Making a Murderer was probably the catalyst for the avalanche of real-life crime documentaries hitting our screens, and our true crime obsession seems to have only intensified.
What might have been seen as a guilty pleasure, is now given more credence, as many real-life documentaries seek to deliver more than a salacious look at gruesome crimes, but to instead, shine a light on inequality or corruption and serve as a call for change.
And some, like the recent Netflix documentary about the murder of Jill Dando, hope to uncover new evidence.
Streaming platforms are rushing to feed our appetite for true crime documentaries and it can become impossible to keep up with the latest real-life offerings.
So, to make it easier for you, we've selected our top choices for you to watch, including a mixture of new true crime documentaries and some of best real-life documentaries that you might have missed. From murder and sex scandals, to corruption and family secrets...
Here is our list of the best true crime documentaries to watch right now...
Murdaugh Murders: A Southern Scandal (Netflix)
The story starts with a group of teens involved in a fatal accident. One of the teens is Paul Terry Murdaugh. He's from a powerful family who dominate the legal landscape in South Carolina. In February, 2019, Paul, under the influence of alcohol, crashes his family boat into the Archers Creek Bridge in Beaufort, South Carolina. One of the teens on board, Mallory Beach, is thrown from the boat and can not be found. Investigators and volunteers spend eight days searching for Mallory, until two volunteers find her body about five miles down the river from the scene of the crash. There are lies and betrayal, as Paul tries to claim one of the other teens was driving the boat at the time of the crash. Paul is charged with offences including boating under the influence causing death, and faces prison. But the story takes one shocking twist after another. And it's not Paul who ends up in court, but his dad Alex Murdaugh, a once prominent lawyer, who sits at the centre of one of the most closely-watched trials in America. Tragedy, corruption and murder - this two season series will leave you shaking your head in utter disbelief.
How to Create a Sex Scandal (discovery+)
In the early 2000s news emerges that a paedophile ring has been operating from a swingers club in the small God-fearing town of Mineola in East Texas. There's no evidence, only the claims of four children (aged between four and eight). A Texas Ranger and the kids' foster mother, Margie Cantrell, draw lurid accounts from the children, and seven adults, including parents of the children, are sent to prison. But there's more to the story than meets the eye. This three-part true crime documentary series shows how easy it is to get away with fabricating a sex scandal, and how one person can cause so much damage.
Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets (Prime)
The Duggar Family are known for a series of reality TV shows based around their lives, most notably 19 Kids and Counting, which followed the daily lives of married couple Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and their 19 children for ten seasons between 2008 and 2015. The children were educated at home and represented wholesome religious conservatism. But, when news broke that the Duggars' eldest child, Josh, had allegedly molested some of his siblings over a decade before, the series was cancelled. There was a spin-off show. However, that was also cancelled following Josh's arrest in 2021 on child pornography charges, of which he was later convicted. But this is all just a jumping off point to explore a much larger subject - the teachings of the Institute in Basic Life Principles and it's now disgraced leader, Bill Gothard, who has been accused by dozens of women of sexual harassment and assault. The Duggars were a poster family for the IBLP, and this documentary series uses them as a touchpoint to explore this Christian fundamentalist organisation.
Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street (Netflix)
This four-part docuseries follows the rise and fall of financier Bernie Madoff, who orchestrated one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in Wall Street history. It begins with Madoff's arrest and gives the story historical context by delving into his earlier life. It details how Madoff rose to power, beginning his career in penny stock trades. The Netflix true crime documentary series unpacks the $65 billion Ponzi scheme with the help of former employees, investigators, journalists, victims, whistleblowers and footage of Madoff, while also laying blame on the many who saw the red flags but decided to look the other way. This fascinating real-crime series is about a man and a culture that cared more about money than rules and ethics.
The Matthew Shepard Story: An American Hate Crime (discovery+)
On the night of October 6, 1998, Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming, is approached by Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson (also in their early 20s) at the Fireside Lounge in Laramie. McKinney and Henderson offer to give Matthew a ride home. Instead, they drive to a remote rural area and proceed to rob, pistol-whip and torture Matthew, before tying him to a fence and leaving him to die. It's 18 hours after the attack before he's discovered by a cyclist who initially mistakes him for a scarecrow. Matthew is taken to hospital, where he dies six days later from severe head injuries. McKinney and Henderson are later arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Media coverage focuses on what role Matthew's sexual orientation played as a motive for the crime. McKinney and Henderson are convicted of the murder, and each receive two consecutive life sentences. Matthew's murder brings national and international attention to hate crime legislation, and changes the law. This new true crime documentary honours Matthew's life and legacy. It focuses on the progress society has made since his passing and the work that still needs to be done.
Take Care of Maya (Netflix)
Have tissues at the ready for this heartbreaking real-life documentary. In 2016, Beata and Jack Kowalski take their 10-year-old daughter to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, as she has been suffering from extreme abdominal pain. Beata, a nurse, requests that the doctors administer a large dose of ketamine. This is after another doctor has previously diagnosed Maya with complex regional pain syndrome and suggested the ketamine infusion treatment. But staff at Johns Hopkins Children's Hospital raise concerns about the request and believe Maya is a victim of abuse and that Beata has Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a mental illness whereby the caretaker makes up fake claims of causes real ones to make it look like their child is sick. Maya is place in state custody. And what follows is the anguished couples battle to get their daughter back.
Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer (Netflix)
This is one that will have you double checking the lock on your back door at night! Richard Ramirez, dubbed the Night Stalker, invaded homes and carried out a killing spree that terrorised the residents of Greater Los Angeles and later the San Francisco Bay Area over the course of 14 months. He used a variety of killing methods and attacked men, women and children, with his victims ranging from aged six to 83. He was eventually convicted of 13 murders and 11 sex assaults. This documentary-series is told from the victims' and police officers' perspective and explores the true story of how one of the most notorious serial killers in American history was hunted down and brought to justice, it also examines the seedy underbelly of LA at that time.
Don't F**K with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer (Netflix)
This one might have slipped your attention as Netflix continues to pump out one real-life series after another. But if you missed Don'y F**K with Cats, then we suggest your revisit this jaw-dropping documentary-series that takes one shocking turn after another. It begins with videos circulating online of someone killing kittens. What follows is a true-life cat and mouse game, as a group of horrified Facebook sleuths set out to uncover the identity of the kitten killer and bring him to justice. But, in this docu-serie, which has something significant to say about internet culture, the cat killers crimes escalate to a truly gruesome crime that leads to an international manhunt. If you haven't already seen it, we won't give too much away, as we don't want to take away the shock of how the story unfolds.
Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes (Netflix)
The documentary series offers a look inside the mind of serial killer Ted Bundy. It features interviews with him on death row, archival footage, as well as interviews with people who knew him, surviving victims, and the law enforcement members who worked on his case. The series traces Bundy's life, crimes, arrests, escapes and death in detail. There are no narrative twists in this true crime documentary series, but the interviews with journalist Stephen G Michaud offer an interesting insight into Bundy's narcissistic personality and habit of self-aggrandising. Unlike Richard Ramirez, who looked like the devil incarnate, Bundy has a smile and sparkle in his eyes. He's intelligent and engaging and even appears to charm the judge. What's most unsettling about this documentary series is that it reveals Bundy as someone you could easily imagine as college or someone within your social circle. There's nothing to instantly mark him out as someone capable of such sickening crimes. But Bundy confessed to 30 murders, though the actual number of victims remains unknown. Chilling!
The Staircase (Netflix)
This real-life Netflix documentary series will leave you not knowing what to think. It covers the high profile murder trial of American novelist Michael Peterson, accusing of killing his wife Kathleen after she is found dead at the bottom of a staircase in their home in 2001. Among the interviewees are mostly Michael, family members, and Michael's legal team. The series focuses your attention on the fine details of the case before dropping game-changing revelations, leaving you at one moment convinced it was an accident and in the next moment feeling certain it was murder. It's an insightful look at the justice system, as Michael's lawyers try to get him off, and we see how money can help a person pull together the best defence. You'll be turning this one over in you head for days after watching.