The best true crime documentaries to binge on Netflix
Netflix and watch serial killer documentaries, no?
While we of course love Friends and MAFS marathons as much as the next person, sometimes you need something a bit more compelling in between your episodes. Luckily, Netflix knows what's up and has more true crime options than you'd believe.
From crazy kidnapping stories to robberies gone wrong and everything in between, here are the best true-crime documentaries to stream on Netflix right now.
True crime shows to watch on Netflix:
American Nightmare
After a home invasion and abduction, a young couple's recounting of the events is too far fetched for the police to believe. Why did the victims seem so calm? Was it all a hoax? From the filmmakers behind The Tinder Swindler, this three-part docuseries unravels the consequences of our cultural rush to judgment, and the damage done when law enforcement decides the truth can't possibly be true.
The Program: Cons, Cults and Kidnapping
No talking. No smiling. No going outside. The Academy at Ivy Ridge claimed to use therapy and recreational activities to help troubled teens. Instead, teens suffered mental and physical abuse in a program that operated like a cult. In this gripping investigative docuseries, a filmmaker and other former students recall their horrific experiences attending a disciplinary school and expose the horrors of the troubled teen industry.
Homicide New York
From Law & Order Creator Dick Wolf, Wolf Entertainment and Alfred Street Industries comes Homicide, a new docuseries that illuminates the stories of notorious murder cases as told by the people who know them best: the detectives and prosecutors who cracked them.
Can I Tell You A Secret?
Can I Tell You a Secret? tells the story of some of the women targeted by serial stalker, Matthew Hardy, who in early 2022 received the longest custodial sentence in British history for stalking online. The series explores the women's experiences, the police investigation and how Hardy was ultimately brought to justice.
Lover, Stalker, Killer
Dave was recently out of a long-term relationship and eager to restart his romantic life, so he did what most people do: He tried online dating. Liz and Cari were two of his most promising connections, both single moms with winning personalities who helped bring him out of his shell in different ways. It should have been an opportunity for this hard-working, devoted dad to enjoy a second chance at casual romance, but it turned into a twisted love triangle, putting Dave and everyone he cared about at risk. Using interviews with those involved – including the law enforcement officers who cracked the case – alongside vivid reenactments that bring viewers into the tension and paranoia of Dave's four year nightmare, this feature documentary from Curious Films (Running with the Devil) and director Sam Hobkinson (Fear City: New York vs The Mafia), deftly assembles the pieces of a mind-bending true tale of harassment, digital deception, and murder in America's heartland.
Missing: The Lucie Blackman Case
When 21-year old British Air hostess Lucie Blackman leaves her life in London to move to Tokyo for an adventurous year of exploration - her parents and friends never imagine that just three weeks later, she will vanish without a trace. What follows is an intricate international investigation to find Lucie - led by a team of tenacious Japanese detectives. This gripping true crime feature is told both through the fascinating inside track of the investigation - as well as the emotional lens of Lucie's father who never gives up on finding his daughter alive. Their journey against the clock takes them through the seedy heart of Tokyo's dark underbelly and ultimately to the tragic truth about her brutal murder at the hands of one of the country's most reprehensible sexual predators.
American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing
Patriots' Day in Boston is a time to celebrate: Spring is in the air, the Red Sox play at Fenway, and the whole town turns out to cheer the Boston Marathon's journey from the suburbs to the center of the city. When two home-grown terrorists bombed the marathon's finish line in 2013, the biggest party of the year exploded into carnage, and as law enforcement launched an unprecedented investigation into the bombers' identities, their pursuit spilled over into the streets of formerly-quiet neighborhoods, paralyzing the city and gripping our post-9/11 world.
Waco: American Apocalypse
This immersive three-part Netflix documentary series is the definitive account of what happened in Waco, Texas in 1993 when cult leader David Koresh faced off against the federal government in a bloody 51-day siege.
Murdaugh Murders A Southern Scandal
The Murdaughs were one of South Carolina's most prominent families, but the death of teenager Mallory Beach in a drunken boating accident began the unraveling of their legacy. When Paul Murdaugh – the alleged driver of the boat – and his mother Maggie are found brutally murdered, a century of corruption, power, and cover-ups in the Low Country is brought to light. The three-part series will feature first-hand accounts from those on the boat that fateful night, many of whom have not spoken about the crash or double homicide of Maggie and Paul until now, including: Paul Murdaugh's longtime girlfriend, Morgan Doughty; Mallory Beach's childhood friends, Miley Altman and Connor Cook; Mallory's boyfriend, Anthony Cook; and, several others.
Series two of the show landed in September 2023.
The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker
The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker tells the tale of the viral internet sensation Kai - a hitchhiker who was branded a 'hero' for allegedly saving the life of a bystander, by using a hatchet to 'smash' the attacker. After his news interview went viral, Kai was was handed fame on a platter - even appearing on Jimmy Kimmel, with the world becoming very familiar with his wild and quirky ways - behaviour which made many around him feel uneasy. Things take a sinister turn, however, when his recognisable face is soon linked with a murder on the East Coast.
Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn't Exist
Born into a Hawaiian paradise, All-American football standout Manti Te'o leads a simple life summed up in just three words: faith, family, football. College football's golden boy could do no wrong, but when tragedy strikes, the increased scrutiny of his online relationship causes a media maelstrom that threatens his future and legacy. Featuring in-depth interviews with Manti Te'o (he/him/his) and the person behind the online identity, Ronaiah 'Naya' Tuiasosopo (she/her/hers).
The Most Hated Man on the Internet
Hunter Moore was a self-proclaimed 'professional life ruiner', who found fame in the early 2010s by creating the website IsAnyoneUp.com, a notorious 'revenge porn' site. The three-part series tells the story of a victim's mother's mission to bring Hunter down, after private photos of her daughter are posted online and he refused to take them down.
D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?
The series looks at the 50-year quest to find the mysterious man who hijacked a Northwest Airlines passenger jet in November 1971 and escaped with $200,000, never to be seen again. Five decades. Few clues. Too many suspects. The identity of skyjacker D.B. Cooper remains one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century.
Our Father
Jacoba Ballard was an only child, conceived via donor sperm, who always dreamed of having a brother or sister. An at-home DNA test led her to the discovery of not one but seven half-siblings – a number that defied best practices in fertility medicine. As the group set out to learn more about their curious family tree, they soon discovered the sickening truth: Their parents' fertility doctor had been inseminating his patients with his own sperm – without their knowledge or consent. As Ballard and her newfound siblings realized they've barely begun to untangle his dark web of deceit, their pursuit of justice lies at the heart of this profoundly unsettling story about an unimaginable breach of trust.
Girl in the Picture
A young mother's mysterious death and her son's subsequent kidnapping blow open a decades-long mystery about the woman's true identity, and the murderous federal fugitive at the center of it all.
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey
In 2008, a dramatic raid at the Yearning for Zion Ranch in West Texas generated attention around the world, as law enforcement agents uncovered stunning evidence of sexual, physical and psychological abuse and took 400+ children into custody. Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, directed by Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Rachel Dretzin, gives viewers an in-depth look into the secretive polygamous sect of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) and the rise of self-professed prophet Warren Jeffs. The four-part documentary series features never-before-seen archival footage and harrowing personal stories from some of the courageous women and men who escaped. From forced underage marriage and pregnancy to a complete unraveling into an oppressive criminal cult under Warren Jeffs' rule, the story uncovers extraordinary bravery battling tyrannical control in modern America.
Tinder Swindler
Swipe, swipe, swipe… It's not easy to find love online, so when Cecilie matches with a handsome billionaire playboy, she can't quite believe it when he turns out to be the man of her dreams. But dreams aren't reality and by the time she discovers this international businessman isn't who he says he is, it's too late. He's taken her for everything. Where this fairytale ends, a revenge thriller begins. Cecilie discovers his other targets and once they band together, they're victims no more: THE TINDER SWINDLER meets his match. From the producers of 'The Imposter' and 'Don't F**k with Cats', this riveting feature documentary follows as they uncover his true identity and fight to bring him to justice.
Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story
Jimmy Savile rose to prominence in a career spanning decades in the entertainment industry in the UK. He had raised millions for charity, been knighted by the Queen and achieved national treasure status by the time he died on the 29th October 2011. His funeral was broadcast live on the BBC. Since his death, independent investigations and those made by Scotland Yard uncovered that Savile had been a prolific and predatory sex offender, abusing hundreds of people, some as young as 5.
To date, more than 450 allegations of sexual assault and abuse have been made against him. The documentary examines, through extensive archive footage, Savile's relationship with the British people, the establishment and the media to understand how he managed to fool an entire nation for so long.
Trust No One: The Hunt for the Crypto King
In the paranoid world of cryptocurrency there's only one rule – Trust No One. So when Gerry Cotten, the CEO of Canada's largest Cryptocurrency exchange QuadrigaCX, dies in mysterious circumstances, he takes the password to $250 million of customers' funds to the grave.
A group of horrified investors refuse to accept the official narrative. They believe Gerry's 'death' has all the hallmarks of an 'exit scam,' that he is still alive and has run off with their money. This is the thrilling story of their investigation into a dark world where no one and nothing is what it seems. Will they be able to unravel the mystery at the heart of Quadriga, find Gerry Cotten, and finally get their money back?
The Ripper
Chronicling the twists and turns of the largest police manhunt in British police history, this evocative four part series re-examines the crimes within the context of England in the late 1970s: a time of radical change, de-industrialisation, poverty, masculinity and misogyny, all of which contributed to the Ripper evading capture for so long.
Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer
After a video of a mysterious figure killing two kittens is posted online, a group of amateur online sleuths launches a risky manhunt to find and catch the killer. In an insane game of cat-and-mouse, they follow him around the world until they uncover his true identity, bringing them into a dark underworld.
Athlete A
Athlete A follows the heart-breaking true story of Maggie Nichols and other USA gymnasts as they were betrayed by USA Gymnastics, the organisation that should have been keeping them safe. Led by reporters from The Indianapolis Star, this documentary gives an inside look at how Dr Larry Nassar's sexual abuse of young gymnasts was exposed, landing him behind bars.
American Murder: The Family Next Door
34-year-old Shanann Watts and her two young daughters went missing in Colorado in 2018. This documentary, led entirely by archival footage and social media posts, pieces together the hours and days after their disappearance, giving a voice to the victims for the first time.
Trial By Media
This six-part Netflix documentary series reflects on how some of the most dramatic and memorable trials in recent history have been transformed into a form of entertainment by the media.
Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story
In 2004, 16-year-old Cyntoia Brown was arrested for the murder of a 43-year-old man who had picked her up for sex. Tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison, Cyntoia's fate seemed sealed, but in 2019 – after a decade of legal challenges – Governor Bill Haslam granted her request for clemency.
Trial 4
After being charged as a teenager in the 1993 killing of a Boston police officer, Sean K Ellis faces his fourth trial as he fights to prove his innocence and expose the corrupt system that put him away for over two decades.
Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez
Told through interviews with friends, former teammates, and insiders to the case, this docu-series looks at how NFL star Aaron Hernandez went from a rising American football player to a convicted killer.
The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez
This shocking, heart-breaking series looks at how the case of 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez was able to fall through the cracks of the LA government systems that were there to protect him, despite multiple reports to authorities and warning signs.
Abducted in Plain Sight
Abducted in Plain Sight is a wild ride, so buckle up. The story starts in 1974 when 12-year-old Jan Broberg is abducted from her small community in Idaho by a trusted neighbour and close family friend. She's then returned home to her parents...only to be adducted again by the same man. It'll shock you the whole way through.
Casting JonBenét
Child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey was killed in her family home in Boulder, Colorado in 1996 at only six years old. A handwritten ransom note was found in the house and her father found her body in their basement eight hours after she was reported missing, but her murder has never been solved. This documentary explores the case two decades later.
The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann
The disappearance of Madeleine McCann is a case that most of us are familiar with as the tragedy was felt around the world. This documentary series looks into the details of the 3-year-old's disappearance from the seaside resort of Praia de Luz, Portugal while on holiday with her family.
The Alcà sser Murders
In November 1992, three girls — Miriam GarcÃa Iborra, Antonia "Toñi" Gómez RodrÃguez and Desirée Hernández Folch — in Valencia, Spain were kidnapped, raped, tortured and murdered after hitchhiking a ride to a nearby nightclub. This Spanish docu-series looks into new interviews and evidence to try to shine light on their murders.
Out of Thin Air
This documentary picks up 40 years after six people were convicted for two unusual murders in Iceland, proving that confessions aren't always what they seem.
Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
Before being caught in 1978, notorious serial killer Ted Bundy was able to hide in plain sight for years while committing the horrific rapes and murders of more than 30 women. This documentary allows us to get inside the head of one of America's worst killers in a way never before possible by showing exclusive, never-before-heard interviews with Bundy himself.
The Confession Killer
American serial killer Henry Lee Lucas was convicted of murdering eleven people between 1960-1983; however, he rose to infamy after confessing to hundreds of murders to the Texas Rangers. This documentary tries to find the truth about how many people he was guilty of killing.
The Innocent Man
This six-part documentary, based on John Grisham's best-selling book, The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town, focuses on two murders that shook the small town of Ada, Oklahoma in the 1980s.
The Staircase
In 2001, Kathleen Peterson, wife of novelist Michael Peterson, was found dead at the bottom of the stairs in their family home. Michael claimed she fell down the stairs, but the medical examiner determined she had been beaten with a weapon, leading to Michael becoming a murder suspect. This series, which began in 2005 and was then updated in 2013 and 2018, follows the investigation of Michael Peterson for his wife's murder.
Dirty Money
This documentary looks at the way the rich are able to get richer through stories of scandal and corruption — including the shady deals in Donald Trump's empire.
Amanda Knox
It's a story we're all familiar with — American study abroad student Amanda Knox is is accused of murdering her British roommate Meredith Kercher. This documentary explores the infamous case that shocked the world.
Making a Murderer Part One
This docu-series was filmed over a 10-year period and tells the real-life story of DNA exoneree Steven Avery who finds himself the prime suspect of a murder investigation while in the middle of exposing corruption within local law enforcement.
Making a Murderer Part Two
Part two picks up where part one left off, this time with a focus on Avery's nephew Brendan Dassey.
The Investigator: A British Crime Story
This documentary focuses on the mysterious disappearance of Carole Packman, who vanished without a trace in 1985, and the man convicted of her murder — her husband.
Dirty John: The Dirty Truth
This documentary tells the real-life story of Debra Newell, who falls in love with serial con-man John Meehan.
Dirty John
This is a fictionalised version of the story of Debra Newell and John Meehan. Newell is played by Connie Britton and her amazing hair, so it's definitely worth a watch.
American Crime Story: The People v O.J. Simpson
In 1994, American footballer and actor O.J. Simpson was charged with the murder of his wife, Nicole. This dramatisation of the murder trial looks at both sides.
Mindhunter, season 1
Based on true events, this series tells the story of FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench as they found the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit and begin to investigate the minds of serial killers with help from psychologist Wendy Carr. They meet and interview notorious serial killers, such as Ed Kemper, Montie Rissell, and Jerry Brudos.
Mindhunter, season 2
Season two picks up where season one left off, and sees Agent Ford focuses on the Atlanta Child Murders in Atlanta, Georgia in the early 1980s.
The Devil Next Door
This documentary tells the crazy-but-true story of John Demjanjuk, a retired Ukranian-American autoworker living in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio in the 1980s with his wife and children, who is accused by Holocaust survivors of being 'Ivan the Terrible,' a notorious Nazi death camp guard who is known for torturing and killing nearly 1 million Jewish prisoners.
American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace
In 1997, Gianni Versace is shot in front of his Miami mansion by Andrew Cunanan. This fictionalised version of the facts looks at defining moments in Andrew Cunanan's life, starting in childhood and leading up to his murder spree.
Wild Wild Country
When a controversial guru builds his utopian city in the Oregon desert, the local ranchers are none too happy. This documentary shows the conflict between the two, which led to the first bioterrorism attack in the US.
Evil Genius
Known as the 'pizza bomber heist,' this four-part documentary tells the story of a botched robbery and horrifying murder in Erie, Pennsylvania that captured the world's attention.
The Keepers
In November 1969, Sister Cathy Cesnik, a beloved Catholic nun and high school teacher, went missing. Two months later, he body was found and her murder has never been solved. This seven-part documentary tells the story of her death and the secrets it uncovered.
Tell Me Who I Am
18-year-old Alex Lewis wakes up from a coma after being in a motorcycle accident and can't remember anything — his home, his parents, his name. The only thing he remembers is his identical twin brother, Marcus, who he relies on to teach him everything. But Marcus leaves a dark family secret out of the story he tells Alex and now, after decades of lying, he comes clean to his twin brother.
The Playing Card Killer
Alfredo Galán Sotillo killed six people and tried to kill three others becoming the Spanish first serial killer. He chose his victims randomly and kill them with a pistol he illegally brought to Spain from Bosnia where he was with the Spanish Army on a humanitarian mission. He was sentenced to 142 years in prison. He will serve the maximum, 25 years. He will be released from prison when he is 52 years.
Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich
Leading up to his 2019 arrest, mysterious tycoon Jeffrey Epstein was accused of abusing women and underage girls for decades, assembling a network of enablers to help carry out and cover up his crimes. Epstein came from humble beginnings yet managed to lie and manipulate his way to the top of the financial world. He eventually gained tremendous wealth and power while running an international sex trafficking ring. The serial sex abuser made a secret plea deal with the government in 2008 avoiding a potential life sentence and continued to abuse women. With their frightening firsthand accounts, Epstein's accusers are the leading voices in director Lisa Bryant's four-part docuseries JEFFREY EPSTEIN: FILTHY RICH. By revealing their emotional scars, some for the very first time, the sisterhood of survivors intend to stop predators — and the American justice system — from silencing the next generation. A RadicalMedia and James Patterson Entertainment production made in association with Third Eye Motion Picture Company, the series is executive produced by Joe Berlinger (Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes).
Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer
Told through harrowing first-person interviews, gripping archival footage and spectacular original photography, this four-part series represents the definitive telling of this iconic L.A. real-life horror story, painting a portrait of how it felt to live in fear at a time when absolutely anyone could be the Night Stalker's next victim. Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer is directed by Tiller Russell and executive produced by Russell, Tim Walsh, Eli Holzman, and Aaron Saidman.
Killer Sally
Killer Sally is the story of bodybuilding's most notorious crime. On Valentine's Day 1995, national bodybuilding champion, Ray McNeil, was choking his bodybuilder wife, Sally, when she grabbed a gun and fatally shot him twice. With a documented history of domestic abuse, Sally claimed it was self-defense, a split-second decision to save her life. The prosecution argued it was premeditated murder, the revenge of a jealous and aggressive wife. They called her a "thug," a "bully," a "monster". The media referred to her as the "brawny bride" and the "pumped-up princess". Sally says she spent her life doing whatever it took to survive, caught in a cycle of violence that began in childhood and ended with Ray's death. This complex true crime story examines domestic violence, gender roles, and the world of bodybuilding.
Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich
Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich goes beyond the headlines of the Ghislaine Maxwell case to tell the definitive story of Epstein's mysterious accomplice, illuminating how her class and privilege concealed her predatory nature.
How many of the above have you binged?
Now watch:
The best TV shows to binge that have a strong female lead
All of the TV shows we can’t wait to return