Top 20 True Crime Netflix Documentaries
#20: “Girl in the Picture” (2022)
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Based on a pair of books, this doc focuses on Sharon Marshall—a young girl who was abducted by Franklin Delano Floyd. After kidnapping Marshall and raising her as his own, the felon assaulted the minor and eventually forced her into marriage. As ‘Tonya’, she was held captive for two decades until 1990 when she died in a suspicious hit-and-run. The documentary brings truth to the story that initially broke long ago, which stated that ‘Tonya’ was staying with her husband ‘Clarence’ before the accident. But an FBI investigation followed, bringing insight to something much more convoluted. ‘Tonya was discovered’ to be Sharon and ‘Clarence’, Floyd. It’s a story of horrific twists and turns that are truly unbelievable.
#19: “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey” (2022)
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Leading an extreme offshoot of Mormonism, Warren Jeffs perpetuated systematic abuse for years before his arrest in the mid 2000s. As head of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints or FLDS, Jeffs forced members of his congregation—including minors—into living out the FLDS’ mantra, “Keep Sweet, Pray and Obey”. This meant entering marriages where wives are expected to blindly serve their husbands, have children, and control their emotions. The doc tells the stories of former FLDS members, which bring to light the disturbing details of being held captive in a cult lifestyle. More importantly, the interviewees’ testimonies represent the strength of the women who survived the abuse.
#18: “Sins of Our Mother” (2022)
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This three-parter following Lori Vallow, aka the “Doomsday Mom” exposes the dangers of extreme religious views. She and her fifth husband Chad Daybell landed behind bars after a string of deaths. Accused of first-degree murder, the extremist duo is awaiting trial after the deaths of Lori’s previous husband, Chad’s former wife, and two of Lori’s kids. The events preceding the horrors are explored via a slew of shocking material, including police accounts, phone calls, emails, podcasts, and interviews with people close to Lori who experienced her spiral into darkness. A spiritual points system, demonic possession, the apocalypse, and the belief that Lori is “a resurrected god” will likely be referenced when the pair stand trial in 2023.
#17: “Athlete A” (2020)
Thanks to a source’s suggestion to investigate the USA Gymnastics—America’s gymnastics governing body—“The Indianapolis Star” began conducting research on alleged abuse. A team of journalists found that coaches had taken advantage of their power and mistreated hundreds of gymnasts, prompting a published story. The piece was followed by justice-seeking athletes coming forward and revealing their traumatic experiences, specifically at the hands of USAG physician, Larry Nassar. After years of abuse without consequence, criminal prosecution was finally initiated. It was learned that the USAG was made aware of the doctor’s horrific behavior but failed to act, exposing just how harmful the culture that has silently plagued the world of gymnastics had become.
#16: “American Murder: The Family Next Door” (2020)
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Using a combination of archival footage, social media posts, texts, recordings, and home videos, this doc dives into the Watts family murders of 2018. It is not until midway through the film that we learn that Chris—the Watts patriarch—ruthlessly took the lives of his pregnant wife and two daughters, shattering the all-American family facade. Beyond thoroughly explaining how Chris committed the unthinkable, the documentary tries to piece together the “why”. But even with the theories put forward, it’s difficult to fathom the horrific nature of what he did, making this a truly haunting experience.
#15: “Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez” (2020)
Aaron Hernandez was the pro footballer who seemed to have it all. But success aside, the athlete was deeply troubled, evidenced by his murder of a fellow athlete, suspected role in other killings, and eventual death. By detailing the football star’s upbringing, relationships, and degenerative brain disease, the series aims to capture a shocking spiral. As the title suggests, we are given access to the mind of the killer while he’s in jail thanks to the inclusion of phone calls made by Hernandez in prison. While deeply chilling, the doc serves as a reminder that mental and physical trauma profoundly impact human decision-making, even that of those who appear well-positioned to do better.
#14: “Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.” (2022)
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As the owner of the popular vegan spot Pure Food and Wine in NYC, Sarma Melngailis was an elite restauranter making quite a name for herself in the industry. However, in 2015, she stopped paying her staff for months, and they walked out en masse. Behind the scenes, she had entered into a relationship with Anthony Strangis, who promised he could make her and her pit bull Leon immortal. Melngailis later claimed that Strangis used coercive control to convince her to steal $1.6 million from her restaurant and go on the run with him. The Netflix series details the bizarre story and Melngailis’s allegations, including the couples’ capture and criminal charges.
#13: “Strong Island” (2017)
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One of the more deeply personal Netflix documentaries, “Strong Island” is sure to leave you equally sad and angry. At the center of it all is William Ford, a young, Black New York teacher fatally shot by a white 19-old-year old mechanic on Long Island. Although Ford was unarmed, an all white grand jury opted to not indict his killer. The story itself is a wrenching viewing experience made even more so by the fact that the documentary was directed by Yance Ford—William’s own brother.
#12: “The Innocent Man” (2018)
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Author John Grisham may be primarily known for his fiction, but in 2006 he published a nonfiction true crime book called “The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town”. The book, and this series, focus on Ronald 'Ron' Keith Williamson, who was convicted of murders in the 1980s that took place in Ada, Oklahoma. He was eventually exonerated because of DNA evidence. Netflix explores all of the false confessions that occured, and includes many interviews with key players in the real-life drama. Suzi Feay of the Financial Times said, “The story is ingeniously played out, each episode ending on a cliffhanger that makes binge-watching virtually unavoidable.”
#11: “The Confession Killer” (2019)
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In most true crime docs, someone is eventually found guilty. But this one is especially interesting because that’s not the case. After killing his mother and two other victims, Henry Lee Lucas confessed to hundreds of other murders. This set off an investigation into his abundance of admissions—which turned out to be lies. Murder cases across the U.S. were subsequently closed without evidence, but eyebrows concerning likelihood and logistics were still raised. Whether Lucas was a pathological liar and/or rampant murderer, the documentary serves as some sort of closure for families of victims whose cases weren’t properly handled.
#10: “Wild Wild Country” (2018)
One of true crime’s bizarrest stories is told in “Wild Wild Country”, a six-part series covering Indian guru ‘Osho’, who creates a community in Oregon. The controversial leader, with help from his assistant—Ma Anand Sheela—set up a commune for his followers on a ranch, much to the dismay of locals in the area. Discord between Osho’s community and Oregon townsfolk manifested in an equally strange and antagonistic series of events. Osho’s followers engaged in bioterror and illegal wiretapping, prompting state and federal authorities to get involved. A national scandal erupted, making Osho an infamous name that reminds us of an often overlooked part of American history.
#9: “Amanda Knox” (2016)
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The story of Amanda Knox was fodder for sensationalist news outlets worldwide in 2007. A young woman, Meredith Kercher, was murdered in Perugia, Italy and her roommate, Knox, was subsequently convicted for the crime. After several years in Italian prison, Knox was acquitted and released, after evidence was found implicating someone else entirely in the crime. She appears in the documentary to assert her innocence and tell her side of the salacious story. The film was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.
#8: “Abducted in Plain Sight” (2017)
If you want to hear a story is that is just totally bonkers, you can’t miss “Abducted In Plain Sight”, which was made in 2017 but picked up by Netflix and aired in early 2019. The tale of what happened to the Broberg family in the 1970s is so unbelievable that it will leave you screaming at your TV with every new twist and turn. While there is a lot of disturbing content in this documentary, it’s not about a murder, so if you have a tough time with grisly details, this could be a good compromise.
#7: “Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes” (2022)
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Similar to “The Ted Bundy Tapes” and “The John Wayne Gacy Tapes”, this docuseries sheds light on the life and horrific crimes of a serial killer. Through sharing previously unreleased recordings of discussions between the infamous Jeffrey Dahmer and his legal representation, Netflix allows us some access to the man behind the murders. Aside from enduring hard-to-digest details of the killer’s man-hunting, viewers are also prompted to think about contentious ideas surrounding law enforcement and justice. Considering Dahmer’s complex mental issues and brutal murders, the series takes us on a gut-wrenching ride.
#6: “Dont F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer” (2019)
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We know Facebook is powerful, but it reached a new level when users Deanna Thompson and John Green created an online alliance to find a killer. After a video of a man killing kittens went viral, the manhunt began. Further videos surfaced, each more disturbing than the next, which saw the Facebook group expand. The team of investigators were ordinary people who wanted the criminal’s identity confirmed—something law enforcement had yet to do. Devastatingly, Thompson and Green’s concerns and pursuit proved valid when another killing was posted, except this time, the victim was a human. In the end, Luka Magnotta was confirmed as the killer and the mystery was solved, solidifying this story as one that is as compelling as it is disturbing.
#5: “Evil Genius” (2018)
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The story of the murder of pizza deliveryman Brian Douglas Wells with a neck-bomb has been called "one of the most complicated and bizarre crimes in the annals of the FBI", so it was perfectly suited to get the Netflix docu-series treatment. The case is indeed a strange and complex one, and in “Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist”, Trey Borzillieri interviews one of the people who was implicated in and incarcerated for the crime, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong. While there may not be a lot of legal conclusions in this case, the documentary adds an extra layer of context to what actually happened.
#4: “The Tinder Swindler” (2022)
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This true crime hit details the convoluted scheme of Simon Leviev, a conman who takes his manipulative tactics to Tinder. Projecting the persona of someone who leads a luxurious life as a diamond mogul, Leviev lures women into a trap, convincing them that he needs their money to stay safe from his ‘enemies’. Leviev would threaten the women he conned, ghost them when he felt it necessary, and swindled up to $10 million from individuals around the world. The documentary is a captivating must-see if you’re interested in witnessing one of the wildest Ponzi schemes ever carried out.
#3: “The Keepers” (2017)
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When it was released in 2017, people couldn’t stop talking about this docu-series. “The Keepers” tells the story of the murder of a nun in Baltimore, high school teacher Sister Cathy Cesnik, which has gone unsolved since it took place in 1969. This is about much more than a simple murder case, delving into issues with the Catholic church that have persisted for decades and a cover-up suspected by many. Writing for Vice, Pilot Viruet said, "It's harrowing and upsetting, and it will haunt you for a long time, which is part of what makes it necessary viewing."
#2: “The Staircase” (2018)
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In late 2001, writer Michael Peterson allegedly found his wife dead at the bottom of their staircase, but he was subsequently charged with her murder. This story is a riveting one that is full of twists and turns, including the fact that one of Peterson’s friends died in a similar way decades earlier. This is a documentary series that was gradually added to since it was first released as a French miniseries from director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade in 2004, with Netflix picking up Lestrade’s new content for the story over a decade later and airing the entire series run in 2018. Ok, now seriously, what do you think of the owl theory?
#1: “Making a Murderer” (2015-18)
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This Emmy Award-winning series from creators Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi became a streaming sensation when it was first released in 2015, telling the story of Wisconsin’s Steven Avery, a man who had been wrongfully imprisoned for a 1980s sexual assault and attempted murder, and was then convicted of a separate murder almost two decades later, along with his nephew and alleged accomplice Brendan Dassey. Your blood pressure could get very high as you watch this deep dive into a legal and moral quagmire. The follow up second season updated followers of the case on what had taken place since season one wrapped.
