The 7 Best True Crime Documentaries On Netflix Right Now
As one of the most popular streaming services the world over, Netflix has no shortage of exceptional movies and TV series stocking its digital catalog.
Along with the dozens of renowned shows and award-winning films that regularly make their way to the platform, Netflix specifically offers viewers a wide array of material exclusively found within their library, including original series like Stranger Things and Squid Game and Oscar-winning dramas like Roma and Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.
Nestled somewhere into this eclectic lineup of streaming programs, Netflix has also become known for their numerous true crime-inspired documentaries. A genre practically unto itself by this point, these documentaries have repeatedly caught the attention of mainstream viewers, shining a light on little-known historical cases, as well as recontextualizing well-known criminal investigations like the Night Stalker murders or the turbulent trial of the Mendenez Brothers.
Lover, Stalker, Killer
For fans of Netflix’s equally harrowing Baby Reindeer, Lover, Stalker, Killer presents a disturbing story that starts off with an innocent Tinder match and quickly turns into something far more sinister. Exploring the inherent dangers that come with chance meetings, toxic relationships, and unhealthy romantic attachments, Lover, Stalker, Killer is guaranteed to impart a newfound fear of dating platforms like Bumble or Hinge for most members of its audience, doing for dating apps what Jaws did for the open ocean.
Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer
From 1984 into 1985, the residents of California lived in fearful uncertainty as a mysterious serial killer broke into peoples’ houses and brutally murdered whoever he found inside. With Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, Netflix transposes viewers back to the neon-lit streets of ‘80s Los Angeles and San Francisco, offering up in-depth profiles of the lead investigators and various victims claimed by serial killer Richard Ramirez. A gut-wrenching miniseries worthy of a David Fincher film, Night Stalker will leave viewers hustling to lock their doors shortly after they’ve hit play on the series’ very first episode, as well as hurriedly switching their nightlight on once the sun’s sunken into the horizon.
Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer
If there’s one simple rule every member of society is expected to follow, it’s to always be kind to animals, whether talking about cats, dogs, or that annoying rooster who wakes everyone up at 7 am every morning. That being said, Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer traces the efforts of numerous Facebook users attempting to track down an animal abuser posting his videos online. As they get closer to unmasking this feline-hating monster, however, these amateur sleuths soon realize they might be on the trail of an actual murderer. Dark, disturbing, and punctuated by unexpected plot twists throughout, Don’t F**k with Cats is a breathtaking murder mystery of Coen brothers-esque proportions.
Homicide
For any fans of Law & Order looking for a factual alternative to Dick Wolf’s legendary TV series, Wolf has since channeled his interest for the U.S. legal system into his latest Netflix venture, Homicide. A fascinating anthology series where each episode tackles a new case, Homicide bears a strong similarity to Law & Order in terms of its thematic subjects and overall presentation, complete with extensive profiles of each case’s criminal defendants, their respective victims, and the lead investigators overseeing the case. Yet by examining actual cases in lieu of fictional stories, Homicide hits even harder than its long-running NBC counterpart, packing an emotionally wallop of a punch into each of its respective episodes.
The Menendez Brothers
The latter months of 2024 saw a sudden surge of renewed interest in the crimes and high-profile trial of Lyle and Erik Mendenez, the sibling duo who murdered their wealthy, allegedly abusive parents in the summer of 1989. An ideal companion piece to Ryan Murphy’s noteworthy anthology series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, The Menendez Brothers focuses on the foremost facts surrounding the case, as well as the compelling evidence supporting the Menendezes’ claims of the physical and emotional abuse they suffered at their parents’ hands. Relying on interviews with the brothers and various family members who weigh in on the murders, The Menendez Brothers does a remarkable job tackling one of the most talked-about court cases of the late 20th century, treating its respective subjects with candor and meticulous objectivity.
American Nightmare
Often described as the “real-life Gone Girl,” American Nightmare documents the story of a young woman who finds herself the unexpected victim of a random kidnapping. After investigators express skepticism at her boyfriends’ claims, the case becomes even further complicated when the victim suddenly reappears. Never sparing a moment to shy away from the hard, unforgiving details of its underlying story, American Nightmare analyzes just how difficult it can be for victims to acquire justice from a dispassionate law enforcement agency, resulting in only further anguish for those struggling to move on from their frightful past experiences.
Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal
Every once in a while, a Netflix documentary garners viral popularity among larger audiences, leading it to become one of the hottest series at the time of its release. Following in the footsteps of similarly successful docuseries like Tiger King, Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal allows audiences a nuanced glimpse into a murder mystery almost too hard to believe. As is so often the case with real life, Murdaugh Murders proves that fact is often stranger than fiction, zeroing in on a shocking criminal conspiracy involving years of greed, corruption, systematic cover-ups, and – inevitably – murder in the heart of its unassuming South Carolina settings.
