Don’t Pick Up the Phone True Crime Documentary Review, The Strip Search Caller Strikes

What Don’t Pick Up the Phone is all about without spoiling the show

Don’t Pick Up the Phone is one of the most unique true crime documentaries you’ll come across. A manager at McDonald’s has received a phone call from a man claiming to be a police officer. He says one of her employees is accused of stealing from a customer and gives them two choices. One involves going down to the police station. Unbelievably, the other is for the employee to conduct the strip search on her own. The strip search takes place, sexual acts are performed, and it goes on for hours with multiple people buying the story on the phone.

It would seem like this was a one-time thing. Amazingly, the hoax caller has done this many times before.

Don’t Pick Up the Phone covers the crimes committed, why people would go along with the demands of someone on the phone, and who could be behind the bad behavior.

Did you know anything about the Don’t Pick Up the Phone story before watching?

This is a story I have been eagerly waiting to see become a documentary. The only place I had heard of it was on a podcast episode I listened to while painting my bedroom closet shortly after moving into my home. It’s kind of strange for a random podcast episode on in the background to stick with a person so much. This story was too outrageous for me to forget. It would be criminal to not make a documentary about.

Will Don’t Pick Up the Phone make people feel uncomfortable?

This is a strange one. Underage employees at McDonald’s and other fast food restaurants are being assaulted. Things like that can give viewers the creeps and this one definitely does. We see surveillance footage of one crime with only the nudity blurred out. It is uncomfortable yet not at the level of the opening scene of something like Paradise Lost or the descriptions in The Keepers. Those are in their own class. Don’t Pick Up the Phone has a different kind of squirm to it.

What was good about Don’t Pick Up the Phone?

Don’t Pick Up the Phone presented itself well. It fits the mold of many true crime documentaries Netflix produces. It was dark, well-paced, and covered everything needed. Going with three episodes was probably a wise choice. It wasn’t until near the end that I felt like they needed to wrap things up.

We hear from many of the victims and a lot of the story is told through the eyes of an investigator named Buddy Stump. The moment his name popped on the screen I knew this had to be good. Someone with that name can touch anything and turn it to gold.

Don’t Pick Up the Phone definitely benefits from the weirdness of the crimes committed. There is a huge psychological element on top of the sick manipulation. The documentary leads us through what happened, a top suspect, and the fallout afterward.

What could have made Don’t Pick Up the Phone better?

Aside from a stronger conclusion and confession, there isn’t much else Don’t Pick Up the Phone could have done to be better. The first two episodes ended on strong cliffhangers. I was entertained throughout the show.

A little more on the psychological side may have been fun or an example of a similar crime that used this kind of manipulation. This may not have even been available. This is a once in a lifetime sort of crime.

Is Don’t Pick Up the Phone worth watching?

This is definitely one of the better true crime documentaries I’ve seen in a while. It does help that I was curious about the story already. Even if this is brand new or not really your thing, the production was as topnotch as they come. It is worth watching. There is no debate about it.

Overall Score: 9 out of 10

This documentary may not leave the kind of impression on viewers as some of the greats. It’s a fun ride while it lasts.

Interested in watching Don’t Pick Up the Phone or learning more about the case? Below you will find affiliate links to the series as well as other information about this case. By using this links, I may receive a small commission of any purchase you may make.

Watch Don’t Pick Up the Phone on Netflix

Watch Compliance on Amazon (based on the true story)

If you have a series or film you want to know my opinion on, please leave a comment below. I may have already written about it. I can save you some time from watching a dud.