If there is one genre that has become increasingly popular in recent years, it is true crime. Whether it’s a movie or a TV series, anything that explores real criminal cases has proven to captivate audiences like no other production. This happens for many reasons. On the one hand, true crime films and series arouse society’s curiosity and invite viewers to investigate various matters in depth without having to get too involved. At the same time, they allow people to understand human behavior a little better and provide an immersive and exciting form of entertainment, often at the hands of our favorite actors.
In recent years, several streaming platforms and production companies have focused on releasing true crime series and movies, many of them to great acclaim. HBO Max is one of them. They came out in 2022 The stairs, a miniseries starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette based on the case of Michael and Kathleen Peterson to critical acclaim. Almost a year after this popular premiere, they did it again: last April 27, the premiere of Love death, a true crime miniseries directed by Lesli Linka starring Elizabeth Olsen and Jesse Plemons. Like it The stairs, Love death is inspired by a true story. Here’s a little more about the case that inspired this miniseries.
What is love and death about?
Olsen and Plemons impeccably lead the cast of Love death joined by Lily Rabe, Patrick Fugit, Krysten Ritter, Tom Pelphrey, Elizabeth Marvel and Keir Gilchrist. This production, with the first three episodes already available on HBO Max, follows two couples who are friends, the Montgomerys and the Gores. These young people seem to have done everything according to the norm: they married young, had children, built a very stable financial situation, go to church and enjoy their friendship and the quiet life in Wylie, Texas with their community . But a deep void grows inside some of them, and things take a turn for the worse when Candy Montgomery and Allan Gore begin an extramarital affair that culminates in one of them spiraling out of control and committing a heinous crime.
The Candy Montgomery Story
The true story happened in a similar way to how it is portrayed in the miniseries. Candy and Pat Montgomery and Betty and Allan Gore met at church after the first couple moved to Wylie in 1977 with their two children. Despite living a quiet, smooth life that many would envy, Candy was bored: her marriage no longer seemed exciting, and shortly after moving, she started looking for something else. While attending a service at the Methodist Church of Lucas, Candy met Betty, a teacher she quickly befriended and began arranging lunches and dinners with both of their partners.
Candy and Betty’s friendship would change dramatically in 1978, when Candy became obsessed with Betty’s husband and suggested they start an affair. Although Allan initially rejected her proposal, he eventually agreed, and the two came up with a list of rules to follow to keep the affair going. This relationship lasted several months and ended abruptly after Betty Gore gave birth to her second baby and Allan chose to devote more time to his wife and family. And while things went well for a while, complications eventually arose.
On June 13, 1980, while Allan was on a business trip, Candy and Betty met at Gore’s house and the latter confronted her friend about the affair with her husband. When Candy admitted to the affair with Allan, Betty retrieved an ax from another room, and both women struggled with the weapon until Candy took control and hit her friend 41 times to the point of taking her life. She had no intention of confessing to the murder, but immediately destroyed the evidence and went on with her life normally until Allan came home to find the horrible scene. But despite Candy’s attempts to cover up the crime, she ended up as a suspect soon after, especially since Allan had reported their affair to the police.
Despite Candy’s evidence and testimony, her lawyer claimed her actions were in self-defense, so Candy was found not guilty and walked out of court because a free woman. This angered the residents of Wylie, so the Montgomery family soon moved to another town, and eventually Candy and Pat divorced.
Other adaptations of Candy’s Story
The story of Candy Montgomery has been adapted for film and television a few times over the years. The first adaptation came in 1990, in the TV movie A murder in a small town, directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal and starring Barbara Hershey and Brian Dennehy. The most recent, without mention Love deathis the 2022 TV series Sweets. This Hulu production created by Nick Antosca and Robin Veith stars Jessica Biel, who earned a Best Actress nomination at the Satellite Awards for her performance. Melanie Lynskey, Pablo Schreiber, Timothy Simons and Raul Esparza join the lead actress in the cast of this five-episode miniseries.