Watch Unlocking the Truth

Unlocking the Truth was a true crime series that aired on MTV in 2014. The show followed two young heavy metal musicians from Brooklyn, Malcolm Brickhouse and Jarad Dawkins, as they investigated cases of wrongful conviction and police misconduct across America. The series was executive produced by Emmy-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney and directed by documentary filmmaker Marc Levin.

In each episode, Malcolm and Jarad traveled to a different state to meet with people who were either wrongly convicted of a crime or alleging police misconduct. They studied the evidence of each case and interviewed witnesses, lawyers, and experts in the field. They also spoke with family members of the victims and the wrongfully convicted to get a sense of the toll these injustices take on people's lives.

One of the most striking aspects of Unlocking the Truth was the way in which it challenged stereotypes about youth and race. Both Malcolm and Jarad were African American teenagers who loved heavy metal music and were passionate about social justice. They brought a fresh perspective to each case they investigated, and their youthful energy and inquisitiveness made them relatable to viewers of all ages.

Moreover, they often found themselves dealing with cases that involved racial bias or institutional racism. One of the most powerful episodes of the series was the one in which they traveled to Mississippi to investigate the case of Kalvin Michael Smith, a black man who had been wrongfully convicted of a white woman's assault. Malcolm and Jarad spoke with Smith's family and his attorney, who argued that Smith had been railroaded by a corrupt justice system. The episode highlighted the pervasive racism in the criminal justice system and the ways in which it can destroy people's lives.

Another noteworthy aspect of Unlocking the Truth was the way in which it used technology to help tell its stories. In each episode, Malcolm and Jarad used smartphones and social media to communicate with witnesses and experts. They also used Google Maps to navigate their way around unfamiliar towns and cities. This gave the show a sense of immediacy and relevance that was often missing from other true crime series.

Furthermore, the show made use of animation and reenactments to help visualize some of the more complex legal concepts and evidence. This was particularly important in cases involving DNA evidence or legal technicalities that might be hard for viewers to follow. The use of animation also helped to humanize the people involved in each case, giving viewers a sense of the emotional toll of wrongful conviction and police misconduct.

Overall, Unlocking the Truth was a powerful and provocative series that challenged viewers to think more deeply about the criminal justice system in America. Its youthful stars, Malcolm and Jarad, brought a freshness and energy to the true crime genre, while the show's use of technology and animation helped to make complex legal concepts more accessible to viewers. The series raised important questions about racial bias, police misconduct, and wrongful conviction, and it gave a voice to the people who are often ignored or silenced by the justice system.

Unlocking the Truth is a series that ran for 1 seasons (8 episodes) between August 17, 2016 and on MTV