In Netflix’s docuseries The Trials of Gabriel Fernández, filmmaker Brian Knappenberger investigates the death of an 8-year-old California boy who endured abuse by his mother and her boyfriend and raises questions about how the system protects vulnerable children.
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# 35 True-Crime Series to Binge Right Now

From 'Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story' to 'When They See Us,' here are some of the most popular true-crime shows and movies of the last few years.

### Christy Piña

Associate Editor

### More Stories by Christy

August 11, 2024 7:33pm

Modified on August 12, 2024 ,

Published on August 11, 2024

From left: 'The Dropout,' 'When They See Us,' 'Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story' and 'Welcome to Chippendales'

From left: 'The Dropout,' 'When They See Us,' 'Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story' and 'Welcome to Chippendales'Everett (4)

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There’s no denying the fact that true-crime stories are everywhere — be they in podcasts, TV series or movies — and the craze doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. The Hollywood Reporter compiled a list of some of the most recent true-crime series and films available to stream.

These hit shows and movies have garnered more than 60 Emmy nominations over the last few years, with nearly 20 more coming this year for Griselda, Under the Bridge, The Jinx — Part Two and, though not necessarily true-crime, Feud: Capote vs. the Swans.

A 2022 YouGov poll showed that half of Americans enjoy true-crime content, with one in three saying they consume it at least once a week and one in four admitting that they watch it multiple times per week. The poll also showed that true-crime series and movies tend to make people more empathetic toward victims and safety-conscious, as well as better-versed in how the criminal justice system works.

With interest in true crime seemingly at an all-time high, as viewers seek content that transports them into real-life stories, it’s no surprise there are constantly more docuseries premiering across several streaming platforms.

So, what is it about the true crime genre that draws people in so much? According to Jean Kim, M.D., audiences may be entranced by the content because they find comfort in the reassuring narrative formula, its reinforcing sense of moral clarity and how it reminds them of their luck at times.

Below, find a list of 35 true-crime (or true-crime adjacent) TV shows and movies that can be watched on Max, Netflix, Hulu and more.

- ## 'The Vow'

The Vow
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO

The Vow, streaming on MAX, follows former NXIVM members as they open up about the emotional toll of the events that took place in the so-called self-improvement group, whose leader, Keith Raniere, was convicted of sex trafficking, racketeering and other crimes. The docuseries reveals the emotional journeys of the group’s founders, supporters and defectors as new evidence comes to light.

- ## 'Unbelievable'

Unbelievable
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Based on a true story, Netflix’s Unbelievable follows Kaitlyn Dever’s Marie after she comes forward and reveals she was bound, gagged and raped before recanting her story. Two female detectives, played by Merritt Wever and Toni Collette, follow a trail that could lead them to what really happened in the drama series.

- ## 'The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story'

THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY (aka AMERICAN CRIME STORY), from left: Edgar Ramirez (as Gianni Versace), Penelope Cruz (as Donatella Versace)
Image Credit: Ray Mickshaw/FX/Courtesy Everett Collection

The Assassination of Gianni Versace is the second installment in the American Crime Story franchise and explores the murder of the famed designer by spree killer Andrew Cunanan. The scripted nine-episode series is based on the book Vulgar Favors: Andrew Cunanan, Gianni Versace, and the Largest Failed Manhunt in U.S. History.

- ## 'The Dropout'

The Dropout
Image Credit: Beth Dubber/Hulu

Based on the ABC podcast of the same name, Hulu’sscriptedseries The Dropout details the real-life rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes (played by Amanda Seyfried), the Theranos founder and CEO who developed a health-care technology that put millions of patients at risk.

- ## 'The Watcher'

Bobby Cannavale as Dean Brannock in The Watcher.
Image Credit: Eric Liebowitz/Netflix

Netflix’s fictionalized The Watcher follows a married couple, played by Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale, who move into their dream home in the New Jersey suburbs, only to begin receiving terrifying letters from a stalker named “the Watcher.”

- ## 'A Friend of the Family'

A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY (l-r) Mckenna Grace as Jan Broberg, Jake Lacy as Robert "B" Berchtold
Image Credit: Fernando Decillis/Peacock

Peacock‘s scripted series A Friend of the Family brings to life the true story of the Broberg family, whose youngest daughter, Jan (McKenna Grace), was kidnapped multiple times by the family’s “friend,” played by Jake Lacy. Lacy’s Robert exploited the Broberg’s vulnerabilities and turned their daughter against them.

- ## 'Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal'

(L to R) Alex Murdaugh, Morgan Doughty, Paul Murdaugh and Maggie Murdaugh in Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal follows the story of a prominent South Carolina family whose legacy begins to unravel after a fatal boating accident and, later, Maggie Murdaugh and son Paul’s murders. The Netflix docuseries brings to light a century of corruption, power and cover-ups in the Southern state.

- ## 'Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence'

Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence
Image Credit: Courtesy of Hulu

This Hulu docuseries explores the origins of a cult at Sarah Lawrence College, where students fell under the influence of a friend’s father, Larry Ray. The cult originated in 2010 on the college campus until its recent demise, for which the aftermath is still unfolding.

- ## 'Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story'

'Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story'
Image Credit: Ser Baffo/Netflix

Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story dramatizes the story of the notorious serial killer, who was active in the Midwest between 1978 and 1991. The scripted series follows instances where Dahmer was almost apprehended until his ultimate conviction and death.

- ## 'Unsolved Mysteries'

Elton D. Carter, Sr. in Unsolved Mysteries
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Unsolved Mysteries originally aired on NBC from 1987-97 before being rebooted at CBS from 1997-99, Lifetime from 2001-02, Spike from 2008-10, and Netflix from 2020 to present day. The true-crime docuseries highlights real cases of baffling disappearances, shocking murders and paranormal encounters.

- ## 'Mindhunter'

Mindhunter
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Netflix’s Mindhunter follows the creation of the Behavioral Analysis Unit within the Training Division at the FBI Academy in Quantico and the beginning of criminal profiling. The scripted series centers on Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff), Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) and psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv), with David Fincher and Charlize Theron among the show’s executive producers.

- ## 'Under the Banner of Heaven'

Under the Banner of Heaven
Image Credit: Michelle Faye/FX

Based on Jon Krakauer’s nonfiction book Under the Banner of Heaven : A Story of Violent Faith, the Hulu scripted series follows Andrew Garfield’s Jeb Pyre and Gil Birmingham’s Detective Bill Taba as they investigate a double murder committed in the name of God by Lafferty brothers Ron (Sam Worthington) and Dan (Wyatt Russell).

- ## 'Candy'

Betty (Melanie Lynskey) and Candy (Jessica Biel) in Candy.
Image Credit: Tina Rowden/Hulu

Hulu’s drama series Candy brings to life the true story of Candy Montgomery, a 1980s housewife and mother who did everything right until she began an affair with her neighbor that ended in murder. The Jessica Biel- and Melanie Lynskey-starring series details the time leading up to the affair, the affair itself, the ax-murder and the court trial.

- ## 'Inventing Anna'

Julia Garner as Anna Delvery in Inventing Anna.
Image Credit: Aaron Epstein/Netflix

Julia Garner plays the real-life Anna Delvey on Netflix’s scripted drama series, which draws from the actual case of the Instagram-legendary heiress who stole the hearts and money of New York elites.

- ## 'The Act'

The Act - Dee Dee Blanchard (Patricia Arquette), Gypsy Rose Blanchard (Joey King) shown.
Image Credit: Brownie Harris / Hulu

Hulu’s scripted series The Act follows Gypsy Blanchard (Joey King), a girl trying to escape her toxic relationship with her overprotective mother, Dee Dee (Patricia Arquette). When her quest for independence begins, one secret ultimately leads to murder.

- ## 'The Staircase'

The Staircase
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO

Based on a true story, Max’s scripted series The Staircase follows Michael Peterson, a novelist accused of killing his wife after she’s found dead at the bottom of the staircase in their home. When the investigation begins, the family is thrown into a legal battle, and a French documentary team takes interest.

- ## 'The Girl From Plainville'

The Girl From Plainville - Michelle (Elle Fanning), shown.
Image Credit: Steve Dietl/Hulu

Elle Fanning takes on the role of Michelle Carter in the Hulu scripted series, which tells the true story of Michelle’s “texting-suicide” case. It explores her relationship with Conrad Roy III and the events leading up to his death and her eventual conviction for involuntary manslaughter.

- ## 'Dopesick'

Dopesick - Dr. Samuel Finnix (Michael Keaton), shown.
Image Credit: Antony Platt/Hulu

Michael Keaton stars in Danny Strong’s Hulu scripted series, which explores America’s struggle with opioid addiction — from Purdue Pharma to the hallways of the DEA. Kaitlyn Dever, Rosario Dawson and Will Poulter also star.

- ## 'When They See Us'

When They See Us
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us follows the lives of the Central Park Five, a group of five young people who were falsely charged with assaulting and raping a jogger in 1989. The Netflix scripted series takes place over the course of 25 years — from when the teens are first questioned to their exoneration in 2002.

- ## 'Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer'

Ted Bundy
Image Credit: Bettmann/Getty Images

Prime Video’s docuseries _Falling for a Killer_ reframes Ted Bundy’s crimes from a female perspective and uncovers the ways his hatred of women collided with the feminist movement and culture wars of the 1970s, according to the streamer.

- ## 'Making a Murderer'

'Making a Murderer'
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Making a Murderer is filmed over the course of 13 years and sees two men — Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey — convicted of a grim crime they may not have committed. The Netflix docuseries’ publicity prompted petitions to have Avery’s case reviewed, but Wisconsin officials insist some evidence is missing from the docuseries.

- ## 'Fear City: New York vs. The Mafia'

'Fear City: New York vs. The Mafia'
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

This Netflix docuseries explores New York’s legendary Five Families — the Gambinos, the Colombos, the Bonannos, the Luccheses and the Genovese — in the 1970s and ’80s as a team of federal agents works to take them down.

- ## 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile'

Extremely Wicked Shockingly Evil and Vile
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Zac Efron and Lily Collins star in Netflix’s scripted drama Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, which follows Collins’ Liz as she falls in love with Efron’s Ted Bundy and refuses to believe he is guilty of the kidnappings and crimes against women of which he’s accused. Haley Joel Osment, John Malkovich and Jim Parsons also star.

- ## 'Welcome to Chippendales'

Welcome to Chippendales - Steve (Kumail Nanjiani), shown.
Image Credit: Erin Simkin/Hulu

Hulu’s biographical drama Welcome to Chippendales follows Kumail Nanjiani’s Somen “Steve” Banerjee, an Indian immigrant in search of the American Dream, who goes on to create the male revue show that became a cultural phenomenon — and the murders that followed.

- ## 'Narcos'

'Narcos'
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Netflix’s scripted series Narcos isn’t straight fiction, as the storyline takes a lot of what actually happened during the rise of the cocaine trade in Colombia and the actions taken by law enforcement as they battle the war on drugs. The two DEA agents who took down Pablo Escobar — Steve Murphy and Javier Peña, who are portrayed by Boyd Holbrook and Pedro Pascal, respectively — previously told The Hollywood Reporter that the series takes “some artistic licenses, but the timeline is accurate.”

- ## 'Truth Be Told'

Truth Be Told
Image Credit: Courtesy of Apple TV+

Scripted series Truth Be Told is based on Kathleen Barber’s novel _Are You Sleeping_ and follows true-crime podcaster Poppy Parnell (Octavia Spencer) as she revisits the case that made her famous when new evidence comes to light that suggests her suspect may have been wrongfully convicted. Each season of the AppleTV+ series follows a different cast and also stars Kate Hudson, Aaron Paul, Lizzy Caplan and the late Ron Cephas Jones.

- ## 'Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer'

Richard Ramirez (The Night Stalker) in Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer.
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Netflix’s docuseries Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer follows young detective Gil Carrillo and homicide investigator Frank Salerno as they rush to find the nocturnal criminal responsible for a series of seemingly disconnected murders and sexual assaults in 1985 Los Angeles.

- ## 'The Case Against Adnan Syed'

The Case Against Adnan Syed
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO

HBO’s four-part docuseries explores the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee and the subsequent conviction of her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed, a case brought to global attention by the Serial podcast. Twenty years later, Syed’s murder conviction was vacated, and he was released from prison.

- ## 'The Ripper'

The Ripper
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

In West Yorkshire and Manchester, England, between 1975 and 1980, serial killer Peter Sutcliffe murdered 13 women. This four-part Netflix docuseries follows the investigation surrounding the murders at the hand of Sutcliffe, whose methods resembled Jack the Ripper’s and garnered him the nickname the Yorkshire Ripper.

- ## 'The Trials of Gabriel Fernández'

The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

In Netflix’s docuseries The Trials of Gabriel Fernández, filmmaker Brian Knappenberger investigates the death of an 8-year-old California boy who endured abuse by his mother and her boyfriend and raises questions about how the system protects vulnerable children.

- ## 'Griselda'

Sofia Vergara in Griselda
Image Credit: Netflix

Netflix limited series Griselda is based on the real-life story of Griselda Blanco, also known as the “Godmother of Cocaine.” Sofía Vergara takes on the titular role. Her portrayal of the Colombian drug lord landed her an Emmy nomination, and she became only the second Latin woman to be nominated for best lead actress in a limited series after Anya Taylor-Joy for The Queen’s Gambit. Blanco was responsible for transitioning the drug trade from Colombia to the United States, primarily making her mark in Miami in the 1970s until the early 2000s.

- ## 'Under the Bridge'

Riley Keough as Rebecca Godfrey in 'Under the Bridge.'
Image Credit: Darko Sikman/Hulu

Under the Bridge is based on the 2005 book of the same name by Rebecca Godfrey, which follows the true story of the murder of 14-year-old Reena Virk (Vritika Gupta) in Canada in the 1990s at the hands of six teens labeled the “Shoreline Six.” Riley Keough portrays the writer, who returned to her hometown of Saanich, British Columbia, to write a novel she was working on before pivoting to tell the story of the group of teens who were accused of killing Reena. Keough stars apposite Lily Gladstone, who received her first Emmy nod for her role in the series.

- ## 'The Jinx — Part Two'

The Jinx Part 2
Image Credit: MAX

The Jinx — Part Two comes nearly a decade after the first installment and picks up right where it left off, with Robert Durst — who was convicted of killing his best friend, Susan Berman — admitted to the murder while unknowingly still mic’d. He’s head saying, “What did I do? Killed them all, of course.” He was sentenced to life in prison, without the possibility of parole in 2021 but died of natural causes in 2022. Part two travels to the moment when the filmmakers ended Andrew Jarecki’s 2015 Emmy-winning docuseries with the “five words everyone is talking about.”

- ## 'The Truth vs. Alex Jones'

The Truth vs Alex Jones
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO

HBO’s documentary follows the rise and fall of Alex Jones, one of the most controversial voices in American media. The project details how he built an empire and fueled his own collapse when he began promoting a conspiracy theory that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was staged and that the parents who lost their children were actors. The Truth vs. Alex Jones was filmed over four years and two court trials, ultimately leading to Jones declaring bankruptcy.

- ## 'Feud: Capote vs. the Swans'

Chloe Sevigny as C.Z. Guest, Diane Lane as Slim Keith, Naomi Watts as Babe Paley
Image Credit: FX

The second installment in Ryan Murphy’s Feud franchise is based on Laurence Leamer’s best-selling book Capote’s Women: A True Story of Love, Betrayal, and a Swan Song for an Era, which followed writer Truman Capote (Tom Hollander) and the elite New York women he surrounded himself with. Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Chloë Sevigny, Calista Flockhart, Demi Moore and Molly Ringwald star in the FX series. While not exactly true crime, Feud: Capote vs. the Swans ia based on the true story of Capote and his “swans” in 1950s New York.

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