Killer shows
Netflix’s addictive true crime docs
As much as we love watching Daredevil take on baddies in Hell’s Kitchen or seeing the stranger things going on in the Upside Down, one of Netflix’s undeniable strengths in recent years has been true crime documentaries.
If the only previous exposure you’ve had to IRL whodunits is the lurid likes of 48 Hours or the late, great America’s Most Wanted, you’d be forgiven for turning up your nose at the genre.
But skilled documentary filmmakers blend investigative work with dramatic storytelling, giving us glimpses of real-world villains even scarier than the Punisher or the Demogorgon.
Here’s a look at a half-dozen of the best Netflix true crime documentaries, shows that are hard to watch — and even harder to stop watching.
The Keepers
“Have you watched The Keepers yet?” “The who?” “Oh my God, WATCH THE KEEPERS.” You’ve likely been on one end or the other of this conversation in the last couple of weeks, thanks to the accolades being heaped on this series about the 1969 murder of Baltimore nun Cathy Cesnick. What begins as a simple but gripping mystery story quickly expands into something much deeper and more sinister, with the filmmakers tracking down and interviewing many of the key players and unearthing startling new facts about the case.
Captive for 18 Years: The Jaycee Lee Story
This U.K. documentary, full of archival footage and candid interviews, is a fascinating chronicle of every parent’s worst nightmare: the kidnapping of 11-year-old Jaycee Lee Dugard as she was on her way home from school in Lake Tahoe, Calif. Jaycee’s rescue from her sex-offender captors 18 years later stunned the world, and the documentary looks at the investigative failings that might have kept her from being found much earlier.
The Imposter
As with Jaycee Lee, the sad story of missing 13-year-old Texas lad Nicholas Barclay seemed to have a happy ending three years later, when a boy told authorities in Spain he was the kidnapped child. Even though he looked physically different from the son they’d lost, Barclay’s family accepted the teen into their lives, only to eventually learn — thanks to a persistent investigator — that the “boy” was a 23-year-old French con man. Unlike many of the other docs here, The Imposter includes a lot of wellshot dramatized recreations, as well as exclusive interviews with the criminal who tricked a family and the world.
Amanda Knox
Some of the most intriguing true crime stories revolve around people wrongly accused, or, alternately, those who appear to have got away with murder. (Right, O. J.?) This Netflix-produced documentary delves into the internationally infamous case of Amanda Knox, convicted of killing her roommate Meredith Kercher in Italy in 2007. In addition to extensive presentday interviews with Knox, who spent four years in an Italian jail before being exonerated, the doc delves into the frequently sex-obsessed media coverage that surrounded — and perhaps tainted — the case.
Team Foxcatcher
Funnyman Steve Carell’s dramatic turn as millionaire wrestling supporter John du Pont in Foxcatcher (2014), earned him an Oscar nomination, but some critics say the film strays too far from the truth in the name of dramatic storytelling. Through intriguing archival footage and lots of interviews, this 2016 Netflix documentary takes a more fact-based look at du Pont’s descent into madness, ultimately leading to his conviction for the murder of Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz.
Making a Murderer
Another investigation into a crime that may or may not have been committed by the person who was ultimately convicted, this 10-episode documentary stands shoulder-to-shoulder with The Keepers as the best true crime offering on Netflix. While some say the series sides too heavily with convicted killer Steven Avery, the international attention it generated led to evidence in the case being re-examined. A second season is in production, detailing the developments and appeals over the last couple of years.