Best True Crime Documentaries To Watch On Netflix - Netflix Tudum

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    What To Watch

    15 Gripping True Crime Documentaries to Stream

    From the award-winning five-part series on O.J. Simpson to the story of the infamous Murdaugh trial.
    By Phillipe Thao
    April 18, 2024

Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. It’s why many true crime viewers are so drawn to the genre: It helps us better understand the world around us — as well as the parts that have been hidden in our blind spots. While true crime documentaries can send chills down your spine, they also reveal the unjust systems at play, spotlight the psychological extremes that humans are capable of, and, when done respectfully, give the victims and survivors the opportunity to speak for themselves. 

As the genre grows, so does the selection of cases to choose from. Need a clue on where to start? Here are 15 true crime documentaries to stream.

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30 for 30: O.J.: Made in America

In many ways, the saga of O.J. Simpson was the defining cultural tale of life in modern America. Fitting, then, that O.J.: Made in America digs into every facet of the story — and redefines everything you thought you knew in the process. Spotlighting the history of race relations in Los Angeles, the five-part series from ESPN and director Ezra Edelman examines Simpson’s life, career, and 1995 trial for the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson. The doc series draws upon more than 70 interviews, from longtime friends of Simpson’s to the recognizable names and characters involved in the trial, discussing the domestic abuse, police investigation, andmedia circus — and what they revealed about America, then and now. O.J.: Made in America received critical acclaim for its comprehensive exploration of the case and its broader implications, and the 2017 series has reentered the conversation with the news of Simpson’s death in 2024.

30 for 30: O.J.: Made in America

2016   TV-MA

Amanda Knox

While on a foreign exchange trip in Perugia, Italy, Amanda Knox, an American college student, was accused of brutally murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher. Knox became a media sensation and served almost four years in an Italian prison before Italy’s highest court exonerated her in 2015. This illuminating documentary finally gives Knox a chance to speak on her own terms. 

Amanda Knox

2016   TV-MA   1h 32m

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American Nightmare

Dubbed the “real-life Gone Girl,” the three-part series from The Tinder Swindler filmmakers Felicity Morris and Bernadette Higgins takes viewers on a journey through one couple’s harrowing experience with a home invader. On March 23, 2015, Denise Huskins and her boyfriend, Aaron Quinn, were awakened in the middle of the night by a stranger. Quinn called the police and explained what happened, saying the intruder had tied them up, drugged them, and taken Huskins for ransom. But no one — not even investigators and police — believed them. 

American Nightmare

2024   TV-MA   3 Episodes

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Athlete A

This 2020 documentary follows the survivors of USA Gymnastics (USAG) doctor Larry Nassar’s abuse, as well as the team of investigative journalists from The Indianapolis Star who initially broke the story. Many gymnasts in the USAG were experiencing horrific acts behind closed doors. Through interviews with survivors and the journalists who brought the story to the world’s stage, Athlete A details how the USAG covered up Nassar’s abuse for years.

Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.

Sarma Melngailis was once regarded as the vegan queen of NYC. As the restaurateur behind Manhattan’s Pure Food and Wine, Melngailis’ restaurant served as a hot spot for vegans and celebrities alike. After meeting a mysterious man on the internet who promises to help grow her empire, Melngailis finds her life — and restaurant — veering off the rails.

Casting JonBenet

In 1996, 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey was killed in a bizarre and widely covered case that spawned hundreds of conspiracy theories, thousands of tabloid covers, and no real answers. Casting JonBenet uses a mix of documentary and dramatic reenactments to not only retell the crime but also describe its impact on our collective psyche. In this real-life casting call, actors audition for the roles of the crime’s key players, while also sharing their own theories of what happened to the young pageant star. 

Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer

When Mark Zuckerberg invented Facebook, he probably never intended for his social network site to help solve a murder. After a disturbing online video involving abusing cats enraged online viewers, Facebook avengers attempted to track down the man in the video. To their surprise, they discovered that this person wasn’t just an animal torturer but also a sadistic killer. 

Girl in the Picture

A young woman is found dying on the side of a road from a hit-and-run, but investigators soon learn that it wasn’t a simple accident. After her death, she left behind an infant son and a much older husband — who mysteriously appeared in a photo with the victim as a child that, years later, was passed along to investigative journalist Matt Birkbeck. As he dug in, it became clear that the woman wasn’t who she said she was — and neither was her “husband.” It took more than 20 years to disentangle the web of lies to reveal the true, grim story of her real identity.

Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey

Warren Jeffs saw himself as the spiritual leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), an extremist offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. In reality, he created a system of abuse and coercion, forcing members of his congregation — often underage — into marriage, blind obedience, and isolation. In this docuseries, former FLDS members and survivors come forward to share their stories. Using never-before-seen VCR footage from within the FLDS community, this series provides the well-known story with a deeply human and relatable face — told through current interviews with his wives and congregation. 

Lover, Stalker, Killer

As the title suggests, Lover, Stalker, Killer is a story of a romance gone wrong. In 2012, Dave Kroupa created an online dating profile after just coming out of a long-term relationship. It’s there that he meets a single mom named Liz Golyar. Soon after, he encounters another single mother, Cari Farver, while repairing her car at his auto shop. It’s an instant connection for Kroupa and Farver, but what would unfold is a twisted love triangle that leads to harassment, digital deception, and murder. 

Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal

A tight-knit South Carolina community is ripped apart by a series of deadly crimes that all seem to involve one family: the Murdaughs. The two seasons of Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal delve into how a prominent family used and abused their wealth and privilege to the extreme.

Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer

Yeah, you’ll want to lock your doors and windows for this one. Beneath the glitz and glamor of 1985 LA lurked a prolific serial killer. Richard Ramirez hunted, tortured, and murdered his victims in terrifying ways while evading capture for one long year. Night Stalker focuses on Ramirez’s victims and the investigators behind the manhunt.

The Keepers

Who killed Sister Cathy? In 1969, the 26-year-old nun from suburban Baltimore was murdered. Her sudden death stunned the town, especially her students at Archbishop Keough High School. As investigators dug into this mystery, they learned that her death may not have been the only injustice. Was Sister Catherine Cesnik murdered to cover up sexual abuse by a school priest?

The Staircase

In 2001, novelist Michael Peterson found his wife, Kathleen Peterson, dead at the bottom of a staircase in their home. Although it was reported as an accidental death, investigators believed Peterson bludgeoned his wife and staged the murder. The Staircase documents the case against Peterson and poses the question: Did he do it?

The Tinder Swindler

Simon Leviev (legal name: Shimon Hayut) lived a life of luxury, donning designer clothing and flying in private jets. To some women, he was an absolute catch. Little did they know that Leviev’s opulent lifestyle was funded by defrauding women through Tinder. 

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