People can't seem to resist twisted tales, and back-to-back shows about Candy Montgomery are good indicators.
We've nearly reached the 43rd anniversary of when Candy took the life of her friend and fellow parishioner, Betty Gore, yet somehow, we keep getting drawn back into this horrific real-life story.
For those who are unaware, Candy—who now goes by her maiden name, Candace Wheeler—had felt unfulfilled in her small-town Texas life and, as a result, began an affair with Allan Gore, Betty's husband. When Betty approached her about it, the two got into an argument, and eventually, a physical confrontation where Candy stabbed Betty 41 times with an ax, leaving her dead in the utility room.
During the Candy Montgomery trial, the defendant pleaded self-defense and ultimately walked away from the whole ordeal as a free woman. Now, TV shows are recreating the tragedy that unfolded in Wiley, Texas, all those years ago.
Documentaries and shows about Candy Montgomery:
If you've got a case of déjà vu, you're not alone—plenty of people are starting to notice the interest in Candy Montgomery's small-town story gone wrong. Here's how to follow along with the fictional, and non-fictional, takes on her shocking actions.
1. 'Candy' (2022)
- Where to watch: Hulu
Jessica Biel starred in and executive produced Candy, Hulu's retelling of Candy Montgomery's infidelity and horrific murder of Betty Gore. Though our protagonist's acts were extreme, Biel still wanted us to feel a sense of sympathy for the woman who had come to regret all of her life decisions.
"I wanted that oscillating experience: for you to 100 percent believe in her, and then question—wait a minute. What did she do," Biel told W. "You don't know how to feel about this person. The confusion is what I was looking for. I want you to feel conflicted about whether you like her or believe her or not."
The series also stars:
- Melanie Lynskey as Betty Gore
- Pablo Schreiber as Allan Gore
- Timothy Simons as Pat Montgomery
- Raúl Esparza as Don Crowder
- Jessie Mueller as Sherry Cleckler
2. 'Love & Death' (2023)
- Where to watch: HBO Max
On the heels of Candy comes, Love & Death HBO Max's 2023 spring release focused on the Candy saga. Many have asked, "Is Love & Death the same as Candy," and in a sense, yes, but with different actors (Elizabeth Olsen takes on the role of Candy) and a new streaming service.
Olsen claimed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that there's a reason why we've all become so engrossed by this particular series of events.
"When we don't have answers to things and when things don't add up, we have a continual intrigue because it's about human behavior," she told the outlet. "It doesn't really matter if this happened 200 years ago, 40 years ago — when there's something that puzzles us about human behavior that we can't quite understand [and] don't have all the answers to, we find it interesting."
Additional actors in the series include:
- Lily Rabe as Betty Gore
- Jesse Plemons as Allan Gore
- Patrick Fugit as Patrick Montgomery
- Tom Pelphrey as Don Crowder
- Krysten Ritter as Sherry Cleckler
3. 'Snapped' (2022)
- Where to watch: Peacock
Fans of true crime documentaries will want to bookmark the 15th episode in season 30 of Oxygen's Snapped, which debuted in 2022. It focuses on all that unraveled in Wylie, Texas, back in 1980.
