Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel documentary poster
True Crime

Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel

2021 53m ⭐ 7.0/10 Documentary · Crime · Mystery

The disappearance of 21-year-old Elisa Lam from a Los Angeles hotel with a dark history sparks a wave of amateur internet sleuthing, long before anyone learns what actually happened to her.

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Details

Year
2021
Runtime
53m
Rating
7.0 / 10
Format
TV Series
Seasons
1
Country
United States of America
Platform
Netflix

Why Watch This

This one is less about the crime itself and more about what happens when a mystery meets the internet: eerie elevator footage went viral, and armchair detectives spun theories that had little to do with the sad, ordinary explanation that eventually surfaced. It's a genuinely useful case study in how true crime fandom can outrun the facts, and the first entry in director Joe Berlinger's ongoing Crime Scene anthology.

If Crime Scene made you think twice about true crime message boards, Missing: The Lucie Blackman Case and I'll Be Gone in the Dark cover similarly obsessive searches for answers.

Where to Watch

RegionAvailablePlatform
New ZealandNetflix
AustraliaNetflix
United StatesNetflix
United KingdomNetflix
CanadaNetflix
IrelandNetflix

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Elisa Lam?
A 21-year-old Canadian tourist who went missing at LA's Cecil Hotel in January 2013; her death was later ruled accidental.
Why is the Cecil Hotel notorious?
The hotel has a long history connected to LA crime, including being a onetime residence of serial killer Richard Ramirez, which fuelled public fascination with Lam's case.
How many episodes are there?
Four episodes, the first season of Joe Berlinger's Crime Scene anthology series.
Where can I watch it in NZ?
Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel is streaming on Netflix New Zealand.

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