True Crime Docs
My favorite true crime documentaries
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- DirectorDavid FeigeAfter discovering his daughter has been sexually abused, the most powerful lobbyist in Florida pushes the toughest sex offender laws in the county, with surprising and troublesome consequences.
- StarsBeth TedrowLarry WelchKevin BascueThe 1959 slaying of the Clutter family in Kansas serves as the catalyst for Truman Capote's groundbreaking work "In Cold Blood," a pioneering true crime book that explores the chilling crime and its aftermath.
- StarsElizabeth VargasTeddy HoseStephen KentA look inside the mysterious world of organized cults.
- StarsLorena BobbittJohn Wayne BobbittKim GandyFrom Executive Producer Jordan Peele, this four-part docuseries re-investigates the events of 1993, where Lorena Bobbitt sliced off her husband's penis after years of abuse.
- StarsElizabeth KendallMolly KendallSteve WinnAfter nearly 40 years of silence, Elizabeth Kendall Ted Bundy's former girlfriend and her daughter Molly share their experiences with unsettling new details about the notorious serial killer.
- StarsJoel MossKevin FaganDavid KaczynskiThe beginning of the Unabomber's campaign of terror from 1978 to 1985; a look into his childhood to discover what might have turned the young mathematical genius with few friends, Ted Kaczynski, into a sociopathic terrorist.
- StarsWilliam GuirolaWyatt HinzAlfredo TavaresFilmmaker Brian Knappenberger investigates the tragic death of an 8-year-old California boy who endured horrific abuse by his mother and her boyfriend, along with the fractured and complex systems that failed to protect him.
- StarsChris GrahamDoug MathewsAmy MurrayA detailed account of the McDonald's Monopoly game scam during the 1990s as told by the participants in the case, including the prizewinners and the FBI agents involved.
- DirectorJeremiah ZagarStarsJoaquin PhoenixNicole KidmanHelen HuntA small-town murder in New England became one of the highest-profile cases of the twentieth century. As the first fully televised court case, the Pamela Smart trial rattled the consciousness of America. From gavel to gavel, a nation tuned in, and reality TV was born. Pulsating with sex, drugs, betrayal, and murder, the trial inspired 20 years of television shows, books, plays, and movies, including To Die For, starring Nicole Kidman and directed by Gus Van Sant.
- DirectorNick BroomfieldStarsAileen WuornosNick BroomfieldArlene Pralle1992, Florida, USA. Aileen Wuornos is claimed to be the world's first female serial killer.
- StarsVernon GosneyLeslie Wagner-WilsonTim CarterDocuseries looking back on the Jonestown Massacre on the 40th anniversary.
- DirectorStanley NelsonStarsRebecca MooreJanet ShularTim CarterFeaturing never-before-seen footage, this documentary delivers a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he orchestrated a mass suicide via tainted punch.
- DirectorLiz GarbusStarsOral HillaryBrian PhillipsTyler RodriguesThe documentary examines and chronicles the years following the 2011 murder of 12-year-old Garrett Phillips and the subsequent trial of Clarkson University soccer coach Oral "Nick" Hillary.
- StarsConrad Roy Jr.Lynn RoyJesse BarronTeen Michelle Carter's actions shocked a nation - but what really happened behind closed doors? This HBO special showcases the prosecution's point of view and alternately the defense's. Which side do you fall on?
- StarsAndrea KellyTarana BurkeTouréA six-part series about the controversial R&B star R. Kelly which features several women making allegations of abuse by him.
- DirectorEd PerkinsStarsAndrew CaleyAlex LewisMarcus LewisAfter losing his memory in an accident, Alex Lewis trusts his twin brother, Marcus, to tell him about his past only to discover that he's hiding a dark secret about their childhood.
- 20184 epsTV-MA7.5 (31K)TV Mini SeriesStarsTrey BorzillieriJerry ClarkJason WickThe extraordinary story of the "pizza bomber heist" and the FBI's investigation into a bizarre collection of suspects.
- StarsDeanna ThompsonJohn GreenClaudette HamlinA group of online justice seekers track down a guy who posted a video of himself killing kittens.
- StarsBob PrinceNan CubaHugh AynesworthHenry Lee Lucas was known as America's most prolific serial killer, admitting to hundreds of murders, but, as DNA results contradict his confessions, will they expose the biggest criminal justice hoax in U.S. history?
- StarsKevin ArmstrongDan WetzelStephen ZiogasA three-part documentary series examining what led to the murderous fall and shocking death of former NFL superstar Aaron Hernandez.
- StarsDan SchneiderAnnie SchneiderJack StephensDan Schneider, a small-town pharmacist in Louisiana, makes effort to identify his son's killer, which leads to his gathering of evidence against a prolific "pill mill" doctor in New Orleans.
- DirectorMary MazzioStarsErik BauerJohn MontgomeryRob PortmanThis intense documentary follows real cases of American girls enslaved in the child sex trade through ads in a newspaper's online classified section.
- DirectorNeena NejadXoel PamosStarsJill AbplanalpBasheer AhmedTanya EisererThe Price of Honor is a documentary about the murders of Sarah and Amina Said, two teenage sisters from Texas who were killed in a premeditated Honor Killing planned and executed by their father Yaser Said back in 2008.
- DirectorMarta CunninghamStarsJames BingJeremy BingRosalie BlackOn February 12, 2008 in Oxnard, California, eighth-grade student Brandon McInerney shot his classmate Larry King twice in the back of the head during first period. When Larry died two days later, his murder shocked the nation. Was this a hate crime, one perpetrated by a budding neo-Nazi whose masculinity was threatened by an effeminate gay kid who might have had a crush on him? Or was there even more to it? Looking beyond all the copious news coverage of this tragic event, 'Valentine Road' tells the story of two victims: the murdered and the murderer. With keen insight, the film connects the human wreckage of Larry's and Brandon's troubled lives--both physically abused, both from broken homes, and both searching for a sense of belonging.
- DirectorAmir Bar-LevStarsJoe PaternoJay PaternoAndrew ShubinA documentary that observes the year after Pennsylvania State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky's arrest on child sex abuse charges.
- StarsAnthony SummersMaria João VazGonçalo AmaralThe Disappearance of Madeleine McCann takes a detailed look at the disappearance of three-year-old Madeleine McCann, who vanished from the seaside resort of Praia de Luz in Portugal, while on holiday with her family.
- CreatorKelly LoudenbergStarsMartin GrimeArthur YoungDavid RossiThis true crime series shows how innocent people have been convicted with dubious forensic techniques and tools such as touch DNA and cadaver dogs.
- DirectorDan ReedStarsMichael JacksonWade RobsonJoy RobsonAt the height of his stardom, the world's biggest pop star, Michael Jackson, began long-running relationships with two young boys, aged between seven and ten, along their families. They now allege that he sexually abused them.
- DirectorJamila WignotStarsMichael MurphyAnnelise OrleckRichard A. GreenwaldThe 1911 fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York's Greenwich Village resulted in legislation ensuring the most comprehensive workplace safety laws in the U.S.
- DirectorKen BurnsSarah BurnsDavid McMahonStarsAntron McCrayKevin RichardsonKharey WiseA documentary that examines the 1989 case of five black and Latino teenagers who were convicted of raping a white woman in Central Park. After having spent between 6 and 13 years each in prison, a serial rapist confessed to the crime.
- DirectorUga CarliniStarsChristia VisserAlison BothaDe Klerk OelofseRaped. Disemboweled. Nearly decapitated. Dumped on the outskirts of a nature reserve, dead - or so they thought. She needed a hero that night, so that's what she became. This is Alison's tale. A tale of monsters, miracles and hope.
- DirectorIris K. ShimStarsBob J. BerlinMyung HanCarol HoganA chilling exploration of the tragic history of the Suh family and the murder that shocked America - when the picture perfect son, Andrew, shot and killed his sister's fiancé at her bidding.
- StarsMaggie HuculakVicki GabereauTamara HamiltonAward-winning investigation into the crimes of Robert Pickton. This documentary explores why it took so many years to capture and convict Canada's most prolific serial killer. Troubling revelations about who knew what, and when.
- DirectorYotam GuendelmanAri PinesA documentary that examines the mysterious murder case of Tair Rada, an Israeli high school girl that was found dead in the school toilets during an ordinary day.
- DirectorLouise OsmondJerry RothwellStarsTilda SwintonDonald CrowhurstTed HyndsA documentary about the disastrous 1968 round-the-world yacht race.
- DirectorLaura PaglinStarsVanessa GayLatundra BillupsShawn MorrisIn 2009, police discovered the bodies of eleven women decomposing in and around the home of a known sex offender. With access to the surviving victims, Unseen looks into how the murders of those women went unnoticed for so long.
- DirectorJacob LaMendolaStarsTasha BoggsJuan CatalanMelissa CatalanWhen Juan Catalan is arrested for a murder he didn't commit, he builds his case around raw footage from the popular TV show, Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000).
- DirectorTim WardleStarsRobert ShafranMichael DomnitzHoward SchneiderIn 1980 New York, three young men who were all adopted meet each other and find out they're triplets who were separated at birth. But their quest to find out why turns into a bizarre and sinister mystery.
- DirectorChris SmithStarsBilly McFarlandJason BellGabrielle BluestoneAn exclusive behind the scenes look at the infamous unraveling of the Fyre music festival.
- DirectorBarak GoodmanStarsJanet BeckAlan BergJim BottingDocuments the beliefs and experiences of Timothy McVeigh in the lead-up to his bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, which claimed 168 lives.
- DirectorNick BroomfieldJoan ChurchillStarsAileen WuornosNick BroomfieldTerry Humphreys-SlayNick Broomfield's second documentary about serial killer Aileen Wuornos, focusing on her mental state on death row.
- DirectorDavid PriorStarsPierre BidouRussell T. ButterbachLes LundbladRetrospective documentary covering aspects of the Zodiac investigation, including interviews with the original investigators and surviving victims.
- DirectorNick BroomfieldBarney BroomfieldMarc HoeferlinStarsNick BroomfieldLonnie David Franklin Jr.DonnaNick Broomfield digs into the case of the notorious serial killer known as the Grim Sleeper, who terrorized South Central Los Angeles over a span of twenty-five years.
- DirectorMarcus VetterKarin SteinbergerStarsImogen PootsDaniel BrühlJens SöringThe gruesome murders of Nancy and Derek Haysom in 1985 were an international media sensation. The Haysoms were wealthy, respected members of Virginia society, and the murder conviction of their daughter Elizabeth and her German boyfriend Jens Soering sent shock waves through the rural community of Bedford County. Elizabeth and Jens had met in a university program for high achieving students. She was a product of European boarding schools, he was the son of a diplomat. After being arrested in London, England, for passing bad checks in 1986, they were both extradited to the United States and have now spent over 30 years behind bars. This beautifully crafted film reveals a mismanaged, or perhaps completely corrupted, judicial process. This was the first criminal trial held in front of TV cameras - the first high-profile, international case tried in a small town. Investigations over the past 3 years have turned up stunning evidence that was previously suppressed or deemed inadmissible. New forensic techniques have disproven evidence that was key to Soering's original conviction. Denied parole 12 times, his next hearing in 2017 may have a different outcome, at the same time the film is in release. Unidentified fingerprints, photographic evidence that points to sexual abuse, the presiding judge's friendship with the victims, a missing FBI profile, a bloody car with a knife under the seat - all point to a very different story, one that is revealed in the film.
- DirectorJames D. SolomonJessica RobinsonStarsWilliam GenoveseKitty GenoveseCharles SkollerThe brother of Kitty Genovese investigates the circumstances of her murder and the truth of the story that dozens of locals witnessed the crime and did nothing to intervene.
- DirectorJohn SmithsonStarsHelen MirrenSylvia PadillaDebbie PadillaA family describes their time within a religious cult, one that perpetuated pedophilia, sexual abuse, and prostitution.
- DirectorNoah ThomsonStarsDavid BergRicky RodriguezJoey ThomsonA first-person account of growing up in an evangelical Christian cult.
- DirectorDeborah S. EsquenaziA documentary that follows the struggle for exoneration of four Latina lesbians who were wrongfully convicted of gang rape against two young girls.
- DirectorAmy BergStarsEvan HenziMichael Egan IIIMark RyanAn investigation into accusations of teenagers being sexually abused within the film industry.
- DirectorDavid Altrogge3801 Lancaster: American Tragedy tells the riveting story of a doctor who made millions preying on the poor and vulnerable of Philadelphia. Told through the eyes of police officers, detectives, reporters, jurors, and victims, the film chronicles a systemic miscarriage of justice that ravaged West Philadelphia for decades.
- DirectorAmy BergStarsOliver O'GradyThomas DoyleAdamDocumentary about Father Oliver O'Grady, a Catholic priest who was relocated to various parishes around the United States during the 1970s in an attempt by the Catholic Church to cover up his rape of dozens of children.
- DirectorSkye BorgmanStarsJan BrobergBob BrobergMary Ann BrobergThe twisting, turning, stranger-than-fiction true story of the Brobergs, a naive, church-going Idaho family that fell under the spell of a sociopathic neighbor with designs on their twelve-year-old daughter.
- CreatorJoe BerlingerStarsStephen MichaudBob KeppelKathleen McChesneyA look inside the mind of serial killer Ted Bundy, featuring interviews with him on death row.
- StarsMichael PetersonDavid RudolfRon GueretteThe high-profile murder trial of American novelist Michael Peterson following the death of his wife Kathleen Peterson in 2001.
- DirectorBarak GoodmanJohn MaggioStarsCampbell ScottLee WilkofClint JordanThis program tells the gripping tale of medical intervention gone awry.
- DirectorRob RapleyStarsIva BaumanovaChris BowersDaniel BrownIn the early 1900's, the average medicine cabinet was a would-be poisoner's treasure chest.
- DirectorCathleen O'ConnellStarsOliver PlattSimon BaatzHal HigdonThe trial of wealthy college students Leopold and Loeb, who murder a 14-year-old boy in 1924, sets off a national firestorm about morality and capital punishment.
- DirectorMyles KaneJosh KouryStarsGay TaleseGerald FoosNan TaleseJournalism icon Gay Talese reports on Gerald Foos, the owner of a Colorado motel, who allegedly secretly watched his guests with the aid of specially designed ceiling vents, peering down from an "observation platform" he built in the motel's attic.
- DirectorDavid FarrierDylan ReeveStarsDavid FarrierDylan ReeveDavid StarrJournalist David Farrier stumbles upon a mysterious tickling competition online. As he delves deeper he comes up against fierce resistance, but that doesn't stop him getting to the bottom of a story stranger than fiction.
- DirectorErrol MorrisStarsRandall AdamsDavid HarrisGus RoseA film that successfully argued that a man was wrongly convicted for murder by a corrupt justice system in Dallas County, Texas.
- DirectorTiller RussellStarsMike DowdKen EurellWalter YurkiwMeet the dirtiest cop in NYC history. Michael Dowd stole money and dealt drugs while patrolling the streets of 80s Brooklyn.
- DirectorKeith MaitlandStarsMonty MuirViolett BeaneCole Bee WilsonAnimation, testimony, and archival footage combine to relate the events of August 1, 1966 when a gunman opened fire from the University of Texas clock tower, killing 16 people.
- StarsRobert DurstCharles BagliAndrew JareckiFilmmaker Andrew Jarecki examines the complicated life of reclusive real estate icon Robert Durst, the key suspect in a series of unsolved crimes.
- DirectorJames Ronald WhitneyStarsJames Ronald WhitneyMelvin JustDenise BensonAn in-depth look at the director James Ronald Whitney's family history of incest spanning at least three generations and the devastating consequences that include drug abuse and alcoholism.
- DirectorErin Lee CarrStarsJim ArnottDavid BlanchardDee Dee BlanchardIn this documentary, the murder of Deedee Blanchard by her daughter Gypsy Rose is explored, as well as the circumstances leading up to the event.
- DirectorRod BlackhurstBrian McGinnStarsAmanda KnoxMeredith KercherRaffaele SollecitoAmerican exchange student Amanda Knox is charged with the 2007 death of another student in Italy.
- StarsGemma HoskinsAbbie SchaubVirginia AnzengruberA seven-part docuseries about the unsolved murder of a nun and the horrific secrets and pain that linger nearly five decades after her death.
- DirectorGabriela CowperthwaiteStarsTilikumDave DuffusSamantha BergA documentary following the controversial captivity of killer whales, and its dangers for both humans and whales.
- DirectorWill AllenStarsWill AllenDimitrius PulidoPhillipe CoquetAn inside look at Buddhafield, a West Hollywood cult formed by a charismatic teacher in the 1980s that eventually imploded.
- DirectorJoe BerlingerBruce SinofskyStarsTony BrooksDiana DavisTerry WoodA horrific triple child murder leads to an indictment and trial of three nonconformist boys based on questionable evidence.
- DirectorKurt KuenneStarsKurt KuenneAndrew BagbyDavid BagbyA filmmaker decides to memorialize a murdered friend when his friend's ex-girlfriend announces she is expecting his son.
- DirectorBart LaytonStarsAdam O'BrianNicholas BarclayCarey GibsonA documentary centered on a young man in Spain who claims to a grieving Texas family that he is their 16-year-old son who has been missing for 3 years.
- DirectorEzra EdelmanStarsKareem Abdul-JabbarMike AlbaneseMuhammad AliA chronicle of the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, revealing a fractured and divided nation.
- DirectorKate DavisDavid HeilbronerStarsJennifer PetitHayley PetitWilliam Petit Jr.A documentary about a brutal home invasion in Cheshire, Connecticut in 2007.
- DirectorCallie T. WiserLook back at what happened in New York City the night the lights went out in summer 1977, plunging seven million people into darkness.
- DirectorStanley NelsonFrom PBS and American Experience - This inspirational documentary is about a band of courageous civil-rights activists calling themselves the Freedom Riders.
- DirectorLiz GarbusStarsJesse TempleBrad KatinasDiane SchulerThis documentary explores the depth behind the case of a woman whose vehicle collision killed numerous people, including herself. Was she really the reckless drunk, or the perfect suburban mother?
- DirectorArthur GinsbergStarsJoel CraigerKen MagidBeth ThomasSix-year-old Beth talks to a therapist about the horrific abuse she has suffered as well as the abuse she inflicts upon small animals and her own brother. This film documents her subsequent healing and recovery.
- DirectorAndrew JareckiStarsArnold FriedmanJesse FriedmanDavid FriedmanDocumentary on the Friedmans, a seemingly typical, upper-middle-class Jewish family whose world is instantly transformed when the father and his youngest son are arrested and charged with shocking and horrible crimes.
- DirectorDavid SingtonStarsHerbert A. FuchsSammy SilverwatchNick YarrisA convicted murderer who has spent 23 years on Death Row tells his story.
- StarsWilliam SalyersJayne TainiPage LeongWhen their 4-year-old son is murdered, a young couple fights a twisting and arduous battle trying to identify a frustratingly elusive killer.
- DirectorBonni CohenJon ShenkStarsRobin BourlandDaisy ColemanCharles ColemanA look at the effects that online bullying has on the lives of teenagers and their community.
- DirectorJon GreenhalghStarsJohn du PontDave SchultzMike GostigianDocumentary filmmaker Jon Greenhalgh examines the life of Dave Schultz, a professional wrestler who was part of 'Team Foxcatcher', funded by multi-millionaire John du Pont.
- DirectorAndrew JenksStarsKevin CraneChuck EricksonBill FergusonIn 2005, 20-year-old Ryan Ferguson was convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, causing his father, Bill, to embark on a 10-year campaign to prove Ryan's innocence.
- DirectorTiller RussellStarsLudwig FainbergJuan AlmeidaNelson YesterIn the early 1990s, three friends set out to hustle the Russian mob, the Cali cartel and the DEA for the score of a lifetime.
- DirectorDaniel GellerDayna GoldfineStarsCate BlanchettSebastian KochThomas KretschmannAbout a series of unsolved disappearances on the Galapagos Island of Floreana in the 1930s.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsPaul HaggisJason BegheSpanky TaylorA documentary looking at the inner-workings of the Church of Scientology.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsAlex GibneyElizabeth HolmesDan ArielyThe story of Theranos, a multi-billion dollar tech company, its founder Elizabeth Holmes, the youngest self-made female billionaire, and the massive fraud that collapsed the company.
- DirectorDavid Notman-WattStarsDaisy BeaumontJosef FritzlElisabeth FritzlInterviews with family members, doctors and victims of 73-year-old Josef Fritzl, who held his daughter captive in a basement for 24 years and fathered seven children with her.
- DirectorKelly DuaneStarsSam CookeQuincy JonesSmokey RobinsonAn investigation into the circumstances and controversy surrounding Sam Cooke's murder.
- DirectorDaniel LindsayT.J. MartinStarsHenry AlfaroDanny BakewellJohn D. BarnettTwenty-five years after the verdict in the Rodney King trial sparked several days of protests, violence and looting in Los Angeles, filmmakers examine that tumultuous period through rarely seen archival footage.
- StarsTed RowlandsGloria GomezNancy GraceNearing the 15th anniversary of Laci Peterson's disappearance, A&E Networks takes a fresh look at the case. A definitive factual account by those who lived and breathed it every day.
- StarsMary WelcomeMonica Kaufman PearsonJim ProcopioA never-before-seen look at the killings of at least 30 African-American children and young adults that occurred over a two-year period in the Georgia capital.
- StarsStephanie BauerJosh SkurnikChuck CoxSusan Powell was just 28 years old when she vanished from her suburban home in West Valley City, Utah in 2009.
- StarsPeter SarsgaardMolly ParkerChristian CamargoIn 1953, Army scientist Frank Olson takes a fatal plunge from a hotel window. In 1975, a bombshell report ties his death to a top-secret experiment.
- StarsYolande KorkieCamilla CarrRonaldo MonteiroDocumentary series that depicts hostage negotiations, the stories are told by the victims themselves.
- StarsQuinn DaltonRazor RizzottiJordan LawsonDocumentary series examining drug cartels and kingpins from around the world.
- DirectorFrederick WisemanDocumentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman takes us inside the Massachusetts Correctional Institution Bridgewater where people stay trapped in their madness.
- StarsYesse RodriguezCaleb J. SpivakBeth KarasInvestigators are puzzled by the brutality of Travis Alexander's murder. Explicit audio and video recordings reveal the scandalous details that sparked public outrage and turned Jodi Arias into the most hated woman in America.
- StarsDiane DimondJeff AshtonCindy AnthonyIt meets with the family at the center of it all, the Anthonys, to hear their first-hand account of the tragic details surrounding the death of their granddaughter Caylee. We'll reveal the details surrounding the troubled investigation and explore new revelations in the case that outraged the nation.