It’s official: We’re obsessed with true crime, for better or for worse. If you can’t get enough of unsolved mysteries and suspicious murders, then you’ve most definitely come to the right place. Alongside unbelievable unsolved mysteries, these true crime documentaries explore everything from conniving wine merchants to the inequality of the U.S. health system to the incredible life of Marilyn Monroe. From Netflix juggernauts to sleek HBO offerings to Emmy-winning series, we round up some of the best true crime documentaries to watch if you have a passion for justice and don’t mind sleeping with the light on.
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Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes
Chillingly told through recordings of the man himself, Conversations with a Killer: The John Wayne Gacy Tapes reconstructs the events that led to the deaths of at least 33 young men. As a respected businessman who was known to dress up as a clown for parties, Gacy’s crimes are a chilling example of how some criminals use the cover of conventionality to exact terrifying acts.
We Need to Talk About Cosby
Once known as “America’s Dad,” Bill Cosby was accused of sexual assault by more than 60 women. Showtime’s We Need to Talk About Cosby explores the comedian’s influence on pop culture, and the alleged crimes that led to him spending three years behind bars. The documentary is even more crucial since Cosby’s 2018 convictions have since been overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes
HBO’s Mommy Dead and Dearest explores the haunting story of Dee Dee Blanchard’s murder, and the extensive lies Dee Dee had told about her own daughter Gypsy Rose Blanchard’s health. Both Gypsy and her boyfriend, Nicholas Godejohn, were convicted of the murder, and the documentary explores the tragic sequence of events that led to the crime.
On January 11, 2013, Black teenager Kendrick Johnson was found dead inside the gymnasium of Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia. Disturbingly, his body had been concealed in a rolled-up gym mat. Finding Kendrick Johnson explores the harrowing mystery surrounding a young man’s death, and his family’s ongoing search for justice.
Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes
Told through archival audio recordings of Jeffrey Dahmer himself, Netflix’s documentary series pieces together the murder spree that led to the serial killer’s eventual arrest. Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes is a chilling account of the murders of 17 young men and boys, and the killer’s predilection for cannibalism and dismemberment.
A refreshing break from serial killer documentaries, Sour Grapes tracks the rise and fall of Rudy Kurniawan, a fraudulent wine merchant who tricked some of the world’s biggest collectors. Authenticated by prestigious auction houses, Kurniawan’s wines proliferated the mainstream with ease: Sour Grapes explores how he conned so many people.
Undercurrent: The Disappearance of Kim Wall
The 2017 disappearance of Kim Wall shocked the world. The Swedish journalist was last seen departing on Peter Madsen’s self-built submarine in Copenhagen, where she planned to interview the inventor. Suspicions were raised when Madsen was located without Wall, and his story changed on multiple occasions. Undercurrent deciphers what happened to Wall in her final hours.
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey
This documentary explores the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), and its controversial leader Warren Jeffs. Having broken off from the Mormon Church, the fundamentalist sect practices polygamy, and trains its female members to serve their husbands from a very young age. Jeffs earned a place on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List in 2006, and the Netflix series interviews escapees about what really took place inside the FLDS compound.
Netflix’s Our Father tells the shocking true story of Dr. Donald Cline, a fertility specialist based in Indiana who used his own sperm to inseminate many of his patients throughout the ’70s and ’80s. However, Cline kept the fact that he was the sperm donor a secret and didn’t receive consent from any of his patients. Netflix tracks the terrifying story, including one person’s discovery that they might have as many as 90 half-siblings.
During the ’80s, Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, also known as Osho, drew a large following. Together with his personal assistant Ma Anand Sheela, Osho created a community for his followers on a large ranch in Wasco County, Oregon. The space was meant to serve as a place where Osho’s worldwide followers could come to live. However, the new city quickly caused tensions with nearby residents, especially when alleged acts of bioterrorism and violence started taking place.
Jan Broberg Felt was abducted as a child by family friend and neighbor Robert Berchtold on two separate occasions in the 1970s. Abducted in Plain Sight features interviews with Broberg Felt and pieces together how Berchtold ingratiated himself with one Mormon family, in order to allegedly groom their daughter. Broberg Felt’s story has been adapted for a new Peacock series called A Friend of the Family, starring Colin Hanks, Mckenna Grace, Anna Paquin, and Jake Lacy, so it’s the perfect time to learn more about Broberg Felt’s incredible story.
Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story
In 2006, Cyntoia Brown received a life sentence after being convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated robbery. A 16-year-old Brown claimed that she was the victim of sex trafficking, and had acted in self-defence when she shot and killed Johnny Allen, 43, after he’d paid her $150 for sex. She subsequently served 15 years in prison of a life sentence, before being granted clemency in 2019.
Netflix’s true crime documentary tells the story of Suzanne Sevakis, a 20-year-old woman killed in an apparent hit-and-run in 1990. The Girl in the Picture explores the truth about Suzanne, from her abduction by a fugitive when she was a child, to the life she was forced to live thereafter. Understandably hard to watch, The Girl in the Picture is a terrifying true story that seeks justice for Suzanne and her son Michael Anthony Hughes, and interviews friends and family members about what really happened.
Sophie: A Murder in West Cork
Sophie: A Murder in West Cork tells the shocking story of French TV producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier, who was murdered outside her vacation home in Ireland on December 23, 1996. The brutal murder shook the local community, and this documentary pieces together what might have happened to the 39-year-old mother -of -one. From interviewing possible suspects to exploring strange details about the crime scene, Sophie: A Murder in West Cork attempts to solve a chilling crime that’s long had no answers.
Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist
The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist tells the story of Hawaiian linebacker Manti Te’o, and the catfish who threatened his reputation and career in the NFL. In 2012, Te’o tragically lost his grandmother and his girlfriend on the same day. However, it soon transpired that Te’o’s girlfriend wasn’t real. Instead, a catfish was behind the character, and Netflix’s documentary tells both sides of the unbelievable story.
Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath
Mother-of-two Andrea Knabel has been missing since August 2019, when she disappeared without a trace while walking home late at night. While her family continues the search, Finding Andrea pieces together a timeline of what might have happened, and questions whether any secrets she had might have influenced her disappearance. Featuring interviews with multiple family members and acquaintances, Finding Andrea attempts to shine a light on a very suspicious case that remains unsolved.
Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story
In 1972, seven-year-old Steven Stayner went missing. Seven years later, he reappeared, having escaped his captor and rescued five-year-old Timothy White, who’d also been snatched by convicted sex offender Kenneth Parnell. Hulu’s Captive Audience tells Steven’s incredible story, and explores what happened when his abduction was turned into a TV movie. And in 1999, when three women were brutally murdered, the Stayner family found itself at the center of another national investigation that changed their lives forever.
The Inventor: Out for Blood
Elizabeth Holmes’ story has been well documented, and has just received the adaptation treatment in Hulu’s The Dropout, starring Amanda Seyfried. In January 2022, Theranos’ founder was convicted of “one count of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud for intentionally deceiving investors,” per The Wall Street Journal. While Holmes awaits sentencing, delve into HBO’s documentary about the healthcare startup that promised to change the world, before it all came crashing down.
The 2015 documentary The Hunting Ground is a searing exploration of the terrifying cover-up of sexual assaults on college campuses across America. The film follows survivors who, in attempting to report the crimes committed against them, often face disbelief, victim-blaming, and an unjust erasure of any alleged crime. The Hunting Ground shows how a group of survivors fought back within the legal system, and attempted to change the way women and other victims of sexual assault are treated on campus.
Netflix’s The Tinder Swindler catapulted Simon Leviev to international fame for all the wrong reasons. If you’ve somehow managed to swerve the glossy doc, The Tinder Swindler tells the story of a suave con artist with a penchant for online dating. Featuring interviews with his victims, many of whom lost tens of thousands of dollars, The Tinder Swindler exposes the underbelly of app romance, and hopefully serves as a warning to anyone thinking of transferring their internet bae a ton of cash.
WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn
Though this saga is one more of epic corporate failure than traditional true crime, fans of the latter genre will still be fascinated with WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn. The documentary takes viewers behind the scenes of WeWork, examining the quick rise and subsequent fall of the shared office space company. It’s worth watching whether you’ve been watching Apple TV+’s WeCrashed or not, if only to see where Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway drew inspiration for their portrayals of founders Adam Neumann and his wife, Gwyneth Paltrow’s cousin Rebekah.
If Unsolved Mysteries is your jam, then Netflix’s Worst Roommate Ever is the perfect binge-watch for you. Each episode introduces another offender who’s bound to make even the worst person you’ve ever lived with look simply angelic. From financial scams to professional squatters, Worst Roommate Ever will make you think twice about inviting any unvetted strangers to stay in your abode.
Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.
Netflix’s Bad Vegan tells the story of Sarma Melngailis, a New York restaurateur who became involved in a large-scale embezzlement. When Melngailis met a mysterious man named Shane Fox online, her life and business were forever changed. As well as making promises of immortality to her beloved dog, Fox made out he was embroiled in an intergalactic battle of good and evil. In order to pass his many tests, Melngailis found herself becoming financially involved in a way that threatened her livelihood.
The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann
When Madeleine McCann went missing from the Algarve, Portugal on May 3, 2007, she was just three-years-old. Fifteen years later, the case of her disappearance from the vacation rental her family was staying at continues to gain traction in the media. Netflix’s documentary about the child’s disappearance re-examines the evidence, explores the suspects, and tries to find answers over a decade on.
White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch
Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer
Netflix’s Crime Scene series continues to expand, this time focusing on the case of The Times Square Killer. When a suspect known as the “Torso killer” starts a reign of terror in New York City in the ’70s, police struggle for leads regarding the murderer’s identity. What they don’t realize is that they’re looking for a dangerously prolific killer with a serious hatred of women. As with any Netflix documentary, plenty of twists and turns ensue, and viewers are bound to be shocked by many of its revelations.
Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer
American serial killer Richard Ramírez, known before his arrest as the “Night Stalker,” was responsible for the murders of at least 14 people, and committed spurious other crimes including kidnap and torture, during the ’80s in throughout California. Netflix’s Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, explores the desperate search for the elusive murderer and the many attempts to stop him from killing again.
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst
It’s undeniable that Robert Durst is a fascinating documentary subject with an unbelievable story to tell. Your jaw will drop as director Andrew Jarecki gains unprecedented access to to Durst, and explores unsolved murders and strange coincidences that appear to lie in the real estate mogul’s wake. Not many documentaries uncover key crime evidence, and viewers won’t be disappointed by HBO’s seven-parter.
The Yorkshire Ripper terrorized women in West Yorkshire and Manchester between 1975 and 1980, murdering 13 and attacking many more. Netflix’s The Ripper explores how intense sexism, particularly against sex workers, let the police investigation falter, failing women across the North of England and beyond. It includes interviews with survivors of Peter Sutcliffe’s attacks and details of his eventual arrest.
HBO’s The Vow is a deep-dive into the world of NXIVM, a self-help organization dubbed a “sex cult” by the press, and overshadowed by the involvement of celebrities such as Smallville‘s Allison Mack. However, the truth is much more complicated, and led to leader Keith Raniere being found guilty of sex trafficking, racketeering, conspiracy, and sexual exploitation.
Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer
Catfish meets animal lovers meets true crime connoisseurs. Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer tracks the incredible community investigation into a killer who posted videos featuring acts of animal cruelty online before graduating to murder. Examining the astounding abilities of Internet crowdsourcing, the documentary proves that people power can often aid in solving crimes.
I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth Vs. Michelle Carter
I Love You, Now Die tracks the well-publicized case of Michelle Carter and the investigation into her involvement in the death of Conrad Roy III. Roy died by suicide in 2014, but his girlfriend Carter was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter after allegedly encouraging Roy’s death via text messages and phone calls. The documentary interviews Roy’s family, and examines Carter’s potential state of mind leading up to the infamous incident. WATCH NOW
The Sons of Sam: A Descent Into Darkness
David Berkowitz pled guilty to a string of brutal murders that took place in New York City in the ’70s. Also known as the Son of Sam and .44 Caliber Killer, Berkowitz claimed to act alone in the slayings, which often targeted couples parked in cars late at night. The Netflix documentary explores an alternate theory that Berkowitz may have been part of a Satanic cult, and didn’t, in fact, carry out the killings alone. WATCH NOW
Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel
At times, Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel crosses the line from true crime to supernatural scaremongering, while incorporating ableist notions of mental health. However, the show’s relentless quest to discover what really happened to Elisa Lam explores the important issue of the safety of women traveling solo, and the lack of understanding regarding invisible health conditions and their real-world effects. WATCH NOW
If you thought HBO’s Big Love was pure fantasy, think again. Netflix’s Murder Among the Mormons revisits the story of forger Mark Hofmann, who conned almost everyone with his artifacts related to the Latter Day Saints. The documentary explores how forging turned into bomb-making, and a deadly series of events hit the church. WATCH NOW
In 2001, Michael Peterson’s wife, Kathleen, died after falling down the stairs in their home. What followed was an extensive court case attempting to determine whether or not Michael was somehow involved in her death. With the documentary team returning to interview its subject on multiple occasions, The Staircase is an unusual example of following a case in what feels like real time. A dramatized version of the story starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette is heading to HBO Max, so it’s the perfect time to brush up on the case that’s captivated the world for two decades.
Ken Burns’ documentary covers the Central Park jogger case, which saw the arrest, coercion, and conviction of five Black and Latino young people for the alleged rape and assault of a woman in Manhattan in 1989. Those convicted maintained their innocence while serving prison sentences, and their convictions were eventually vacated when another inmate confessed to the crime. In 2014, a $41 million settlement was reached.
Directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady decided to make a documentary about Richard Scott Smith, a con man on the run after marrying and extorting multiple women. While interviewing Smith’s victims, the directors decided to throw Showtime’s resources behind the search for the on-the-run criminal, making for some compulsive viewing.
Tiger King literally needs no introduction, and with the recent release of Season 2, Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin’s drama is occupying the zeitgeist once again. Also worth watching is Carole Baskin’s Cage Fight on Discovery+, for a look at the much-maligned woman pitched as Exotic’s nemesis.
Much like Tiger King, Making a Murderer is a much-referenced crime documentary series that probably needs no introduction. While Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey remain in prison convicted of murder, Avery’s new lawyer Kathleen Zellner continues the search for justice in the death of Teresa Halbach.
Showtime’s true crime series, based on the book of the same name, examines the unsolved murders of eight women in Louisiana. Known as the Jeff Davis 8, police initially pursued a serial killer theory, after the women’s bodies were found in canals and ponds in the Jennings area. However, digging deeper showed a town tainted by alleged institutional corruption, and an unexpected political link to a motel called the Boudreaux Inn.
Tales of the Grim Sleeper
Filmmaker Nick Broomfield examines the case of the Grim Sleeper, who spent 23 years terrorizing South Central Los Angeles. In 2016, serial killer Lonnie David Franklin Jr. was found guilty of the murders of 10 women, but the cases remained unsolved until the 2000s when DNA and ballistics linked him to the crimes. Tales of the Grim Sleeper also explores the racial prejudices that impinged on the murders of multiple women of color, leading to their deaths remaining unsolved for decades.
American Murder: The Family Next Door
Netflix’s American Murder: The Family Next Door pieces together the moments leading up to the disappearances of Shanann Watts and her two daughters. News footage, social media posts, texts messages, doorbell cams, and personal photographs piece together a terrifying timeline of deceit, and ultimately attempt to explain why Chris Watts did what he did.
Abdur-Rahman Muhammad investigates the assassination of Malcolm X in this docu-series, which led to the reopening of the investigation regarding the civil rights leader’s murder. Two of the men previously convicted of the assassination have since been exonerated, proving that media pressure can sometimes impact a case.
Amy Mackelden is a freelance writer, editor, and disability activist.
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