True-crime documentaries have lately garnered a lot of attention for providing a break from the otherwise drama-based scripted entertainment while managing to keep the audience on the edge of their seat.
Mentioned below are the top 15 true-crime documentaries to binge watch on a Friday night for a little me-time!
1. The Thin Blue Line
It is an American documentary that traces the journey of a man who is wrongly convicted and imprisoned for killing a cop. After the release of the documentary, the case was reopened and the man was set free. The film is based on the “inconsistencies and loose ends” of this particular case, and through the findings, not only a different conclusion is formed, but it stood for what was right in the end.
2. The Iceman Tapes
This is something that will shake you to the core. The former Mafia Richard Kuklinski and his words form the crux of this documentary. He is a man who isn’t affected by things and has made himself numb with ruthless brutality. He was first interviewed in the year 1991, five years after he received a life sentence for several murders. This documentary narrates the various killings in graphic detail, expressing no regret for his actions, and is only seen lamenting over his family.
3. The Inventor: Out for Blood In Silicon Valley
This one is about a CEO named Elizabeth Holmes who was exposed for committing millions of dollars worth of fraud. She promised to revolutionize the medical industry with her company called Theranos that basically was designed to create mini labs for blood testing. She was also compared with Steve Jobs until her project landed into a huge fraud as the investors of her company and many other began to suspect her claims.
4. Paradise Lost
It is an American documentary film that centers around child murders at Robin hood hills. Three teenagers were convicted for the gruesome murder of three young boys in Arkansas. The directors of the documentary present testimonies and interviews in the documentary in a manner that questions the identity of the real murderers.
5. The Staircase
A high-profile murder case is covered by this documentary that brings behind-the-scenes of the trial of the case in real-time. The story revolves around the novelist Michael Peterson and his wife Kathleen. The main plot starts when the novelist calls to report that his wife had fallen down from stairs and died. Peterson was then charged with the murder. The film presents an interesting case about the sudden death of Kathleen.
6. American Murder: The Family Next Door
It is a very popular true-crime documentary. An extra-marital affair that once is full of love and sparks, in no time becomes a tale about murder. Shanann Watts, who is 34 years of age, and her two daughters go missing in Colorado. It is full of heartbreaking details that made this story a headline. The normalcy of the family dynamics at play adds to the eeriness in the documentary.
7. Abducted in Plain Sight
It is a true-crime documentary about a girl Jan Broberg who is 12-years-old. She is abducted from a small church-going community in Idaho by a neighbor who is trusted too much by her family and is even regarded as a close family friend.
8. Night Stalker: The Hunt for A Serial Killer
It covers a myriad of crimes ranging from assaults to abductions. The show is highly graphic and not for the fragile-hearted. A young detective Gil Carrillo and legendary investigator Frank fight against a clock to stop a monster who is nocturnal. The monster is responsible for disconnected murders and numerous sexual assaults that took place in the year 1985.
9. Amanda Knox
It is a must-watch and well done documentary. Wrongfully convicted for her roommate’s murder, Amanda Knox’s journey is covered in this documentary. This documentary gives two different clashing views on the main subject crime. The interviews presented in this documentary were on point!
10. The Imposter
Nicholas Barclay was an American boy who vanished from his home in Texas in 1994 as a teenager, is found in Spain and returned to his family after three years but doubts begin to arise about the authenticity of his identity. It was made into a documentary film in the year 2012. This documentary is all set to give you a thrilling experience.
11. A Murder In The Park
The documentary revolves around the case of Anthony Porter who was wrongfully convicted of double homicide. It was surprising to witness him only to be set free when student-journalists at the Northwestern University investigated and brought the new angles into this so called complex case. This documentary also poses a serious threat to the prevalent judicial system of that time and raises burning questions about the justice system of America.
12. The Central Park Five
Five African-American minors (Kevin Richardson, Anton McCray, Raymond Santana, Yusef Salaam and Korey Wise) are falsely convicted for the rape and harassment of a jogger in Central Park. The documentary highlights and presents a true portrayal of the inherent and existing racial discrimination present in the public and media.
13. Cocaine Cowboys
The film traces the rise and expansion of the drug trade in South Florida. The story also talks about the slow evolution of how the cocaine industry in Miami became so large that it turned Miami into the cocaine capital of the United States in the early 1980s. It presents a detailed account of the police officers who turned the tide on crime.
14. The Seven Five
A documentary that is directed by Tiller Russell talks about the journey of a cop Michael Dowd in the year 1980s and 90s. He and his partner are seen in this documentary taking bribes to working for drug lords while on government-duty. The Seven Five also talks about all the crimes that he and his partner committed, some of them including secretly running a cocaine business while on a government job.
15. Cartel Land
Cartel land talks about the border between Mexico and the United States of America and its connection with drug supply. This documentary covers the fight of the groups that struggle to restore law and order in such places.
Crime documentaries have in them a sense of thrill that keeps the viewer engaged. With their ability to shed light on cases from different angles, true-crime documentaries are increasingly providing a rich array of perspectives to their audience, becoming a quick favorite.
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