What is it about true crime we find so endlessly fascinating? Perhaps it is watching the dark depths of humanity exposed that captures our morbid fascination. Or perhaps it is the horror of knowing what lurks beneath in our psyche that scratches our itch for the macabre. Either way, one thing is certain — true crime is here to stay, and there’s a lot of fierce competition out there when it comes to true crime documentaries and series.
As one of the most popular genres, there are a lot of options out there, yet we have honed in on the 10 we find most horrifyingly binge-worthy. So join us as we take a ride through humanity’s dark depths to see what our friends, neighbors, and even ourselves, might truly be capable of. Yikes.
Love and Death
Best friends, betrayal, and an axe. While never a good combination, in the small town of Wylie, Texas, it was a murderous one. Meet Candy Montgomery, a small-town church-going housewife who would stand accused of murdering her best friend, Betty Gore. The two women were friends and fellow church attendees. Yet, it turned out they had more in common than just recipes and the church choir — they shared Betty’s husband. In a love triangle that turned deadly, two Texas women went into a home, but only one came out.
In fact, the morbid fascination around this case launched not just one, but two series around the story. Candy is the Hulu answer to Love and Death and stars Jessica Biel as the demure southern housewife turned axe murderer. Here’s who we thought did it better, by the way.
See how this horrifying true crime case went down, on HBO Max.
The Curious Case of Natalia Grace
Adoption can come with a lot of unanswered questions; it’s impossible to know what the child you bring home will truly be like. Yet in the case of Natalia Grace, the Barnett family claimed that not only did they not get the child they were promised, they didn’t get a child at all.
In the story of The Orphan come to life, the Barnett family alleged that their adopted Ukranian daughter Natalia Grace was actually in her 20s. They even went to court to have her age changed, before renting her an apartment and leaving her there. Yet Natalia has her own side of the story, and she is holding nothing back. The case of Natalia Grace is curious indeed, with each installment of the series seemingly more bizarre than the next. See for yourself on HBO Max.
Dahmer- Monster: The Jeffery Dahmer Story
A portrayal so chilling that Evan Peters won multiple awards for his role as the deranged cannibalistic murderer, Jeffrey Dahmer. Dahmer operated in the late 80’s and early 90’s, and is responsible for 15 known murders. Yet Jeffrey didn’t just kill his victims, he would keep them. He stored the bodies in various states of decomposition in his apartment, dissolving some in acid, and eating parts of others.
He was finally caught when one of his intended victims was able to escape and report him. When police arrived, what they found at the apartment would haunt them (and the rest of the world) for years to come. To see the dark details behind what they found and the man responsible for it, check out the award-winning show on Netflix.
Betrayal: The Perfect Husband
We want to trust the ones we love, but what happens when those closest to us are the ones who betray us? Jennifer Faison knows the answer to that question all too well, as she reveals in the Hulu series Betrayal: The Perfect Husband.
Jennifer thought she had the perfect marriage, but little did she know that her perfect husband had done something so heinous it would land him behind bars. Yet as devastating a reveal as his crimes were, they were just the beginning of his dark secrets. The series is based on the podcast as Jennifer reveals her horrifying ordeal and her journey to healing. (Spoiler alert: We love her.)
American Murder: The Family Next Door
They were the perfect family, and he seemed like the perfect dad, but little could anyone have guessed that Chris Watts was something else entirely — a monster. The Watts family lived in suburban Colorado, where Chris and Shannan were the parents of two perfect little girls, with a son on the way, so when Shannan and the girls suddenly went missing, the community went into a panic. The only person who did not seem particularly worried was Chris. Soon the world would learn the heartbreaking reason why.
To see how this horrifying true crime case that shocked the nation unfolded, check it out on Netflix.
Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal
The Murdaugh family name now holds a very different meaning in the town of Hampton, South Carolina. Once known for their legal prowess and community prestige, the family name is now synonymous with exploitation, corruption, and murder. Over the course of a few short years, there would be five dead bodies, fraud, secrets, and lies, all associated with the powerful Murdaugh family. In fact, two of the bodies would belong to the Murdaugh family themselves. Watch this horrifying true crime case, and see the family’s downfall from law practicing to law-breaking on Netflix.
Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife
We trust our doctors, and we trust our partners, yet this true crime series makes us feel like no one is safe. Bad Surgeon: Love Under the Knife combines two terrifying genres of true crime, “Rom Con” meets bad doctors. The series introduces us to Dr. Paolo Macchiarini, a supposedly ingenious surgeon who invented a new procedure that should have saved lives — instead, it took them. He lied to everyone, his patients, the medical community, even his own fiancée.
Unfortunately, for him (and fortunately for us), his fiancée just happened to be NBC producer Benita Alexander, who then promptly exposed his story to the world. To dive into journalistic justice at its best, check out this true crime story unfolding on Netflix.
The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard
The story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard is a heartbreaking tale of love, lies, and the ultimate betrayal by a mother of her daughter. When Dee Dee Blanchard turned up dead in her Missouri home, everyone feared for the safety of her sick daughter. Gypsy Rose reportedly had cancer, along with other developmental and health problems. Yet as investigators began to unravel the case, they found that not only was Gypsy not harmed, but she was responsible for her mother’s death.
However, she wasn’t even sick. In one of the most extreme cases of Munchausen By Proxy on record, Dee Dee was making her own daughter ill, and collecting thousands from charities, fundraisers, and friends. The Prison Confessions are the first time Gypsy Rose has told her story — in her own words. Check it out on Lifetime.
Stolen Youth: Inside The Sarah Lawrence Cult
When children go off to college, parents are concerned. They worry about the dangers that lurk just outside the walls of the pristine campuses, but few ever fear that an even more insidious danger might somehow have found its way in. In the well-heeled school of Sarah Lawrence, that is exactly what happened when one student’s father infiltrated the campus and began recruiting for his cult. Sex trafficking, racketeering, and more would soon follow when the sick plans of one man, Larry Ray, finally came to light.
Check out this too-bizarre-to-be-believed story about the Sarah Lawrence cult, and how it all began and ended, on Hulu.
The Truth About Jim
The Zodiac Killer is a title that sends shivers down the spine of many. Even worse, he has yet to be convincingly identified. While there have been various theories about who he might be, his true identity remains somewhat of a mystery. The Truth About Jim is one young woman’s search for the truth, within her own family tree. Sierra Barter goes on a journey through her lineage, focusing on her stepgrandfather, Jim Mordecai. Mordecai was a known criminal, but could he actually be the Zodiac Killer? See for yourself in this HBO Max documentary.
True crime is a genre we can’t seem to get enough of, and these 10 true crime shows are definitely worth the binge.
