Halloween is almost here and what better way to get into the spooky spirit than binging true crime documentaries?!? We’ve compiled a list of the best true crime documentaries and docuseries to watch on streaming platforms leading up to the eerie holiday!
True Crime Documentaries: Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer
Netflix’s The Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer is a 4-part docuseries that follows the investigation of the serial killer known as the Night Stalker who ran rampant in 1985 Los Angeles. The series reveals how 2 LA detectives caught the serial killer and brought justice for his crimes.
Check out the trailer:
Watch The Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer on Netflix.
True Crime Documentaries: Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel
Directed by Joe Berlinger, Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel gives an inside look at the mysterious death of a tourist that took place inside Los Angeles’ infamous Cecil Hotel. The 4-part series includes interviews with journalists, detectives, and forensic psychologists as it explores the macabre event that took place at the hotel.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel on Netflix.
True Crime Documentaries: American Murder: The Family Next Door
American Murder: The Family Next Door is a documentary that breaks down the disappearance of Shanann Watts and her 2 daughters. The doc gives an inside look at the family’s life with the use of Shanann’s Facebook videos, as well as text messages and other footage that help give a timeline of the case.
Check out the trailer:
Watch American Murder: The Family Next Door on Netflix.
True Crime Documentaries: Mommy Dead and Dearest
Mommy Dead and Dearest tells the tale of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and the murder case that brought her infamy. Directed by Erin Lee Carr, the documentary gives an inside look at Gypsy Rose’s upbringing and her grisly crime through home videos, interviews, text messages, and medical records.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Mommy Dead and Dearest on HBO Max.
True Crime Documentaries: Abducted in Plain Sight
Directed by Skye Borgman, Abducted in Plain Sight is the story of how Jan Broberg Felt was kidnapped and manipulated by her adult neighbor and family friend when she was a child. The riveting film won a number of Best Documentary awards at festivals like the Newport Beach Film Festival and the Phoenix Film Festival.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Abducted in Plain Sight on Netflix.
True Crime Documentaries: The Ripper
The Ripper gives a detailed look at the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper who killed and attacked a number of victims throughout England from 1975-1980. The 4-part docuseries describes the resemblance that the Yorkshire Ripper’s actions had to 19th-century serial killer Jack the Ripper and goes deep with its investigation through interviews with detectives, journalists, and survivors.
Check out the trailer:
Watch The Ripper on Netflix.
True Crime Documentaries: Autopsy
Autopsy is a 7-episode docuseries that features forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, who tells the stories behind unnatural and suspicious deaths. The series originally aired on HBO and was directed by Arthur Ginsberg and produced by Gaby Monet.
Watch Autopsy on HBO Max.
True Crime Documentaries: Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer
Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer is a unique documentary featuring an online community that helped identify a murderer whose first victims were kittens. Interviews and archival footage are used to tell the captivating story that helped Don‘t F**k with Cats earn a spot in Netflix’s Top 5 Most-Watched Documentaries of 2019. The 3-part series also won awards such as a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer on Netflix.
True Crime Documentaries: Vengeance: Killer Coworkers
Vengeance: Killer Coworkers is a TV series that shows us the true stories of murder victims who met their attackers in the workplace. Each episode looks at a different murder case, taking viewers through the investigation and arrest of the killer coworker.
Watch Vengeance: Killer Coworkers on HBO Max.
True Crime Documentaries: Making a Murderer
In the Emmy-winning docuseries Making a Murderer, 2 men are convicted of a murder they may not have committed. The docuseries covers the deaths of Penny Bernstein and Teresa Halbach, as well as the lives of the convicted killers in its 2 seasons.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Making a Murderer on Netflix.
True Crime Documentaries: Sophie: A Murder in West Cork
Sophie: A Murder in West Cork depicts the death of French TV producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier who was killed outside of her holiday home in Cork, Ireland. Directed by John Dower, the docuseries chronicles the decades-long investigation of Sophie’s death and the search for her killer.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Sophie: A Murder in West Cork on Netflix.
True Crime Documentaries: Crimes of the Century
Crimes of the Century is a CNN miniseries that gives viewers a look at notorious crimes that have been heavily covered by news outlets. Each of the 8 episodes focus on different crimes such as the murder of John Lennon and the Amanda Knox trial.
Watch Crimes of the Century on HBO Max.
True Crime Documentaries: Beware the Slenderman
Beware the Slenderman is an HBO original documentary directed by Irene Taylor Brodsky. The film follows the gruesome case of how an internet myth known as “Slender Man” led 2 pre-teen girls to try to murder their friend.
Check out the trailer:
Watch Beware the Slenderman on HBO Max.
We hope that watching these true crime documentaries help you have a HollyGOOD Halloween season! Looking for a spooky film to get you in the holiday spirit? Check out our Scary and Not Scary Halloween Movie Guides!
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