The two-part documentary series Az igazság mániákusai will premiere on HBO Max and HBO in Hungary, while becoming available simultaneously in more than 100 countries under the English title Maniacs of the Truth on November 13.

Described by HBO as its first Hungarian Original true crime documentary series, the production examines major cases from the turbulent final years of state socialism and the period following Hungary’s political transition.

Hosted by retired detective Ernő Tóth, the conversations feature István Krispán, János Kőrösi, Lajos Kovács and Attila Petőfi, joined by crime journalist László Illisz. Their recollections reveal not only how the investigations unfolded, but also how detectives worked before digital databases, mobile communications and many of the forensic tools now considered standard.

The group returns to crimes that once dominated the Hungarian public conversation, sometimes sharing details that have not previously been disclosed. Some of the investigations reached a conclusion; others continue to carry unanswered questions decades later.

Among the cases featured are the 1991 kidnapping of 18-year-old Helga Farkas and the series of murders associated with Magda Marinko during the 1990s. Both stories became deeply embedded in Hungary’s collective memory and reflect a period marked by rapid social change and a newly emerging world of organized crime.

According to HBO, Maniacs of the Truth is also its first true crime documentary series produced in Central and Eastern Europe.