Credit: Lucas Gouveia/How-To GeekNow that the dust (and tears) have settled from the conclusions of Euphoria and Hacks, and we now turn our attention to House of the Dragon in a couple of weeks, now might be a good time for some documentaries! Luckily, HBO Max has some excellent new and new-ish options at the moment.
For this weekend, I’ve pulled a few that explore common themes of manipulation and obsession, including a much-anticipated new mini-series that looks at a bizarre, secretive society in the 1980s modeling world, the deadly and dark reality behind internet influencers, and a retracing of a controversial murder trial.
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Bring Me the Beauties: A Model Cult
Fashion, fame, and a weird secret cult
Putting the constant Zoolander references going through my head aside, HBO’s newest docuseries, Bring Me the Beauties: A Model Cult, is no laughing matter. The fascinating three-part HBO original is a head-shaking, bizarre exploration of the mysterious new age cult from the ’80s and ’90s known as Eternal Values, made up of models, socialites, and other elites.
Directed by Chris Smith, whose other profile docs include subjects such as Jim Carrey, Andy Kaufman, and Wham!, Bring Me the Beauties centers around Hoyt Richards. Often referred to as the first male supermodel, the series traces Richard’s career and, most fascinatingly, his double life as a member of Eternal Values, a group started and run by eccentric New York socialite Frederick von Mierers, who (wait for it) claimed to be an alien obsessed with youth and beauty.
With a gorgeously retro and airbrushed feel, the series strings together restored archival fashion footage, photos, private audio recordings, and first-person interviews (much of which is from Richards himself) that reveal not only the control von Mierers had over his members, but how many of them found genuine belonging there. Broken up into three wild 55-minute episodes, Bring Me the Beauties is a must-watch.
Bring Me the Beauties: A Model Cult
Release Date
2026 – 2026-00-00
WHERE TO WATCH
Network
HBO
Cast
Hoyt Richards, Frederick von Mierers
Directors
Chris Smith
Main Genre
Documentary
Producers
Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez
Seasons
1
Executive Producer(s)
Chris Smith, Lisa Heller, Nancy Abraham, Ryann Fraser, Sara Rodriguez
2
Deadly Influence: The Social Media Murders
When the pursuit of online fame turns deadly
“How did we go from social media to you want me dead?” is one of the most telling lines from this Investigation Discovery true-crime series, currently in its second season on HBO Max. Deadly Influence: The Social Media Murders will scare you, shock you, and make you laugh a little, as each of its 45-minute episodes explores what happens when the battle for likes, followers, and online validation festers into something deadly.
With six episodes in season one and seven for season two (still being released every Monday until July 13), each one is a self-contained real case detailing stories across TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Discord, and more, as those involved share their first-hand accounts, supported by their own social media posts, audio, and other footage.
Season two is off to a great start, with standout episodes including Waiting for the Darkness, which follows TikTokker Cooper Noriega who gets candid online about his mental health issues before being found dead in 2022; and Rags to Riches To Rage, a story about an online mentorship that turns deadly. Of course, you can fill the gaps between season two episodes by binging season one—it’s all there, too.
Deadly Influence: The Social Media Murders
Release Date
June 3, 2024
WHERE TO WATCH
Network
Investigation Discovery
Seasons
2
1
A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read
A dead cop, a snowbank, and a divided town
In contrast to many of the true-crime murder investigation documentaries and series available today, A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read stands out because the accused murderer is also the show’s main character. Directed by Terry Dunn Meurer (Unsolved Mysteries), this five-part Investigation Discovery program is anchored around extensive interviews with Karen Read, who was charged with the murder of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe. Prosecutors maintained that she ran him over with her SUV and then fled the scene, a fact that she has always vehemently denied.
In A Body in the Snow, Read allows Meurer and a camera crew to follow her around throughout her polarizing murder trial in 2024, which ended in a deadlocked jury and a mistrial. It offers a fascinating closeness and fly-on-the-wall quality to the series, as it blends with courtroom footage, expert analysis, and interviews with law enforcement and attorneys, including Read’s lawyer Alan Jackson. The docuseries only covers up to the end of Read’s first trial, and while she was eventually acquitted of the murder and manslaughter charges against her, she still maintains that she was framed. Read recently filed a lawsuit against the Massachusetts State Police and the town of Canton for misconduct and negligence.
A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read
Release Date
2025 – 2025-00-00
WHERE TO WATCH
Network
Investigation Discovery
Cast
Karen Read, Ted Daniel, David R. Yannetti
Directors
Terry Dunn Meurer
Main Genre
Documentary
Seasons
1
Cults and true crime
Cults, online clout-chasing, and a courtroom that split a town down the middle—proof that the most gripping stories are often the true ones. When you’re ready for what’s next after this weekend, How-To Geek’s streaming guides have you covered.
Subscription with ads
Yes, $10.99/month
Simultaneous streams
2 or 4
Live TV
Live sports available in Standard and Premium plans
Price
Starting at $10.99/month or $109.99/year
