insights into multi-generational trauma and how harm, whether through murder, abuse, or other acts, often stems from and perpetuates pain. 

“I wish there was more discussion in the documentary about ending these cycles through open dialogues and prevention. There are likely many people suffering from the impacts of serial abuse that may never physically kill but certainly traumatize. 

“All abuse merits attention before it escalates to extreme violence. Rather than shame those involved in this documentary, I think it presents an opportunity for greater awareness of and empathy for experiences of trauma, so we can build a more compassionate and supportive society.”

“It was pretty good until the granddaughter kept saying that Jim was the Zodiac killer. Got weird af after that. Also, her interview style was hilarious. She’ll walk in and immediately start asking questions,” added another, to which a third replied, “I agree the interview style put me off! Weirdly casual I guess? I do think the connection to the hitchhiker murders is plausible and hope there’s an update soon enough.”

Speaking of which, a number of viewers weren’t happy with the inconclusive ending, including this person who said, “I was really interested in watching this as I enjoy true crime documentaries. This literally went nowhere.” 

“I’m surprised Max picked up this show / the show literally insinuated this guy to be a serial killer based on nothing,” said another, while a third added, “Was there closure that he definitely wasn’t the Santa Rosa Hitchhiker killer? I couldn’t tell. That one seemed somewhat plausible. Zodiac was a stretch and they lost credibility by harping on it.

“It seemed like the granddaughter was just carrying a lot of emotional burden for a pretty mixed-up group of people whose traumatic experiences have made it challenging for them to toe the line between victim and narcissist. But I dunno. They did ok.”

It’s worth pointing out that Sierra and the private investigator she was working with, Nina Hobson, have taken all of the evidence they compiled linking Mordecai to the Santa Rosa hitchhiker killer – as well as a DNA sample – to the police. But as of 2022, authorities are still considering the information. 

The Truth About Jim also states that “a cold case investigator is looking into Jim Mordecai.” Ultimately, the true resolution is the closure she brings to her family, including those Mordecai allegedly abused. As Christi tells her: “You coming forward and doing this has allowed all of us to heal.”

One Redditor jumped to the defense of the series, writing: “Apparently the odd man out I really enjoyed it. I found the stories they shared to be heartbreaking and relatable. It mirrors a lot of families I know and a lot of them mine included have dark pasts if you dig far enough. I think there’s credibility to the Santa Rosa hitchhiker killer theory, it was very believable, especially with the jewelry connection. I hope they give an update, it seemed unfinished.

“The Zodiac connection seemed like a stretch but interesting and I wish they’d talked to more than just the one guy and compared the timeline of his life and marriages to the known crimes so we could see if it fit in that sense but I doubt it would have.”

Elaborating on the reaction to the series, the Redditor said: “It seems like a lot of commenters were turned off majorly by the emotional focus of the doc which is frustrating because their stories are an important piece of the investigation. These crimes go unsolved because people disproportionately don’t care about the pain and suffering of women.

“This may not have been your favorite and you may not get why HBO ‘wasted’ their time on it but it gave a voice and closure to the victims and raised awareness about the dangers of allowing generational violence to go unchecked. You don’t have to like it but you don’t need to be disrespectful when people are vulnerable with their pain like that.”

The Truth About Jim is available to stream on Max now, which you can sign up for here. 

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