5 best true crime documentaries on Netflix
There’s something so intriguing about crime documentaries. The subjects they depict are gruesome and terrifying, yet we can’t look away. Perhaps it’s our innate sense of curiosity that keeps us glued to the screen, or maybe it’s our utter disbelief that such horrible things can happen to good people. Either way, true crime books, films and TV shows continue to grip the attention of millions – and these are five of the best.
1. Making a Murderer
This 10-part series, released in December 2015, quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. Making a Murderer follows the story of Steven Avery, a Wisconsin man who spent 18 years in prison for sexual assault and attempted murder before being completely exonerated in 2003. Two years later, however, he was arrested and convicted once more – for the murder of a local photographer. But did he do it? This story, which is still ongoing, will have you pondering that way beyond the end credits.
2. The Jinx
In 1982, Robert Durst’s wife disappeared. In 2000, his friend, writer Susan Berman, was murdered. Then, just one year later, his neighbour was killed and dismembered. While he clearly had connections to all three crimes and was a prime suspect in each, Durst was never convicted – and the crimes went unsolved. The Jinx delves deep into his past, questioning every detail and every tiny piece of evidence. What is uncovered will leave you speechless.
3. The Keepers
Sister Cathy Cesnik, a 27-year-old nun, was one of the most popular teachers at Archbishop Keough High School in Baltimore. One night, she went to a shopping mall and never came back. Two months later, she was found murdered. Described as being “more disturbing […] but just as gripping” as Making a Murderer, this series sets out to answer the question – what really happened to Sister Cathy?
4. Monster: The Josef Fritzl Story
In 2008, the world was shocked and disgusted to learn of a young Austrian woman who had been held captive in a basement by her father, Josef Fritzl, who subjected his daughter to physical and sexual abuse. The most horrific part? Her captivity spanned a staggering 24 years, during which time she gave birth to seven children as a result of her father’s abuse. In Monster, rare footage and interviews with Fritzl’s family, victims and doctors to paint a picture of what drove him to commit such acts of terror.
5. Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer
Aileen Wuornos was known as “Monster”, a title which she well and truly earned. Dabbling in rather minor criminal activity from the age of 18, Wuornos soon graduated to much more horrific endeavours. Between 1989 and 1990 in Florida, she killed seven men, shooting them at point-blank range. She claimed to have been acting in self-defence, alleging the men either were succeeded or attempted to sexually assault her. After being convicted of murder, she was sentenced to execution. But things might not have been what they seemed…
Are you a fan of true crime? What’s your favourite book, TV show or film from the genre?
Image credit: Making A Murderer/Netflix.