Produced by Uncut Gems directors the Safdie brothers and telling a remarkable true story, Telemarketers has quietly become one of the best-rated shows of the year so far. The HBO true crime documentary series has scored a whopping 95% critics' score and 100% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.
The three-part show follows two unlikely office friends who stumble upon a bizarre truth behind the work they’ve been doing at a call center. Their day-to-day job persuading people to give money to charity is a catalyst for exposing the controversy at the heart of the American telemarketing industry.
"We need to show the world what this place really does," says one of them in the trailer. "The media and the government haven’t been able to stop them, so now it’s up to us."
Most of the reviews so far have been glowing for the crime documentary, which has one of the highest ratings for a show on Rotten Tomatoes in 2023. TIME’s reviewer called it "one of the most exciting docu-series in years" thanks to its approach of "effortlessly dodging, and sometimes subtly parodying, every maudlin cliché of the true-crime genre."
Meanwhile, the Observer says, "Telemarketers is a fascinating portrait of a predatory industry, but it’s even better as a devoted character study, a warm-blooded testament to friendship, and an antidote to cynical acquiescence."
Viewer responses have been similarly positive, with one posting on Twitter: "Are any of you guys watching this? It's fantastic." Another added: "You guys should all watch the new Safdie brothers/Danny McBride produced Telemarketers docuseries because it is fucking insane."
A third viewer puts it simply: "Slapping a must-watch tag on Telemarketers on HBO. If you're on this side of the internet you won't find a more fascinating watch. Absolutely amazing docu-series."
The show has already aired two episodes on MAX after beginning on August 13 and still has one final part airing on August 27. So there’s still time to catch up on what seems to be one of the most intriguing shows of 2023 to date.
Check out our guide to the best true crime documentaries currently available to stream too.
