True crime is a genre that teaches about justice and, most importantly, human behavior. It can range from serial killers who terrorized a whole region to billionaires whose wealth shielded their crimes, and ordinary citizens fighting for justice.
Netflix has become the go-to destination for true crime documentaries that challenge our understanding of what we know about criminals and the law. Together, they paint a chilling portrait of our society’s darkest corners that we should all be aware of.
So, here are the ten best Netflix documentaries that you must watch because each one of them revisits notorious crimes, asking deeper questions about accountability and the cost of silence.
10. This is the Zodiac Speaking
This is the Zodiac Speaking is a chilling true-crime documentary that dives deep into one of America’s most infamous mysteries. If the David Fincher movie stirred your curiosity, then this Netflix series is your next stop.
It’s based on the real-life serial murders in Northern California, and the documentary revisits the case, focusing on Arthur Leigh Allen, who has long been considered a prime suspect in the case but was never charged. We see new or lesser-known evidence and interviews with people who knew him.
The Seawater siblings believe that Allen smartly placed himself in their family, took them on trips, and may have been present (or nearby) at locations or times where some of the murders took place. It’s a three-episode docuseries, so if you’re into cold cases and criminal profiling, you must watch This is the Zodiac Speaking.
9. Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich
The four-part documentary miniseries, Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich, is based on the 2016 book Filthy Rich by James Patterson. It dives into how the convicted s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein used his wealth, power, and connections to abuse and exploit people, many of whom were allegedly underage teenage girls.
The Epstein List has been quite a famous subject on the internet, and everyone wants it to be released, to know which elites were involved in the act. So, expect strong feelings of anger and disgust because you’d simply be so frustrated about the delayed justice.
But while they keep baiting us, you can watch this documentary about his rise to power, how the crimes in Palm Beach worked, the private island, law enforcement’s failure to understand the gravity of the situation, and just how big a scandal has been hidden from the public.
8. Don’t F**K with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer
The docuseries, titled, Don’t F**K with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer follows the case of Luka Magnotta, an infamous man who posted videos of himself committing animal cruelty, such as killing kittens in brutal and shocking ways.
Internet sleuths band together to hunt down his identity and piece together clues. But the case escalates as Magnotta murders Jun Lin, a Chinese engineering student, and shares that video, leading to an international manhunt.
The three-episode limited true crime series features disturbing evidence, archival footage, interviews, and more to build tension. If you’re interested in how modern technology and online sleuth culture can help solve a crime, then this is a prime example of what that can look like!
7. Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
Ted Bundy is the most well-known serial killer in America, and this docuseries covers over 100 hours of interviews and archival audio and video recordings while he was on death row. Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes also includes accounts of surviving victims, law enforcement officials, and journalists who were involved in the case.
The four episodes trace Bundy’s crimes across several states, his kidnappings, escapes, trial, and finally, execution in 1989. It also portrays the killer’s self-narrative, as in what he had to say about his own life, upbringing, motives, and more. People who are into criminal psychology should definitely tune in, because nowhere else will you get the rare access to how Bundy frames his own story.
6. Wild Wild Country
You may or may not have heard about the controversial Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, aka Osho, but there was a time when he took the whole country by storm. His followers lived in a commune called Rajneeshpuram in Wasco County, Oregon, and Wild Wild Country delves into the downfall of their community.
Ma Anand Sheela, Osho’s personal secretary and also chief lieutenant, is heavily featured, and she played an instrumental role in managing the commune’s day-to-day affairs. Wild Wild Country offers an in-depth look at her complex mentality and her devotion to a controversial figure whose actions sparked national debate.
In six episodes, we see legal battles, bacterial attacks like salmonella poisoning, wiretapping, immigration fraud, and more. The docuseries is a disturbing watch because it explores cult dynamics, spiritual communities, and how rare it is for things to be purely black-and-white, because even idealists can get caught up in shady power plays.
5. 13th
13th takes its name from the Thirteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which abolished slavery, “except as punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted” (via congress.gov). The documentary shows how this exception has been exploited throughout history, forcing people into labor and practicing racial control and mass incarceration.
It also focuses on horrendous practices such as leasing out convicts, private prisons, and the prison-industrial complex. This is a feature-length documentary that people must watch to understand how racial inequality is still maintained in the system, long after slavery’s formal end.
4. Dirty Money
Dirty Money is a well-made investigative documentary series that exposes corporate greed, corruption, fraud, and shady business practices across multiple industries. Season 1 is about the Volkswagen emissions scandal, predatory payday lending, and pharmaceutical company abuses.
Season 2 digs into high-profile cases such as Wells Fargo’s internal matters, a corruption case from Malaysia, and a huge real estate controversy. The two seasons feature 12 informative standalone episodes, and each one of them covers a specific scandal or issue. Dirty Money pulls back the curtain on how huge companies are complicit in large-scale wrongdoings, and how the system allows them to persist.
3. The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez
Netflix’s six-episode documentary series recounts the true story of Gabriel Fernandez, an 8-year-old boy in California who endured months of brutal abuse at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend. He finally succumbed to the injuries in 2013 and passed away.
The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez doesn’t just portray the horrors of what he faced, but also how he was repeatedly failed by teachers, family members, social services, law enforcement, and the courts, who did not intervene.
The young boy’s story is not just sensational true crime, but a wake-up call for us to not trust the societal systems that fail children. Watching The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez will give you insights into how multiple institutions can neglect abuse and fail individuals.
2. The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo
Marisela Escobedo Ortiz was an activist and mother whose 16-year-old daughter, Rubí Marisol Frayre Escobedo, was murdered by her partner. Due to failures and corruption, Ortiz had to fight for years, seeking justice.
The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo showcases how she raised awareness, organized protests, pushed authorities, and confronted courts for justice. After several failed attempts, she was still protesting in front of the government palace, where she met her tragic fate.
The standalone documentary film is not just about crime, but also a powerful story of maternal love and how systemic corruption failed the mother-daughter duo. The Three Deaths of Marisela Escobedo puts a face and voice to what we often see just as statistics in news reports.
1. The Keepers
The Keepers investigates the unsolved murder of Sister Catherine “Cathy” Cesnik, a nun and high school teacher who lived in Baltimore. Her body was found two months after her disappearance, and the series goes much deeper into her life, revealing allegations of s*xual abuse.
It follows former students who try to piece together what happened, fighting for institutional cover-ups and pressing for justice. The seven-episode series jumps between the original events and the more recent ones after the investigation is reopened. The Keepers is more than just a “who did it” murder case, and explores what power, secrecy, and institutional failure can lead to.
Here’s an overview of all titles and what they feature:
True crime documentaries aren’t about shock value but the people and systems behind them. They leave you questioning everything as you empathize with the victims and admire the ones who refused to stay silent.
Whether you’re into psychological profiling or stories of systemic injustice, these ten documentaries will move you and make you think long before the credits roll. So, out of all the Netflix movies and series mentioned, which one intrigues you the most?
All the listed shows and films are available to stream on Netflix (USA).
