11 Best True Crime Documentaries That Are Actually Worth Watching

Curating a list of the best true crime documentaries is no simple task. The genre, which has exploded in the decade or so since Netflix’s Emmy-winning Making a Murderer and the release of podcasts like Serial, has become somewhat overcrowded, with streamers tripping over themselves to dredge up cold cases or salaciously recount traumatic events in hopes of producing the next big hit.

That said, if you’re a fan of the genre and fancy yourself an amateur sleuth, there are plenty of well-made true crime documentaries that are very much worth watching. Whether made in an attempt to expose miscarriages of justice or unpack mysteries that remain unsolved, the best true crime documentaries are as riveting as they are perplexing. Below, discover eight true crime docs that are worth getting stuck into.

The Perfect Neighbor

Firstly, Oscar-nominated The Perfect Neighbor is a real feat of filmmaking. Comprised mostly of pre-existing police body-cam footage, and with limited narration, Geeta Gandbhir’s 2025 documentary traces the events leading up to, and the aftermath of, the deadly shooting of Ajike Owens by her white neighbour, Susan Louise Lorincz. More than that, though, The Perfect Neighbor plainly lays out the reality of systematic racial biases, especially with regards to Florida’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” law.

The Alabama Solution

The Alabama Solution, directed by Andrew Jarecki (The Jinx) and Charlotte Kaufman is one of those galvanising documentaries that’ll stick with you long after the credits roll – and also make you furious. The doc, which premiered at Sundance in 2025, largely consists of leaked phone footage and interviews that lift the lid on the inhumane conditions of Alabama state prisons – including slave labour and systematic abuse – and the violent retaliation that follows anyone who dares to speak out. Is it an easy watch? No. But is it a necessary one? Absolutely.

One Night in Idaho: The College Murders

You likely remember the 2022 Idaho murders – when four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death one night inside their home – and the manhunt and relentless internet sleuthing that followed. Netflix’s typically slick four-part series One Night in Idaho: The College Murders traces the events of that night, drawing on interviews with the victims’ family members and police officers who were on the scene, with much of the story told through dash-cam and CCTV footage. But it also sheds light on the impact of over-zealous armchair detectives on the families of those murdered, and the emotional fallout in the years that followed.

The Kings of Tupelo: A Southern Crime Saga

Forget “best true crime” docs – this is a film worth watching, full stop. Shot like a Harmony Korine movie and with characters and settings that you can’t quite believe are real, Netflix’s The Kings of Tupelo plays out like a fever dream. Here’s the general premise: Kevin Curtis, a former Elvis impersonator living in a small Southern town is fired from his job at a hospital after becoming convinced its staff are involved in illegal organ harvesting. What follows is a twisty-turny and sometimes poetic story involving multiple Elvis impersonators, conspiracy theorists and, eventually, an attempt to assassinate President Obama.

Unknown Number: The High School Catfish

Not all of the best true crime documentaries are about a grisly murder – sometimes the most captivating films of this ilk dive into mysteries of a different kind. This was the case with Netflix’s Unknown Number: The High School Catfish, about a young high schooler who was being endlessly harassed by an unknown cyber bully – an understandably traumatic experience that ripped the community apart as parents and students began pointing fingers. I can’t say much more without spoiling the end, but let’s just say the conclusion will leave you with many more questions than answers.

American Manhunt: OJ Simpson

If you want a doc that’ll leave your jaw on the floor for four hours, then try 2025’s American Manhunt: OJ Simpson, a four-part series from Floyd Russ that dives into the 1995 murder trial of former American football player and media personality OJ Simpson, which saw him stand accused of the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. For an even deeper exploration of racial inequality and celebrity in America, it’s also worth watching 2016’s OJ: Made in America, which won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, and an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming.

The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst

A relative oldie but a goodie. Andrew Jarecki’s HBO doc The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst was released back in 2015, but remains groundbreaking for reasons that I can’t get into, lest I spoil the whole thing for anyone who’s yet to watch. Meticulous and chilling, The Jinx follows the wealthy real estate heir Robert Durst, who is suspected of being involved in three separate incidents: the unsolved 1982 disappearance of his first wife, Kathie; the 2000 fatal shooting of his friend, Susan Berman; and the 2001 death and dismemberment of his neighbour, Morris Black. A second season was released in 2024, and that one’s worth a watch, too.

Should I Marry A Murderer?

Imagine getting out of a bad relationship, and then meeting a guy you really like on Tinder. Imagine that he proposes after a whirlwind romance and you become happily engaged. But, wait, there’s a catch: turns out he killed someone. Oh, and he’s attempted to cover it up. You can keep the secret, can’t you? This is the situation that Caroline Muirhead, then 29, finds herself in, as she’s forced to reckon with what her fiancé has done before going undercover in her own relationship, with very little regard from the police for her safety. Should I Marry A Murderer? is a remarkable and frequently infuriating watch.

Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer

Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer looks like your standard grisly Netflix fare from the outside, but it’s actually much more than that, with all the twists and turns of a really gripping thriller – except it’s real. If you’ve somehow not seen it, the three-part docuseries follows the story of a group of online sleuths who launch an amateur investigation into a series of animal cruelty acts committed by a Canadian porn actor called Luka Magnotta. They repeatedly express their fears that he’ll end up murdering someone, and they ultimately end up being correct in that assumption. Much in this documentary beggars belief.

The Pharmacist

If you’ve read Patrick Radden Keefe’s 2021 book Empire of Pain, you’ll be well-acquainted with the rise of OxyContin in America and how it contributed to the country’s devastating opioid crisis (it’s absolutely worth a read if not). Four-part docuseries The Pharmacist, released a year beforehand, takes a more personal, zoomed-in look at the crisis, as activist and local pharmacist Dan Schneider attempts to uncover his son’s killer, a journey that ultimately leads to him gathering evidence against a prolific “pill mill” doctor in New Orleans.

A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read

Some of the most captivating documentaries are of the “did they or didn’t they?” variety, a category that The Body In The Snow fits firmly into. Here’s the premise: in 2022, the body of Boston police officer John O’Keefe was found on the front lawn of his friends’ home in Canton, Massachusetts. His girlfriend of two years, Karen Read, was promptly arrested and charged with his murder, despite plenty of holes in the case. As time went on, tensions within the community began to bubble over, with the trial and surrounding online support transforming Read into a celebrity of sorts, with hordes of fans professing her innocence. One to watch if you like getting into the nitty-gritty details of a case as it unfurls in real time.