Netflix has launched a complete new wave of true crime documentaries over the previous few months. In the case of true crime, the streaming service covers a wide selection of real-life tales, from elaborate scams to chilling homicide investigations. Whereas Netflix has a number of multi-season true-crime reveals, like Worst Roommate Ever, the streaming service is finest recognized for deep dives into troublesome circumstances with limited-series documentaries akin to Making a Assassin, The Keepers, TIME: The Kalief Browder Story, Evening Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer, and The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann.
The documentaries featured on this record vary from chilly circumstances to current investigations, cults to chilling serial killers. 4 of them are movies, whereas 5 have been produced as limited-series displays. Viewers concerned with true crime will acknowledge various of those circumstances, however every documentary has one thing totally different to supply.
8
‘American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson’
Launch Date: January 29, 2025
American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson is a four-part documentary sequence developed by Floyd Russ, the identical director who made American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing for Netflix in 2023. Whereas American Manhunt is a unbroken sequence on Netflix, every installment focuses on a special crime. Russ does a deep dive into the O.J. Simpson Case right here. This case has continued to attract curiosity and hypothesis for the reason that former NFL participant was tried in 1995 for the tragic 1994 homicide of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
The Netflix documentary attracts closely from interviews with detectives who labored on the case within the Nineteen Nineties in addition to an in depth examination of what went mistaken throughout the investigation. Whereas critics agree that it is a subject that has been mentioned in nice element throughout a number of documentaries through the years, American Manhunt does provide viewers lots to consider. “The modifying by David Tillman and Patrick Nelson Barnes is terrific given all of the shifting components and the tempo…” remarks The Wall Avenue Journal‘s John Anderson, including that it actually reveals “the path of societal harm it [the case] left behind.”
7
‘Chaos: The Manson Murders’
Launch Date: March 6, 2025
Directed by Errol Morris (The Skinny Blue Line), CHAOS: The Manson Murders is a documentary movie based mostly on the 2019 nonfiction e book by Tom O’Neill with Dan Piepenbring. The Manson Household cult has chilled and fascinated folks for the reason that brutal 1969 murders that took the lives of Abigail Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Steven Mum or dad, Jay Sebring, Sharon Tate (who was pregnant on the time), Leno LaBianca, and Rosemary LaBianca.
The movie focuses on different theories surrounding the motive behind the murders, which vary from authorities conspiracies to mind-control experiments. Chaos: The Manson Murders chases a whole lot of leads, which is probably too formidable for a movie that solely has an hour and thirty-five minutes to undergo all the main points. Whereas these concerned with research of the cult will not have the ability to withstand this documentary, critics notice that the concept behind the movie might be extra attention-grabbing than the movie itself. Daniel Fienberg for The Hollywood Reporter calls the documentary “a narrative in regards to the want for tales with regards to explaining the unexplainable.”
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6
‘Gone Ladies: The Lengthy Island Serial Killer’
Launch Date: March 31, 2025
The Gilgo Seaside serial killings happened in Lengthy Island, New York, between 1993 and 2011. In 2024, a suspect was arrested and charged with the murders of Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, Amber Lynn Costello, and Maureen Brainard-Barnes, Jessica Taylor, Sandra Costilla, and Valerie Mack. The trial remains to be pending.
Gone Ladies: The Lengthy Island Serial Killer is a three-part documentary sequence directed by Liz Garbus (What Occurred, Miss Simone?) that focuses on disappearances that occurred within the space previous to the invention of human stays on Gilgo Seaside in 2010. It tells the story of the victims and their family members, who spent a very long time combating for justice. Household, buddies, police, and journalists are all interviewed. Critics reward the documentary sequence for why these murders had been ignored for thus lengthy as an alternative of sensationalizing the case.
5
‘Dangerous Affect: The Darkish Facet of Kidfluencing’
Launch Date: April 9, 2025
Dangerous Affect: The Darkish Facet of Kidfluencing is a three-part documentary sequence created by Kief Davidson (The Ivory Recreation). It traces the rise of YouTube star Piper Rockelle beneath the affect of her mom and supervisor, Tiffany Smith. After Rockelle’s success on the kid pageantry circuit, her mom determined to capitalize on Rockelle’s recognition through YouTube, the place Rockelle and her buddies rose to web fame as “the Squad.” In 2022, former members of “the Squad” filed a lawsuit towards Smith for abusive therapy.
The Netflix documentary takes an in depth take a look at Rockelle’s relationship along with her mom, in addition to what went on behind the scenes on the YouTube channel. 4 former Squad members are interviewed in addition to household, buddies, and specialists in psychology and web branding. Critics consider the sequence to be a compelling, although troublesome to look at, take a look at what occurs to little one influencers.
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4
‘Oklahoma Metropolis Bombing: American Terror’
Launch Date: April 18, 2025
The Oklahoma Metropolis bombing was a home terrorist assault perpetrated by Timothy McVeigh in 1995, ensuing within the dying of 168 folks with lots of extra injured. Oklahoma Metropolis Bombing: American Terror explores is directed by Greg Tillman (Waco: American Apocalypse) and explores what occurred on the day of the bombing in addition to the aftermath that adopted by way of interviews with survivors and legislation enforcement, in addition to archival footage and reenactments.
Critics say the documentary movie clearly and concisely lays out the occasions, however would profit from an extended working time. The movie is just one hour and twenty-two minutes lengthy, which does not afford it a lot area to cowl a whole lot of floor. The primary-hand testimony of those that had been there that day is extremely shifting, however as a complete, the movie would not actually provide new perception.
3
‘A Lethal American Marriage’
Launch Date: Might 9, 2025
A Lethal American Marriage is a documentary movie directed by Jessica Burgess (Wealthy and Shameless) and Jenny Popplewell (What Jennifer Did). It examines the dying of Jason Corbett, an Irish man who was murdered in his North Carolina dwelling in 2015. The circumstances surrounding his dying acquired in depth media consideration, with Corbett’s spouse and father-in-law as suspects.
By archival footage and interviews with investigators and prosecutors, A Lethal American Marriage seems to be on the homicide and subsequent trial. It takes under consideration the information of the case in addition to the attitude of these finally charged with the crime. Critics notice that the documentary leans slightly too closely into the emotional curler coaster that cautious modifying can assemble, however the story stays an interesting one.
2
‘Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story’
Launch Date: Might 14, 2025
Even in true crime circles, Fred and Rosemary West are troublesome to speak about. Their crimes concerned torture and sexual assault. They murdered over ten folks, together with kids, in England between 1973 and 1987 earlier than they had been caught and prosecuted in 1994.
Directed by Daniel Dewsbury (Louis Theroux: Forbidden America), this three-part sequence examines newly unearthed police recordings and makes use of first-person accounts to discover the lives of two notorious murderers. Archival interviews of Fred and Rosemary’s surviving kids, who lived in worry of their mother and father, are significantly harrowing to look at. These survivors weren’t interviewed for this sequence, however relations of the victims are given a platform to speak about their grief.
1
‘Chilly Case: The Tylenol Murders’
Launch Date: Might 26, 2025
Chilly Case: The Tylenol Murders
- Launch Date
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2025 – 2025
- Community
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Netflix
- Administrators
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Yotam Guendelman
Forged
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Jeff Flock
Self – Reporter, CNN
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James Lewis
Self – Tylenol Homicide Suspect
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Michelle Rosen
Self – Daughter of Sufferer
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Tyrone Fahner
Self – Illinois Lawyer Normal
Unsolved to at the present time, the Tylenol Murders rocked Chicago in 1982 when at the very least seven folks died after ingesting poisoned Tylenol. Mary Kellerman, Adam Janus, Stanley Janus, Theresa Janus, Mary McFarland, Paula Prince, and Mary Reiner died on account of cyanide that had been positioned contained in the Tylenol capsules. These murders are why tamper-proof seals exist at this time.
Created by Shadow of Reality administrators Yotam Guendelman and Ari Pines, Chilly Case: The Tylenol Murders is a three-part documentary that explores the murders, investigation, and subsequent legislation modifications that occurred on account of the poisonings. Relations, legislation enforcement, members of the media, and even the principle suspect within the case are interviewed. Critic Richard Roeper notes that the sequence would not do a lot that hasn’t been performed earlier than, however “it does a strong job of chronicling the case by way of the requisite use of recollections…mixed with instructive graphics blended with archival information footage.”