My Top 5 Crime Documentaries on Netflix for True Crime Fans

If you’re like me, you enjoy binging a good crime show! There is something about constantly being in suspense and finally figuring out who did the crime that has you wondering why you haven’t considered a career as a detective yet. Luckily for us, Netflix has provided us with a slew of  crime documentaries so that we can be put our skills to the test right from our own couch. Unfortunately, some of these crimes happened to real people, but watching these documentaries reassure us that evil can be stopped. Here are my top 5 crime documentaries on Netflix for true crime fans!

1. 13th

While some might argue that this documentary is not classified as “true crime”, I wanted to include it because I feel like it is an important study into the criminalization of  African Americans in the United States. It should be required viewing. You will be surprised at the statistics  and the insight provided by the interviewees including well-known activist Angela Davis and author Michelle Alexander. Given the current political climate, this documentary will put into perspective what the prison system does to it’s citizens and how it might be rectified. 

2. Evil Genius

This will have you going “What?! What?! What?!” at every turn! This four-part series is one of the newest crime documentaries on Netflix that explores “The Pizza Bomber Case” in Erie, Pennsylvania where a pizza delivery man was murdered using a neck bomb. The many twists and turns include a scavenger hunt gone wrong, a self-proclaimed genius, and many more factors that will keep  you watching until the very end. The documentary presents new details on the case and includes new conspiracies that you’ll spend your whole time trying to decipher, so get comfy because this is a mind twister!

3. The Keepers

This is another documentary where you’ll be uttering “What?!” and “OMG!” while resisting the urge to yell at the TV. The doc centers around the unsolved murder of nun and school teacher, Cathy Cesnik, in 1969 Baltimore. Maybe the reason this documentary is so fascinating is that it deals with two controversial -almost taboo- elements: religion and sexual abuse. After some shocking details surfaced in the 1990s, the case again gained popularity in the media. By the end, you’ll be hoping for some closure for everyone involved. 

4. The Tower

While this is one of the crime documentaries on Netflix that looks at the 1966 University of Texas sniper, it does so in a uniquely different way. This documentary uses animation to revisit the experiences of survivors and witnesses. Most documentaries on the Texas sniper focus on the sniper himself, but this refreshing take really gives witnesses and victims a place to grieve and gain a small sense of  closure.

5. Making A Murderer

One of the more popular crime documentaries on Netflix follows the story of Steven Avery from Manitowoc County, Wisconsin who was exonerated after almost 20 years for a crime he did not commit only to be arrested on another murder charge shortly after his release. This will have your head spinning trying to figure out whether or not he is guilty of the crime or was wrongly accused. Luckily for you, you have ten episodes to figure out the verdict. So put on your detective hat and get a note pad because this one is a doozy!

What are some of your favorite crime documentaries on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!

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