It'd probably be hard to find someone who didn't follow the true crime story of how Chris Watts murdered his pregnant wife and two young daughters in order to be with his lover. It was one of the most shocking and heart-rending crimes in recent memory, and every aspect of it — from Watts' claims to police that his family was missing, to his arrest, and the discovery of their bodies — made headlines. It was all horrifying, and all so hard to turn away from, because of how hard it is to understand a crime of that magnitude and cold-heartedness. So when American Murder: The Family Next Door came out on Netflix, we watched and came away fascinated, repulsed, horrified, and still struggling to understand how someone could do that.
That's why true crime documentaries are so popular, and why after American Murder, we chain-watched a bunch of the genre's documentaries on Netflix. Frankly, we're curious and eager to understand the violence and inhumanity that humans are capable of. There's no shortage of true crime docs on the streaming service that are worth watching.
Topping the list are films about murder in many forms: Some that were solved, others that have remained open for decades. Netflix also has added some sexual assault and sex trafficking documentaries of late, which is a positive, considering these are crimes with devastating consequences for survivors and their families that do not get enough attention. Though true crime obviously deals with heavy topics, there are (thankfully) documentaries with a positive outcome — those where someone is wrongfully convicted and is exonerated, thanks to the hard work of a loved one, or a particularly resourceful lawyer. (These provide a bit of hope and light amid the darkness.)
We combed through Netflix's true crime offerings and found some can't-miss docs to watch after American Murder.
'Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story'
In one of the most divisive cases in recent memory, the sentence against Cyntoia Brown — a teen who killed the trafficker who forced into prostitution — was commuted after she served 15 years behind bars. This documentary explores whether teens should be sentenced to life imprisonment in the first place, delves into the horrifying circumstances in Cyntoia's life that led to the killing, and traces her time in jail as a model prisoner who earned a college degree before being set free.
'Don't F--k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer'
Never underestimate animal lovers, especially those in this surprisingly engrossing documentary. When videos of a man suffocating two kittens emerged online, two people pored over clues in the photo in hopes of hunting down the culprit. But they got much more than they bargained for, when it turned out that the kitty killer had also murdered a Chinese international student.
'The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann'
It seems like Madeleine McCann has never been out of the public consciousness, from the moment her disappearance made headlines in 2007, to news in 2020 about a new suspect. The story in between is the subject of this sad retelling of the 3-year-old's disappearance, the police investigation, and the McCann parents — who are responsible for continuing to push for answers — even through suspicion and harassment aimed at them through the years.
'Long Shot'
Some documentaries need several episodes to delve into a complex story, and others need just 40 minutes. Long Shot is one of the latter — a short, riveting take about a man wrongfully arrested for murder, but who said he was at a baseball game. His lawyer pored through hours and hours of raw footage — including footage from the HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm, which was filming at the stadium that day — to spot him in the crowd and prove his innocence. It's an uplifting story in a genre where horrible endings are pretty much the norm.
'Who Killed Little Gregory?'
It's horrifying enough that anyone would kill a 4-year-old and dump his body by a river, but this documentary — about the 1984 murder of a French boy — also traces how several of his extended relatives were accused of being involved in some way over the years. Even worse, while this crime is still unsolved, it has claimed two more lives: one by suicide, and the other by a second murder.
'A Gray State'
After Army vet David Crowley came back from Afghanistan and Iraq, he started working on a movie about a dystopian, authoritarian future, whose teaser trailer attracted a cult following online. But before he could make much progress on it, he and his family were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide. The documentary A Gray Space delves into Crowley's descent into mental illness, and the conspiracy theories that emerged about his death.
'Audrie & Daisy'
This heartbreaking 2017 documentary explores the devastation and bullying that two girls — one from California, and another from Missouri — and their families suffered after the girls were sexually assaulted while intoxicated at parties. Audrie Potts died by suicide after her case went public, and in 2020, after starting a foundation to raise awareness about sexual assault and bullying, Daisy Coleman died the same way.
'Amanda Knox'
It was one of the most shocking murder trials of the modern age. Amanda Knox, a then-20-year-old American student living in Italy, and her Italian boyfriend, were convicted of murdering her roommate. The term "media circus" definitely applies here, as the couple and Knox's boss all had their lives turned upside down when reports of their supposed sexual escapades made headlines, and they traded accusations. Both convictions were overturned, and this documentary — in which Knox participates — focuses on her experiences during the trial, four years of prison, and attempts to piece her life together again afterward.
'Strong Island'
Grieving family members have a lot of different ways of coping with the tragic loss of a loved one. For Yance Ford, that meant making a documentary about the shooting death of his beloved brother, who was killed by a mechanic in Long Island, following a dispute about car repair. William Ford Jr., who was unarmed, died from the rifle wound to the chest, and an all-white grand jury declined to indict shooter Mark Reilly. Yance's determination not to let his brother's death be forgotten is palpable in this gut-wrenching film, which took him 10 years to piece together.
'Out of Thin Air'
When two people disappeared in 1970s Iceland (in separate incidents), six people were arrested for the unrelated crimes. (The bodies were never recovered.) The problem: The accused maintain that their confessions — all six of them — were obtained through torture and coercion. It's a case that upended the usually quiet and largely conflict-free country, and that remains as bizarre now as it must have been then.
'Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich'
The breadth of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's crimes is, well, breathtaking. So is this searing documentary — which lays out how he used his mega-riches, political and social connections, and power to lure minors into a "pyramid scheme of molestation." This true crime doc also shows how Epstein brokered a lenient plea deal before being found hanging in his prison cell. Most impactful of all is the testimony of Epstein's victims, who found the courage to talk about the horrors they faced.
'Abducted in Plain Sight'
We're told time and again how abusers of kids are most often close relatives or friends who appear trustworthy. In this documentary, it's a particularly crafty neighbor, who endears himself to a family, then kidnaps the daughter — twice. It's a headscratching film with a story full of so many completely unexpected twists and turns that it almost seems like a Hollywood thriller rather than real life.
'The Alcasser Murders'
When three teenage girls from a small Spanish town wanted to go to a nightclub in a neighboring city, they agreed to hitchhike. What happened next set our hair on end watching this documentary: They were kidnapped, raped, tortured, and then murdered in a crime the likes of which Spain had never seen. The documentary retraces the girls' steps and revisits the crime scene, delving into how the media and even some of the victims' family members exploited the crime for their own gain.
'The Innocent Man'
John Grisham usually writes fiction legal thrillers, but when he came across the story of a man who was wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for murder, he made an exception. Ron Williamson spent 11 years on death row for the rape and murder of a waitress before he was exonerated by DNA evidence, thanks to the nonprofit The Innocence Project. The documentary, which is based on the book, details how shoddy police work and unreliable witnesses led to the injustice, and how the mentally ill Williamson was railroaded straight to jail.
'Dream/Killer'
Sometimes, it takes just one person to believe in the innocence of someone who has been convicted of a crime they didn't commit — and expose just how broken the justice system is. Ryan Ferguson's dad, Bill, was that person when his son was sentenced to 40 years in prison for murder, after Ryan's mentally ill friend told police that he'd dreamed that he did the crime with Ryan's help. Yes, he was convicted based on a dream. This infuriating documentary — which traces Bill's years long battle to free his son by carrying out his own investigations and exposing failures at every level of the justice system — is for anyone who thinks that police, prosecutors, and judges always do their job and have the best intentions.
Scary.
'The Pharmacist'
After his son, Danny, dies in a shooting while buying crack, pharmacist Dan Schneider of New Orleans finds a witness to the crime — and together, they get the killer sentenced despite police indifference. But Schneider didn't stop there. Danny's death set him on a crusade to rid his community of drugs, and he helped bring down a doctor who was prescribing huge quantities of opioids, and the pharmaceutical company that manufactured and pushed the drugs aggressively. Inspiring.
