Watching True Crime Documentaries requires guts. You got to have the stomach for watching all sorts of crimes. There’s a reason the audience for true crime documentaries on Netflix has spiked over the years. The spine-chilling details of those real-life cases have held people, communities, and viewers for years, because of the fact that horrible things occur, and they occur a lot more than we think.
Here’s a selection of our favorite Netflix true crime documentaries based on unexpected real events, available to watch right now.
Murder Among The Mormons
IMDb Rating: 7/10
This true-crime documentary reflects a man named Mark Hofmann, a well-liked and important rare document dealer in the Mormon church. Without transferring any spoilers, the calm, faith-abiding life of Hofmann and his associates changes to be far from what his friends and family believed.
Sophie: A Murder in West Cork
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
The true crime documentary reflects the gruesome murder of a French woman named Sophie in a rural and remote area of Ireland. The unexpected murder sets off an increasingly convoluted quest for justice that spans decades and parts across national borders.
Why Did You Kill Me?
IMDb Rating: 5.6/10
Ideal for fans of Don’t F*** With Cats, this true crime documentary tracks the story of a family desperate to get to the bottom of the murder of 24-year-old Crystal Theobald, and the heights of online sleuthing they’re willing to go to to do it.
Night Stalker: The Hunt For A Serial Killer
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Starring sinister footage and conversations with people involved in the case, this true crime documentary shows the story of one of the cruelest and shuddered killers in LA history. Under the sunlit glamour of 1985 LA the killer known as The Night Stalker committed heinous crimes and avoided capture for a long time, before, two detectives became preoccupied with stopping him.
How To Fix A Drug Scandal
IMDb Rating: 7/10
Directed by Erin Lee Carr the true crime documentary shows the story of two drug lab chemists’ shocking crimes, which in turn hurt one state’s judicial system and obscure the lines of justice for lawyers, officials, and thousands of inmates.
Athlete A
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
This true crime documentary concentrates on the gymnasts who sustained USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar’s abuse and the reporters who showed USAG’s toxic culture.
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admission Scandal
IMDb Rating: 7/10
Using dramatic reenactments, this true crime documentary explores the network of lies and atrocities perpetrated by fraudulent college admissions consultant Rick Singer, who was given thousands to get the children of rich and influential families into top American universities.
Fyre
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
You know the tale, but there’s so much more to be heard from this eye-opening true crime documentary all about the unfortunate festival, including a deep dive into the antics of its founder and sentenced con artist Billy McFarland.
Wild Wild Country
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
This Emmy-award-winning true crime documentary examines a utopian cult in the Oregon desert and its questionable leader who eventually becomes the focus of a national scandal.
Murder To Mystery: The Cyntoia Brown Story
IMDb Rating: 6.4/10
This true crime documentary examines the story of 16-year-old Cyntoia Brown who was convicted of murder in 2004. After Brown who had long been under the power of a 24-year-old pimp is sentenced to life in prison, subjects about her past, physiology, and the law itself call her guilt into question.
The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
A deep dive into the Madeleine McCann case, which witnessed a 4-year-old British girl disappear from her bed while on holiday in Praia da Luz, Portugal. It’s generally regarded as the biggest missing person case in modern history, with the 8-part series examining everything from the media excitement to potential mistakes.
A Perfect Crime
IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
German politician Detlev Rohwedder was killed in Dusseldorf in 1991, and the specific shooter has never been identified. This true crime documentary studies what happened, and how the German far-left militant group Red Army Faction (RAF) has declared responsibility.
This Is A Robbery
IMDb Rating: 6.4/10
This one is less crime and more art heist if you’re after a slightly less gruesome true crime documentary. A Netflix original, This Is A Robbery shows the 1980 story of how two thieves took millions of dollars worth of art from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
The Ripper
IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
The shocking story of the Yorkshire Ripper murders, which witnessed 13 women murdered in the north of England during the late 1970s. The story is shown through the lens of journalists and policemen who were on the case, and the half-decade that was used trying to solve it.
The Sons of Sam: A descent into darkness
IMDb Rating: 7/10
David Berkowitz, also known as the Son of Sam, is one of the most notorious serial killers in New York City history. Although this four-part true crime documentary studies the investigation of a journalist Maury Terry, who declared the eight murders were all part of a bigger Satanic cult that spread across America, emphasizing Berkowitz didn’t act alone.
Crime Scene: The Vanishing at The Cecil Hotel
IMDb Rating: 5.9/10
Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel is the first season of a true crime documentary series that examines the mystery surrounding a figure of infamous locations in contemporary crime. This four-part series, from The Ted Bundy Tapes director Joe Berlinger, concentrates on the Cecil Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles, which over the course of the last century has been connected to untimely deaths as well housing serial killers.
American Murder: The Family Next Door
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
In 2018, 34-year-old Shanann Watts and her two young daughters went missing in Frederick, Colorado. Her husband, Chris Watts, asserted he didn’t know where the family could be. But as police investigated deeper, unexpected details emerged and their story made headlines throughout the world.
I Am A Killer
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Death row inmates report their chilling crimes in this ten-part series. Each episode concentrates on a different prisoner as they give firsthand accounts of what influenced to them be locked up. The horrifying crimes include shocking multiple murders involving family members and botched robberies. Netflix states in the synopsis, “Showing that there are multiple sides to every story, each one-hour episode profiles 10 prisoners convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death.”
Trial 4
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Trial 4 shows the heartbreaking and infuriating story of Sean Ellis who was 19 years old when he was arrested for killing a police officer in Boston. He completed 22 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of murder. The series documents Ellis struggling for his freedom while showing systemic racism and exploitation within the justice system.
Carmel: Who Killed Maria Marta?
IMDb Rating: 7/10
Four-part series Carmel: Who Killed Maria Marta? concentrates on the circumstances surrounding the death of an Argentinian socialite named María Marta García Belsunce. Aged 50, she was discovered dead in a bathtub in her home in 2002. At first, it was ruled an accident as judges originally believed that she had fallen and hit her head on a tap, but after an autopsy was done it was discovered that she had been shot in the head five times.
Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer
IMDb Rating: 8/10
Don’t F**k With Cats is a true crime documentary about twisted killer Luka Magnotta. In 2010, Magnotta who was born Eric Newman posted a list of disturbing videos to the internet, driving a group of amateur online sleuths and animal rights activists to start their own investigation which quickly turned into a worldwide manhunt. After years of avoiding the authorities, Magnotta was sentenced to murdering student Lin Jun in 2014 and convicted to life in prison.
The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
In 2013, Gabriel Fernandez, then 8, died as a consequence of horrific and continued abuse by his mother and her boyfriend. In the wake of the catastrophe, a call for justice and responsibility exploded in Los Angeles County.
Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez is a three-part series that probes into the life of an American footballer and father of one, Aaron Hernandez. The young NFL player was about to sign a $40M contract before he was detained on suspicion of murdering his fiancee’s sister’s boyfriend. In 2013, he was convicted of life in prison for the murder. Two years later he was sentenced to a double murder charge.
The Confession Killer
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
The five-part show concentrates on the case of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, who admitted to murdering more than 600 people.
If you’re really interested in knowing about serial killers, you can check out our article on Serial Killers.
