The 10 Most Disturbing True Crime Documentaries On Netflix

What’s interesting about Netflix’s latest docu-series is how an examination of one disturbing crime devolves into a massive exploration of an alleged cover-up. Directed by Ryan White, the seven-part docu-series starts with a civilian investigation into who killed Sister Cathy, a beloved Baltimore nun and teacher who was brutally murdered in 1969. However, the series quickly spirals into a world of dark accusations, painting a high school and a church system that intentionally hid the sexual abuse crimes of its leaders. Between the sheer volume of the subjects to the deeply sympathetic way their stories are told, The Keepers will leave you transfixed.

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The most infuriating part of Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk’s documentary about sexual assault and social media is the complete lack of justice in the film. Audrie & Daisy follows the lives of two high school girls, Audrie Pott and Daisy Coleman, who were both sexually assaulted and viciously cyber bullied following their assaults. Sadly, Potts committed suicide shortly after the bullying started. The film is an outage-inducing look into the cruelty of the online world and how unprepared our legal system is when it comes to both sex crimes and online abuse.

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This documentary looks at corruption on the other side of the law, and the result is difficult to watch. Directed by Tiller Russell, The Seven Five examines police corruption in the 75th precinct of the NYPD. Focusing on the 1980s, the documentary tells the story of Michael Dowd, a former police officer whose arrest led to the revelation of one of the largest police corruption scandals in history. Dowd’s relationship with drug trafficking will shock any viewer.

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It’s surprising to think that an animated documentary would be as emotionally effective as Tower is. Directed by Keith Maitland, the SXSW favorite explores the shootings at the University of Texas at Austin. In 1966 Charles Whitman rode an elevator to the top floor of the university’s tower and proceeded to hold the campus hostage for 96 minutes, killing 16 and injuring three dozen. Tower dissects how this horrifying crime happened, what impact it had on this campus and our nation, and what it was like to endure those horrors.

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An atypical entry in the world of true crime documentaries, Casting Jon Benet isn’t so much about the murder of the six-year-old beauty queen as it is about our country’s continued fascination by it. Directed by Kitty Green, the documentary interviews dozens of people as they audition for roles in a JonBenet biopic. However, during these interviews, the actors and subjects start to explain what they think happened in the case and how this death that received national attention affected them. It’s a film that’s disturbing because of the way it captures our love of true crime.

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Instead of focusing on the victims, this documentary flips the tables to explore what makes a murderer. Directed by Nick Broomfield, The Life and Death of a Serial Killer follows the remaining days of Aileen Wuornos, a former prostitute who killed seven men, all of which she claimed either raped her or tried to rape her. The film questions whether Wuornos should be executed when her declining mental state is taken into account. This documentary is actually Broomfield’s follow up to his 1992 film, Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer, which is also on Netflix.

Stream Aileen: The Life and Death of a Serial Killer on Netflix

Stream Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer on Netflix

Directed by James D. Solomon, this documentary explores one of the best known American crimes of all time — the murder of Catherine Susan “Kitty” Genovese. In 1964, Genovese was violently and loudly murdered in a neighborhood in Queens, New York. Though there were 38 witnesses to the crime, no one called the police until it was too late. The documentary explores Genovese’s untimely death through her brother, William Genovese. It’s a harrowing look at crime and bystander apathy.

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Instead of focusing on one major crime, Cartel Land explores an ongoing system of crime in Mexico. Directed by Matthew Heineman, the documentary follows Tim “Mailer” Foley, the leader of the Arizona Border Recon, and Dr José Mireles, a physician who leads the Autodefensas, as it explores the Mexican Drug War.

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In October of 1998, Matthew Shepard, an openly gay university student, was brutally attacked and left to die near Laramie, Wyoming. Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine explores this horrifying crime through Michele Josue, the film’s director and Shepard’s former friend. Through interviews with family and friends, the documentary recreates his life that was cut too short and explores the effects this horrible death had on the LGBT movement and our nation as a whole.

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This was the viral docu-series sensation that took the internet by storm in early 2016. Directed by Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, the 10-episode series followed the cases of Steven Avery, a Wisconsin native who was wrongly convicted of sexual assault and served 18 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. When Avery is accused of sexually assaulting and murdering a photographer just two years after his initial release, some wonder whether or not he’s being falsely accused again. The series follows Avery’s family and lawyers as they argue for his innocence and try to figure out what happened that dark night.

Stream Making a Murderer on Netflix