The 30 Best True-Crime Documentaries on Netflix, from ‘Amanda Knox’ to ‘Night Stalker’

From bone-chilling podcasts to creepy-as-hell books, there's no shortage of outlets for our obsession with crime documentaries—and we know we're not the only ones. With spooky season in full swing, we’ve been indulging in quite a few compelling docs that make us channel our inner detective, and luckily, one of our favorite streaming services is teeming with options. From There Is a Robbery to Amanda Knox, here are 30 of the best true-crime documentaries on Netflix.

It might not be a mystery, but it’s worth a mention. Aaron Hernandez shocked the world when he went from budding NFL star to convicted killer. The docuseries features interviews with friends, family and teammates, who examine the chain of events that led to his demise. *Adds to queue*

Meet Henry Lee Lucas, a serial killer who confessed to more than 600 murders. Although there was no hard evidence linking him to the victims, Lucas recalled gruesome details about the crimes that weren’t known to the general public, resulting in his conviction. When modern DNA testing contradicts his claims, police begin to wonder: Was Lucas telling the truth? When it comes to crime documentaries, this one is a can’t-miss.

This doc can be summed up in three easy words: Trust no one. When a friendly neighbor manipulates the parents of a young girl into letting him kidnap their daughter, you’d bet a million dollars that the parents wouldn’t fall for it again…until they do.

If you think you know crime documentaries, think again. This 40-minute film introduces viewers to Juan Catalan, a young man who’s on a mission to prove he’s innocent of murder. He does what no defendant has done before and obtains footage from a popular TV show in an attempt to solidify his alibi. (Fun fact: The Los Angeles Dodgers played a big role in his case.)

If political crime documentaries intrigue you, add The 43 to your queue. In 2014, 43 students from Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers’ College planning a political protest in Iguala, Mexico went missing. This docuseries disputes—to chilling effect—the Mexican government’s account of how and why they vanished.

Renowned criminologist Mark Williams-Thomas uses his 11 years of police training to reexamine a string of mysterious murders. With two seasons currently streaming on Netflix, you’ll be investigating alongside the detectives in no time. (The British accents are just icing on the cake.)

This is one of the crime documentaries that has it all. If you’ve ever been curious about MKUltra—the CIA mind-control program—this is a must-watch. Directed by Errol Morris (American Dharma), the docudrama is as genre-bending as it is mind-warping, using Oscar-worthy reenactments like you’ve never seen to explore the mysterious death of a U.S. scientist, who was entangled in the secret Cold War initiative.

In 1969, Sister Cathy Cesnik (a beloved nun and Catholic high school teacher) went missing and was never seen again. Although her body was recovered two months later, her murder remains unsolved to this day. This is her unsettling story.

Ted Bundy is one of America’s most notorious serial killers—and the subject of numerous crime documentaries. Oscar-nominated director Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory) offers a never-before-seen look at the case, using archived footage and audio recordings from when Bundy was on death row. The four-part series features clips from more than 100 hours of interviews, so buckle up.

The documentary reintroduces viewers to the controversial ’80s case that shook the small town of Ada, Oklahoma. Inspired by the namesake book by John Grisham, the six-part series examines new evidence that is making everyone question whether they got the right people—or if the real killers are still at large.

You probably remember Sam Cooke for his huge soul hits, including “A Change Is Gonna Come” and “Chain Gang.” But this documentary explores how the crooner’s outspoken views on civil rights might have led to his untimely death at age 33. This reexamination of one of the 20th century’s most iconic talent’s life and death is undoubtedly a must-watch.

Rewind to April 1992, when a 24-year-old African American teacher named William Ford Jr. was murdered by a white man. Although Ford was unarmed, he immediately became a suspect in his own murder. Strong Island tells his story, along with how racism shaped the upsetting outcome of the case.

Murder Among the Mormons takes a deep dive into three bombings that occurred in Utah in 1985, which threatened the very foundation of Mormonism. The official synopsis also notes that the resulting murders sent “further shockwaves through the community when a trove of early Mormon letters and diaries were found destroyed in the vehicle of the third victim.”

If you ever visit Los Angeles, you might want to think twice before staying at The Cecil. This documentary follows the mysterious disappearance of a 21-year-old student who checked into the hotel—where there have been a slew of unsolved murders—for vacation. When she fails to contact her parents, they reach out to the police, and what they find is pretty unsettling.

Night Stalker tells the story of Richard Ramirez, a notorious serial killer who committed a series of disturbing crimes in Los Angeles during the 1980s. Detectives Gil Carrillo and Frank Salerno, who solved the case, share their insights in this documentary through interviews and archival footage.

Desperate for justice and revenge, a family decides to take a unique approach in trying to catch a killer. After Crystal Theobald, a 24-year-old mother, is tragically murdered in 2006, her relatives resort to creating a series of fake MySpace accounts in order to catfish the killer into revealing himself.

This Argentinian true-crime series explores the mysterious death of María Marta García Belsunce. Although it was initially assumed that she accidentally fell and died in her bathtub, Belsunce’s autopsy results told a different story, leading to a rather surprising twist.

In this terrifying doc, revisit the story of the Watts family murders, which occurred in Colorado in 2018. The film includes home video footage, social media posts and law enforcement recordings to help retell the story.

Crime documentaries are never the easiest watch, but we'd call this one required viewing. This disturbing doc sheds light on The Indianapolis Star's breaking story about Dr. Larry Nassar, who sexually assaulted at least 255 young women and girls, including gymnasts like Olympic gold medalists Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney.

On November 2, 2007, a 21-year-old exchange student named Meredith Kercher was found dead in a room that she shared with Amanda Knox in Perugia, Italy. Fast-forward to December of 2009, when Knox is found guilty of murdering Kercher—but the case doesn’t end there. After her conviction, she was acquitted. Twice. This documentary gives Knox a chance to tell her side of the story.

This film follows the highly publicized and controversial case of Cyntoia Brown who, at 16 years old, killed Johnny Michael Allen in an act of self-defense. The teen was sentenced to life in prison, raising a number of valid questions about the justice system.

See one of the most storied serial killers of all time confess his gruesome crimes in unsettlingly honest interviews. The series investigates Dahmer's complexities via newly released talks with his legal team, and the role that race, sexuality, social class and subpar policing had in his crimes.

When you think of crime documentaries, maybe murder comes to mind. Not your cup of tea? Try this one. It sounds more like the plot to a really good movie, but this popular docu-series follows a major art heist that went down in Boston in 1990, through the lens of eyewitnesses, journalists and investigators. Two men dressed as cops actually managed to con their way into the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, stealing more than a dozen valuable works of art.

If you've ever been curious to see convicted killers tell their side of the story, then this doc is right up your alley. Take a journey into the minds of ten death row inmates as they all give firsthand accounts of the crimes they committed and explain why.

In August of 2003, a bank was robbed by Brian Wells, who had a bomb around his neck. When new evidence suggests that Wells might've been forced to commit the crime, it turns out there's a lot more to this bizarre story than meets the eye.

Adapted from Matt Birkbeck's bestselling books, Finding Sharon and A Beautiful Child, this doc begins with a hit-and-run. But it doesn't take long for investigators to realize there's more to the accident than meets the eye. After more than 20 years of untangling a massive web of lies, the grisly truth is finally revealed.

Many crime documentaries are horrifying, but Take Care of Maya is simply heartbreaking. The film follows the tragic saga of the Kowalski family, who seek treatment for their daughter, Maya, diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome. A visit to the ER begins a wrenching spiral into tragedy.  

Apocalypse, murder and a family gone missing. Sins of Our Mother dives into the harrowing story of Lori Vallow, who will now stand trial for the murders of two of her children, her fourth husband and her fifth husband’s wife.

A man posing as the heir to a diamond fortune swindles women out of millions on Tinder. Now, they want justice.

Jeffrey Epstein was notorious for the public reckoning that brought to light his string of sexual abuse cases. Now, this true-crime docuseries attempts to explain how the ex-financier used his wealth and power to evade justice for so long.