The 6 Greatest Netflix True Crime Documentary Shows of All Time

Far from the days of a DVD-by-mail service offering subscribers the hottest TV shows and movies, Netflix is now making a name for itself with original programming spanning numerous dramas, including true crime.

In recent years, the streamer has helped lead the surge in the genre’s popularity with original documentary series covering some of the most highly-publicized, bizarre, and horrific cases across the globe, reexamining the cases, doing deep dives into the crimes, and providing a platform for victims and their families.

Here are the six best true crime docuseries Netflix has released (warning: all of these deal with upsetting content that can be difficult to watch).

6. Making a Murderer

Although aspects of this docuseries have become controversial in the decade since its release, there’s no denying that Making a Murderer put Netflix on the true crime map.

Released in December 2015 during the earliest years of Netflix’s push into original programming, with a follow-up arriving in October 2018, Making a Murderer sheds light on l injustices and flaws within the criminal justice system. The series centers around Steven Avery, who, shortly after being exonerated after spending nearly 20 years in prison, is convicted of the murder of Teresa Halbach.

From filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, the docuseries became an overnight sensation and is often credited with contributing to the recent surge in true crime’s popularity.

5. Unsolved Mysteries

True crime is an entertainment genre may be controversial, and in some instances even verge on being exploitative, but Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries highlights the more positive aspects of the genre: bringing attention to lesser known and unsolved cases, and, in some cases, bringing closure to victims’ families.

A revival of the long-running show that aired from 1987 until 2010, and created by the original creators, John Cosgrove and Terry Dunn Meurer, Unsolved Mysteries highlights cases of the supernatural, disappearances, murders, and more that haven’t yet been solved. Since the series relaunched on Netflix in 2018, the show has been credited with helping solve at least one of the cases featured on the show. The series’ original run, meanwhile, helped solve over 260 cases.

4. The Staircase

From producer Matthieu Belghiti and producer and director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, The Staircase chronicles the more than decade-long saga of Michael Peterson, a crime author convicted of murder in the death of his second wife, Kathleen Peterson, who was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in their home in Durham, North Carolina in December 2001.

The case left police, and those who knew the Petersons, questioning whether Kathleen’s death was a murder or truly an accident, with the tragic 13-episode true crime miniseries documenting the 16-year judicial battle that followed.

3. American Murder Series

Technically a series of individual multi-part shows, Netflix’s American Murder series examines different high-profile cases that captured the nation’s attention. Each series features archival footage, including interrogation footage, social media posts, law enforcement recordings, and never-before-seen home videos, as well as interviews with those directly involved with the cases, including law enforcement officials and the victims’ loved ones.

The series launched in 2020 with American Murder: The Family Next Door, which focused the heart-wrenching story of the 2018 murders of Shanann Watts and her two daughters. Two additional installments – one examining the 2002 Laci Peterson case and another about the disappearance and murder of Gabby Petito – have since been released.

2. Tiger King

Arriving on Netflix amid the backdrop of pandemic lockdowns, and offering everything needed to become an instant hit (an over-the-top cast of character, bizarre plot twists, lingering mysteries), Tiger King quickly rose to become a global sensation.

The eight-episode series, which later spawned the spinoff Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story, centers on the rivalry between Joseph Maldonado-Passage, better known to the world as Joe Exotic, and Carole Baskin, the owner of Big Cat Rescue who tried to shut down his private Oklahoma zoo. As it examines the controversial tiger trade world in the U.S., it also showcases the rivalries within, including animal abuse and attempted murder.

1. Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer

The age of the internet paved the way for the rise of internet sleuths, at-home, untrained detectives who, on more than one occasion, have helped solve crimes across the globe. One such story was told in Don’t F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer, one of the most bizarre and gripping true crime docuseries on this list.

Released in December 2019, the series chronicles the story of a group of internet sleuths who launched a manhunt for Luka Magnotta, who was first put on their radar after he began posting a series of disturbing videos of animal abuse. Encouraged by his growing notoriety, he later uploaded a final video showing the murder of Chinese student Jun Lin.